The Utility of Mixed Methodology for Climate Governance Research in Nigeria

Even before the onset of the twenty first century, the subject of research in climate change as a subset of the environment gained attention in the academia. Since the 90s, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (EPCC) continues to lead research on climate change which has gained importance owing to the trans-boundary nature of environmental issues (UNFCCC, 2014). Given the rising prominence of climate change governance as a field of study in international relations, defining the methodology for any academic investigation in this field is also of equal importance. This is due to the fact that methodology is one of the three major elements that reflect the intellectual progress of any academic field (Sprinz & Wolinsky, 2004, p.3); the other two being the empirical phenomenon and development of theory. When we consider methodology as a systematic way of testing theories, it is self-evident that methodology is critical in the assessment of any phenomenon or theory in a research area.