We have no aces to what the world is, to ontology, only to descriptions of the world... that is to say, epistemology... We should never say something… - Peter Checkland

The core of a root definition of a system will be a transformation process (T), the means by which defined inputs are transformed into defined outputs. The transformation will include the direct object of the main activity verbs subsequently required to describe the system.

A root definition describing a notional system chosen for its relevance to what the investigator and/or people in the problem situation perceive as matters of contention.

A methodology will lack the precision of a technique but will be a firmer guide to action than a philosophy. Where a technique tells you 'how' and a philosophy tells you 'what', a methodology will contain elements of both 'what' and 'how'.