Did you think that methodologies and life cycles were the same thing? They aren't! A key difference is what they try to accomplish. A life cycle defines the stages or phases of a project, which can determine what activities are accomplished. Methodologies help set standards and procedures for how to perform each activity.

It is easy to get these terms confused, but remember that these two concepts work with each other when completing a project. For the purposes of this book, the next five chapters are broken out by life-cycle phase. The methodology will be the suggestions of activities and standards within the chapters.