diff --git a/odmtools/gui/pageMethod.py b/odmtools/gui/pageMethod.py
index df72837..c90900b 100644
--- a/odmtools/gui/pageMethod.py
+++ b/odmtools/gui/pageMethod.py
@@ -67,9 +67,6 @@ def _init_ctrls(self, prnt):
         self.lstMethods.SetColumnWidth(2,0)
         # self.lstMethods.Enable(False)
 
-
-
-
     def __init__(self, parent, id, pos, size, style, name, ss, method):
         self.series_service = ss
         self.prev_val = method
@@ -108,26 +105,24 @@ def OnTxtMethodDescripKillFocus(self, event):
 
         event.Skip()
 
-
     def getMethod(self):
 
         m =  Method()
         if self.rbGenerate.Value:
             genmethod = "Values derived from ODM Tools Python"
-            m= self.series_service.get_method_by_description(genmethod)
+            m = self.series_service.get_method_by_description(genmethod)
             if m is None:
                 logger.debug("assigning new method description")
-                m =  Method()
+                m = Method()
                 m.description = genmethod
 
         elif self.rbSelect.Value:
             index = self.lstMethods.GetFirstSelected()
-            desc= self.lstMethods.GetItem(index, 0).GetText()
-
-            logger.debug(desc)
-            m= self.series_service.get_method_by_description(desc)
-
+            # desc = self.lstMethods.GetItem(index, 0).GetText()
+            id = self.lstMethods.GetItem(index, 2).GetText()
 
+            logger.debug(id)
+            m = self.series_service.get_method_by_id(int(id))
 
         elif self.rbCreateNew.Value:
             logger.debug("assigning new method description")
diff --git a/odmtools/gui/wizSave.py b/odmtools/gui/wizSave.py
index 4233854..81f7a18 100644
--- a/odmtools/gui/wizSave.py
+++ b/odmtools/gui/wizSave.py
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ def fill_summary(self):
         self.panel.treeSummary.SetItemText(self.panel.treeSummary.vgc,
                                            'General Category: ' + str(Variable.general_category))
 
-        self.panel.treeSummary.SetItemText(self.panel.treeSummary.md, 'Description: ' + str(Method.description))
+        self.panel.treeSummary.SetItemText(self.panel.treeSummary.md, 'Description: ' + Method.description.encode('utf-8', 'ignore'))
 
         self.panel.treeSummary.SetItemText(self.panel.treeSummary.soo, 'Organization: ' + str(Source.organization))
         self.panel.treeSummary.SetItemText(self.panel.treeSummary.sod, 'Description: ' + str(Source.description))
diff --git a/odmtools/odmdata/method.py b/odmtools/odmdata/method.py
index f3b9d8f..06b4740 100644
--- a/odmtools/odmdata/method.py
+++ b/odmtools/odmdata/method.py
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@ class Method(Base):
 	link		= Column('MethodLink', String)
 
 	def __repr__(self):
-		return "<Method('%s', '%s', '%s')>" % (self.id, self.description, self.link)
\ No newline at end of file
+		return "<Method('%s', '%s', '%s')>" % (self.id, self.description.encode("utf-8", 'ignore'), self.link.encode("utf-8", 'ignore'))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/odmtools/odmservices/series_service.py b/odmtools/odmservices/series_service.py
index 078e6fe..504d4d9 100644
--- a/odmtools/odmservices/series_service.py
+++ b/odmtools/odmservices/series_service.py
@@ -785,9 +785,13 @@ def method_exists(self, m):
         :return:
         """
         try:
-            result = self._edit_session.query(Method).filter_by(description=m.description).one()
+            # result = self._edit_session.query(Method).filter_by(description=m.description).one()
+            result = self._edit_session.query(Method).filter(Method.description.like(m.description.encode("latin-1"))).first()
+            print "successful method retrieval!"
+            print Method
             return True
-        except:
+        except Exception as ex:
+            print ex
             return False
 
     def variable_exists(self, v):