The Research Paradigm - Methodology, Epistemology and Ontology - Explained in Simple Language - Salma Patel

The research paradigm – methodology, epistemology and ontology – e... http://salmapatel.co.uk/academia/the-research-paradigm-methodology-...
Healthcare, Technology, Participation, Research and a PhD
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If the above still doesn’t make things clear, don’t worry. I would now recommend you watch this
video which explains the above in very simple terms, and explains the two major paradigms:
positivism and constructivism.
Why is it important?
Your ontology and epistemology create a holistic view of how knowledge is viewed and how we
can see ourselves in relation to this knowledge, and the methodological strategies we use to
un/discover it. Awareness of philosophical assumptions will increase quality of research and can
contribute to the creativity of the researcher. Furthermore, you will be asked about it in your viva
and are expected to narrate it when you write up your research findings.
Which research paradigm does my research belong to?

In really simple terms, the three most common paradigms are explained below (and are shown in
this epistemology diagram too, taken from here):
Positivists believe that there is a single reality, which can be measured and known, and
therefore they are more likely to use quantitative methods to measure and this reality.
Constructivists believe that there is no single reality or truth, and therefore reality needs to
be interpreted, and therefore they are more likely to use qualitative methods to get those
multiple realities.
Pragmatists believe that reality is constantly renegotiated, debated, interpreted, and
therefore the best method to use is the one that solves the problem
The table below (which I created) gives a more detailed overview of each paradigm (and contains
subjectivism and critical too), and your own research paradigm could very well sit in between one
of the paradigms. You could use a top down or a bottom up approach (Rebecca explains here) to
decide where your research sits. In a bottom up approach, you decide on your research question,
then you decide which methods, methodology, theoretical perspective you will approach your
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research from. In reality, I believe its probably neither strictly a top down or bottom up approach,
you probably go back and forth till you find the right fit. I believe each research project would
have a different research paradigm and hence a different theoretical perspective.
Table adapted from various sources, including Crotty (1998). Crotty left ontology out of his
framework, and also didn’t include Pragmatism and Critical. But the assumptions underlying every
piece of research are both ontological and epistemological.
Where does most social science research sit?

According to Eddie, and quoting directly, most social science sits into the following:
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“1. Experimental (Positivist), with a more realist ontology (i.e. reality is out there), with an
empiricist epistemology (i.e. and I’ll gather sense data to find it);
2. Postmodernist constructivism, with a less realist ontology (i.e. reality is just a load of
competing claims), and a constructivist epistemology (i.e. and I’ll analyse those competing
accounts to explore it)
Applied, then to social psychology, it is important to understand the tension, throughout its
history, between:
1. A more traditional experimental (quantitative) approach, which sees social reality as a set of
facts to be known for all time by measuring people in the laboratory;
2. A more critical, discursive (qualitative) approach, which sees social reality as mutually
constructed between people in the real world.”
However, I must add that pragmatism (and hence mixed methods research) is also being
increasingly used in social sciences.
What impact will my chosen paradigm have on my research?

It will have a huge impact. Let me give you an example of an interview based research that is
constructivist:
“So as GP trainers, constructivism means that to understand our trainees and their learning,
beliefs or behaviours we have to be aware of their experience and culture (the historical and
cultural contexts) and recognise that they don’t just potentially see the world differently to us, but
experience it differently too.” Source.
Useful reading and references

Texts I found useful:
Crotty, M., 1998. Foundations of social research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research
Process. p.256.
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R. and Jackson, P.R., 2012. Management Research. [online] SAGE
Publications. Available at: <https://books.google.co.uk/books/about
/Management_Research.html?id=ahbhMb-R7MQC&pgis=1> [Accessed 14 Jul. 2015].
Scotland, J., 2012. Exploring the philosophical underpinnings of research: Relating ontology and
epistemology to the methodology and methods of the scientific, interpretive, and critical research
paradigms. English Language Teaching, 5(9), pp.9–16.
Blog posts that were useful:
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What are the three main research paradigms discussed in the text?

How does the chosen research paradigm impact a study?

The research paradigm – methodology, epistemology and ontology – e... http://salmapatel.co.uk/academia/the-research-paradigm-methodology-...

Healthcare, Technology, Participation, Research and a PhD

Which research paradigm does my research belong to?

Where does most social science research sit?

What impact will my chosen paradigm have on my research?

Useful reading and references

Blog posts that were useful:

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