Perspectives on Research Methodology

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Perspectives on Research Methodology

• Darleen Opfer

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• Behind the welter of names positivism,
  naturalism, post-positivism, relativism, feminist
  standpoint epistemology, foundationalism,
  postmodernism, each with an array of sub-species
  lie important questions Is there a single,
  absolute truth about educational phenomena, or
  are there multiple truth? (Or is the concept of
  truth itself so problematic as to be of no value
  in understanding the world?) Can we count on our
  senses or on reason, to distinguish that which is
  true about the world from that which is false?
  Are there methods that can lead us close to
  understanding, or are there inherent
  indeterminancies in all methods? Is knowledge of
  the world discovered, or constructed? Can
  knowledge of the world be evaluated independent
  of the social and historical contexts in which it
  exists, or is it always contingent upon, or
  relative to, particular circumstances?
• (Pallas, 2003, p.6)

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Why Understand Research Epistemology and Ontology?

• to understand the interrelationship of the key
  components of research (including methodology and
  methods)
• to avoid confusion when discussing theoretical
  debates and approaches to social phenomena and
• to be able to recognize others, and defend our
  own, positions.

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Ontology

• claims and assumptions that are made about the
  nature of social reality, claims about what
  exists, what it looks like, what units make it up
  and how these units interact with each other. In
  short, ontological assumptions are concerned with
  what we believe constitutes social
  reality.Blaikie, 2000, p. 8

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Epistemology

• the possible ways of gaining knowledge of social
  reality, whatever it is understood to be. In
  short, claims about how what is assumed to exist
  can be known. Blaikie, 2000, p. 8

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Epistemological Assumptions

• Objectivity believes that knowledge exists
  whether we are conscious of it or not.
• Constructionist believes that we come to know
  through our interactions.
• Subjectivity believes that everyone has a
  different understanding of what we know.

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Epistemological Continuum
Pragmatism
Interpretivism
Post-Positivism
Participatory
Positivism
Postmodern
Objectivity
Subjectivity
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Epistemological History
Interpretivism
Postmodern
Post-Positivism
Participatory
Positivism
Pragmatism
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Assumptions of Post - Positivism

• Absolute truth can never be found.
• Research is a process of making claims and then
  testing, refining or abandoning some of them for
  other claims more strongly warranted.
• Data, evidence and rational considerations shape
  knowledge.
• Research seeks to develop relevant, true
  statements that can serve to explain the
  situation that is of concern or that describes
  the causal relationship of interest.
• Researchers must examine their methods and
  conclusions and control or limit bias.

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Assumptions of Interpretivism

• Meanings are constructed by humans as they engage
  with the world they are interpreting.
• Humans make sense of the world based on their
  historical and social perspective. They seek to
  understand the context and then make an
  interpretation of what they find which is shaped
  by their own experiences and backgrounds.
• The basic generation of meaning is always social.

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Assumptions of Participatory

• Participatory research is recursive and
  dialectical and is focused on bring about change
  in practices.
• Begins with a stance about the problems in
  society.
• It is emancipatory.
• It is inquiry completed with others rather than
  on or to others.
• The research process is cyclical.

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Assumptions of Pragmatism

• Is not committed to any one system of philosophy
  or reality.
• Individual researchers have freedom of choice to
  select procedures that best meet their needs.
• Pragmatists do not see the world as an absolute
  unity.
• Truth is what works at the time.
• We need to stop asking questions about reality
  and the laws of nature and start solving problems.

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Activity 1 Language Use in Abstracts

• Read the abstracts provided and underline words
  which you think may illustrate the
  epistemological and theoretical assumptions of
  the researcher.

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• What methods do you propose to use?
• What methodology governs your choice and use of
  the methods?
• What theoretical perspective lies behind the
  methodology in question?
• What epistemology informs this theoretical
  perspective?

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• Methods the techniques or procedures used to
  gather and analyze data related to some research
  question of hypothesis
• Methodology the strategy, plan of action,
  process or design lying behind the choice and use
  of particular methods and linking the choice and
  use of methods to desired outcomes.
• Theoretical perspective the philosophical stance
  informing the methodology and thus providing a
  context for the process and grounding its logic
  and criteria.
• Epistemology the theory of knowledge embedded in
  the theoretical perspective and thereby in the
  methodology. (how we know what we know)

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Putnams Social Capital
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Colemans Social Capital
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Activity 2 Your Own Research Diagram

• Use the blank Crotty Diagram to identify the
  chain that seems to underlie your own research
  interests. We will share these when finished.

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