Research paradigms Research Paradigm Description Ontology Epistemology Methodology Positivism/post positivism Often referred to One reality; Objectivity is Quantitative as experimental, important; (primarily), knowable researcher interventionist, within manipulates decontextualized. probability. correlational, and observes in causal dispassionate, comparative, objective quantitative types manner. of research. Interpretive/Constructivist often referred to Multiple, Interactive link Qualitative as naturalistic, socially (primarily), between the phenomenological, constructed hermeneutical, researcher and hermeneutic, realities dialectical, participants, symbolic contextual factors values are interaction, are described made explicit, ethnographic, created qualitative findings Emancipatory often referred to Multiple Interactive link More emphasis as naturalistic, realities between on qualitative phenomenological, shaped by researcher and (dialogic) by hermeneutic, social, participants, quantitative symbolic political, and knowledge is design could be interaction, cultural, socially and used; contextual ethnographic, economic, historically and historical qualitative ethnic, situated factors are gender, and described, disability especially as they values relate to oppression
Research paradigms Research Paradigm Description Ontology Epistemology Methodology Positivism/post positivism Often referred to as experimental, correlational, causal comparative, quantitative types of research. One reality; knowable within probability. Objectivity is important; researcher manipulates and observes in dispassionate, objective manner. Quantitative (primarily), interventionist, decontextualized. Interpretive/Constructivist often referred to as naturalistic, phenomenological, hermeneutic, symbolic interaction, ethnographic, qualitative Multiple, socially constructed realities Interactive link between the researcher and participants, values are made explicit, created findings Qualitative (primarily), hermeneutical, dialectical, contextual factors are described Emancipatory often referred to as naturalistic, phenomenological, hermeneutic, symbolic interaction, ethnographic, qualitative Multiple realities shaped by social, political, and cultural, economic, ethnic, gender, and disability values Interactive link between researcher and participants, knowledge is socially and historically situated More emphasis on qualitative (dialogic) by quantitative design could be used; contextual and historical factors are described, especially as they relate to oppression
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