Doing Research Part 3 of 6: Research Philosophy
This topic can elicit two reactions out of people. Either it strikes fear or it confuses. After taking a graduate class on this topic, some even feel like they don’t like research at all. I completely understand where all these perspectives are coming from. But here’s the reality, understanding your research philosophy and the two concepts that underpin it — epistemology and ontology — are like learning the fundamentals of driving.
Source: Unsplash
In the beginning it’s really hard to remember all the things you need to do when behind the wheel of a vehicle, and some of the things you need to do don’t always feel very intuitive but after you start driving and begin to experience many different types of roads and terrains, and weather conditions, all your driving school training falls to the back of your mind and your decisions behind the wheel become second nature — at a certain point, you don’t even think about the ABC’s of driving.
Epistemology and ontology are the ABCs of research, and once you understand them — and this is for any level of research — you begin to feel more empowered in the framing of your research question(s) and the application of theory (see Part 1 and 2 of this series).
What is Epistemology?
This concept is applied to knowledge, especially with regard to how you formulate your methods, determine the validity of theory, and the scope of ideas. It is the study of knowledge within a field(s).
According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, epistemology comes from the Greek words “episteme” and “logos”. “Episteme” can be translated as “knowledge” or “understanding” or “acquaintance”, while “logos” can be translated as “account” or “argument” or “reason”
Source: Stangarfield.medium.com
Epistemology is ultimately concerned with three questions:
What is knowledge?
How is knowledge acquired?
To what extent is it possible for a given subject to be known?
“Where does knowledge come from for you? Do you think it resides in texts or images? Maybe you believe that knowledge comes from doing, not from reading. Think about your epistemology when starting a research project.”
What is Ontology?
This concept is about the nature of reality and how you perceive the social world as either objective or subjective. Hilary Collins asserts that “Ontology is concerned with the nature of reality. This raises assumptions about the way the world operates and the commitment held to particular views by researchers” (2018: 47).
Source: Unsplash
You might not consciously think about how you view reality on a day-to-day basis, but we all have a view of the social world and assumptions about how it operates.
Identifying your ontology at the start of the research process helps to determine your choice of research design. To this extent, it is important to recognize that
Identifying your ontology is not explicitly part of your research; and
Ontology helps you position your work in terms of choosing your approach to the questions you’re asking, and anticipated outcomes, but it is not the work itself.
Objective Ontology
Takes the position that social entities exist in reality external to social actors. Therefore, when conducting research, one’s subjective qualities (e.g., political views, identity of researcher, etc.) must remain external to the research. An objective ontology typically aligns with a realist worldview.
Realists believe in a single truth using the scientific method; researchers look from the outside in to draw conclusions; and results are driven by statistical data.
Subjective Ontology
Holds that social phenomena are created from the perception and consequent actions of those social actors, as such, one’s point of view and/or “politics” are fundamental to research design and to defining the research problem. A subjective ontology typically aligns with a relativist worldview.
Relativists believe in multiple realities and that we can only learn about these realities by understanding the meaning people give to social phenomenon; thus, one’s beliefs shape the outcome; and your approach will differ depending on your beliefs.
“Would you consider yourself an objective/realist or a subjective/relativist ?”
Deductive v. Inductive
There are two ways to test your research philosophy (epistemology and ontology). Either you apply a deductive approach or an inductive approach.
Deductive Research — Testing Theory
Most common in STEM fields where the aim is to deduce a hypothesis (a testable proposition about the relationship between two or more concepts) from theory.
In a deductive approach, theory is applied a priori — deriving a proof or using evidence to test a hypothesis. The aim of research is not to develop a new theory but to use existing theory to develop a hypothesis (or hypotheses) and design a research study that will test the hypothesis, which will then lead to analyzing the outcome of the study, and modifying or “updating” existing theory based on results.
Inductive Research — Building Theory
With this approach you are squarely concerned with context and understanding where, how, and why something is happening.
Meaning, in an inductive approach, researchers apply an a posteriori argument – deriving knowledge from empirical investigation. You not only seek to gain deeper understanding of the nature of the problem, but when you gather data, your aim is not to test theory; your aim is to develop a theory based on analysis and discussion.
With this research theory follows data rather than data following theory (as in deductive research). For this reason, inductive research is often linked with grounded theory.
““Grounded theory first begins by gathering data which the researcher uses to develop a new theory…. The term ‘grounded’ refers to the idea that the theory that emerges from this research is grounded in data that has been collected from a variety of sources” ”
Source: Vitalflux.com
You Become a Researcher When You Begin to Think Like a Researcher
This scene from the 2011 film Iron Lady really helped me see the layers of thinking that play a role in shaping what we believe and ultimately who we become. It was an OK film, but this brilliantly played scene by Meryl Streep is worth thinking about.
Understanding how you think, what you believe, the kinds of questions you are drawn to asking, and the sort of answers you seek is fundamental to research. This is your ontology and epistemology — your research philosophy — that leads to your choice of methods. In Part 4 of this series I give tips on how to devise research questions using the 5ws.
If you’d like to support this free content or let me know how much you appreciate this work, I welcome your donation to PayPal. Please like, share, and comment on the links below! And if you have any suggestions on future series that I should write about, drop me a line below!
Recommended Reading
Hilary Collins. Creative Research: The Theory and Practice of Research for the Creative Industries (2018)
Anders Hansen & David Machin, Introduction to Media and Communication Research Methods (2013)
Gjoko Muratovski Research for Designers: A Guide to Methods and Practice (2016)
