Exploring Research Methodologies: Positivism and Interpretivism Essay

Exploring query Methodologies Positivism and InterpretivismBefore a research worker back initiate a research project, they face the confusion and the range of theoretical perspectives, methodologies, methods, and the philosophical basis that encompasses them all. This seemingly meticulous structure for the research process is in fact aimed toward providing the investigator with a scaffolding, or a direction which they can go on to develop themselves to coincide with their particular research purposes. (Crotty, 1998)Once a researcher has developed a research question they are seeking to answer, they must consider what methodologies and methods they pull up stakes employ in the research what theoretical perspective lies back tooth the methodology and what epistemology informs this theoretical perspective. (Crotty, 1998) Before continuing it is important to explain these key termsEpistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of companionship, which seeks to inform us how we can know the military personnel. (Jary and Jary Dictionary of Sociology, 1991) In the context of social research, epistemology is the form of proof one requires to justify a claim to knowledge about the social world. This pass on have a salient impact on the kind of data one can collect in order to validate their arguments concerning the social world (methodology), as well as the methods one considers in collecting valid data (methods). A researchers choice of methods will be knowing by theoretical perspectives, the way one sees the social world. (Livesey)Researchers of social science use a wide variety of research methods to gain and enhance knowledge and theory. The different types of research methodologies, quantitative and qualitative, are associated with the epistemological and theoretical perspectives the researcher wishes to adopt. This choice the researcher makes determines the way in which research should be conducted. This paper will discuss, critically analyse and compare the epistemological and theoretical perspectives of two research methodologies used for social research positivism and interpretivism. The various research methods used indoors the frameworks of each of these will then be discussed.PositivismThere are two main types of epistemologies positivist and anti-positivist. Positivist research is an approach which combines a deductive approach w... ...12.Love, T. (1998). Value Role in Computer-assisted Designing. Western Australia Dept of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. 13.Neuman, L.W. (2000). well-disposed Research Methods Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Sydney Allyn and Bacon.14.Orlikowski, W. J. & Baroudi, J. J. (1991). Studying Information Technology in Organizations Research Approaches and Assumptions. Information Systems Research, pg 1-28.15.Pawson, R. & Tilley, N. (1997). Realistic Evaluation. London Sage.16.Sarantakos, S. (1998). Social Research. Melbourne Macmillan.17.Sharma, B.A.V., Ravindra P rasad, D. & Satyanarayana. (1984). Research Methods in Social Sciences. New Delhi Sterling Publishers Private Ltd.18.Silverman, D. (2000). Doing Qualitative Research. London Sage.19.Vrasidas, C. (2001). Interpretivism and Symbolic Interactionism Making the old(prenominal) Strange and Interesting Again in Educational Technology Research. In Heinecke, W. & Willis, J. (Ed.), Research Methods in Educational Technology. Greenwich, CT Information Age Publishing, Inc.20.Wainwright, S. P. (2000). For Bourdieu in Realist Social Science. London.