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What exactly are positivistic and phenomenological research paradigms?
Positivistic research paradigms are, generally accepted as being, research concepts and processes, derived and developed within the natural sciences to study natural phenomena. ¡¥It is believed by positivists, people that use positivistic methods for research, that true knowledge can only be obtained by applying logic to data that has been obtained through sensory experiences. ... Fitz, Class notes : 2001)
In general, quantitative research and positivistic research is extremely closely attached, as both are confirmatory and deductive by nature.
Phenomenological research paradigms, on the other hand, are generally accepted as being research concepts and processes, derived and developed within the human social sciences, i. ... Fitz, Class Notes : 2001)
Associated more closely with qualitative aspects of research, phenomenology is exploratory and inductive by nature, emphasising a focus on peoples¡¦ subjective experiences and interpretations of the world. Through their research, phenomenologists want to know how the world appears to others,
Compare and contrast the values and assumptions¡K
Positivistic perceptions of assumptions underpinning their research ideology, such as, Ontology, Epistemology, Axiology, Rhetorical, and Methodology, run hand in hand with their values of detachment, objectivity, choice, deducement, measurement, simplicity, sampling and validity. They believe that hunches, motives, emotions, intuition and experiences should have no bearing on research undertaken. ... ¡¦
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Phenomenologists¡¦ quite different viewpoint in relation to the values and assumptions that underpin their research ideology, emphasis¡¦ very heavily on ¡¥meaning¡¦, not measurement. ¡¥They concentrate almost entirely on the subjective aspects of social life, which are internal to the individuals consciousness¡¦ Haralambos & Holborn (1999 : 817)
Taking each research ideological assumption separately, I will show how both traditions differ.
Epistemology ¡V The study of the assumptions underpinning truth and knowledge;
Positivists believe that only observable and measurable phenomena can be constituted as being valid knowledge, whereas phenemonologists equate knowledge with the understanding of the meaning and motives that guide actions and interactions of individuals. ...
Ontology ¡V The study of the nature of reality, derived from Greek roots, meaning the science of beings
It is the perception and definition of the word ¡¥reality¡¦ that causes the differences between positivistic and phenomenological ontological assumptions of research. Positivists view the word as being objective and external and show this by carrying out their research in an objective and exclusive method. ...
Axiology ¡V The theory of values, derived from two Greek roots axios (worth or value) and logos (logic or theory).
Positivists detach themselves from the phenomena being studied, dismissing the need for a role thus causing the object to be unaffected by their research activities, which is the total opposite of the phenonemologists method of researching.
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