Different research theories/approaches

Just a short summary I've written of the research methods we've been studying so far, in an attempt to get my head around the various bits of terminology and jargon....

There are two key differing approaches towards research: positivism and interpretivism.

Positivist theory is centred around the idea that the world exists externally to social convention so has a more objective and scientific approach in order to find answers, employing quantitative (more concrete and factual) methods such as demographics & statistical analysis, standardized tests, and written surveys. A project which employs this technique is often founded on the researcher’s fixed hypothesis who then utilizes the above methods in order to prove their proposition.  

Interpretivist theorists on the other hand believe that reality is merely a social construct and thus needs to be understood within the context of human perception, ‘sociology is no longer the philosophy of human existence, it is the particular science of human behaviour and it’s consequences’. (Alfred Schutz, ‘The Phenomenology of the Social World). Therefore more qualititative methods are applied such as personal interviews, observation & self reporting, and video ethnography, which are then interpreted in order to form solutions to the research problem as opposed to being used as a means to prove a preconceived idea or hypothesis.

These differing practice methods are based on contrasting views of ontology, which is concerned with our perspectives on the way the world works and our views on reality; whether this be the objectivist (positivist) view that we exist within a reality that is an external preconstruction, or subjectivism (interpretivism) which states that we create the world around us through our social behaviour and interactions; thus is a reality that is in constant change and potential instability.

Epistemology is based around this subjective idea in its concerns with ‘propositional’ knowledge and the theory that this can only take be achieved within the cultural system that is being researched, thus places emphasis on the human conscious and the believes and values that individuals hold in order to make sense of that around them (links to Marxist ideology). Its focus is also on how we weigh up the reliability of these beliefs in order for them to be sufficiently justified as true research knowledge, such as considering their source and limitations within the context of the research problem.

Axiology focuses on the study of values & ethics and the ways in which this influences the means through which we research and the conclusions we draw from this. It could be considered a vital aspect of theory to be aware of if the project requires an objective approach, as it can aid in preventing bias argurements and thus increase the credibility of your findings.