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Tool Orientation

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Epistemology, Methodology & Methods

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Tool Orientation

AdministrataReadings Cheque

Discussionshttps://wiki.sfu.ca/summer08/educ894d100/

index.php/Example_Discussion_of_Reading_Questions

Example Discussion of Reading Questions

1. What are the tradeoffs in working in the different traditions?

One of the downsides of working in the objectivist / positivist / quantitative tradition (the one I'm more familiar with!) is that it limits the types of things you can look at to just what can be controlled and measured. There's lots of things, both in the social sciences and the "hard" sciences, that simply can't be examined quantitatively because they resist control or have too many interacting variables. XXX 15:58, 10 May 2008 (PDT)

One weakness of contructivist/qualitative tradition, in my perspective, is the analysis of the qualitative research data is more easily influenced by the researchers' personal bias and epistemological beliefs. Another problem is that data collected in the qualitative research is difficult to be analyzed and quantitatively predicted. It might also be possible the research outcomes are not generalized enough to be applied to a larger group of population than the groups in the research. YYY 16:18, 11 May 2008 (PDT)

Epistemology, Methodology & Methods

Epistemology Personified

Image Sources: http://www.synthstuff.com/mt/archives/bertrand-miner.jpg ; http://www.hmoon.com/garments/cloaks/traveler1-detail.jpg; http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42854000/jpg/_42854125_activist_afp416.jpg

Objectivism SubjectivismConstructionis

m

The Miner The Traveler The Activist

Meaning exists in the world Meaning comes from our interactions with the world

We impose meaning on the world

Contrasting the ApproachesObjectivism Construct-

ionsimSubjectivism

Goal: Explanation Exploration Empowerment

Looking for: Truth Understanding Progress

Subjectivity:

Error Embrace Multiple Perspectives

Specific Perspective

Look at: States (static) , Pieces

Processes (active), Whole

Processes (active), Whole

Design is: Pre-planned Emergent Emergent

Logic: Causal, “hard” Constraining Factors, “Soft”

Constraining Factors, “Soft”

Extrapolation:

Generalization (given representative sampling)

Lessons learned, “petite generalizations”

Lessons learned, “petite generalizations”

Kinds of Questions

“Does…”“What…”

“How…” “How…”

Tradition Assumptions & Implications

Objectivism Constructionism Subjectivism

Assumptions

Looking for truthSubjectivity = errorLook at the piecesDesign is pre-plannedHard logicWant generalization

Looking for understandingEmbrace multi perspectivesLook at the wholeDesign is emergent“Soft” logicLessons learned / petite generalizations

Looking for progressOften has a specific persp.Look at the wholeDesign is emergent“Soft” logicLessons learned / petite generalizations

Implications

Tradition TradeoffsObjectivism Constructionism Subjectivism

Advantages

Limitations

How Epistemology Drives the Research Process

Epistemology

Epistemology

Research Approach

Topic / ProblemTopic /

Problem

Methodology

Methodology

Data Collection

Knowledge Claims

Knowledge Claims

Data Analysis

Research Questions

using the logic of

answer

Examples of Approaches in Each Epistemology

ObjectivismPostivismPost-positivism

Experiment Correlational Studies Survey Research

ConstructionismPhenomenolo

gy HermenueticsEthnographyGrounded

TheoryCase Study

SubjectivismPost-modernist Structuralist Post-structuralist Critical Inquiry

Constructionist Ethnography

Objectivist Ethnography

Objectivist Ethnography

Of Course It’s Not Really that Simple…

Objectivism

Subjectivism

Constructionism

Experiment

Phenomenology

Survey Research

Case Study

Ethnography

Feminist Research

Critical Inquiry

Questionnaires

Documents

Observation

Interviews

Theme Analysis

Thick Description

Inferential Statistics

Descriptive Statistics