Research Paradigms

1. A. I believe there is only one reality that exists apart from any particular individual(s). B. I believe there are multiple realities that are constructed between and among people.

2. A. I believe a researcher can be independent of what s/he is studying (i.e., research is an objective process; what can be known is independent of any researcher per se). B. I believe a researcher is interdependent with what s/he is studying (i.e., research is a subjective process; what can be known depends on who’s doing the knowing). 3. A. I believe research can be value-neutral and unbiased. B. I believe research is inherently value-laden and biased. 4. A. I believe it is better to work out specific research procedures ahead of time, and that it is important to sticks to the plan carefully and conscientiously. B. I believe it is better to work out general research procedures ahead of time, but that it is okay to alter the procedures to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves during the research process.

5. A. I believe it is important to draw more general conclusions that are applicable to people, situations, and time periods other than the one studied. B. I believe it is important to draw more specific conclusions that apply only to the particular people, situation, or time period actually studied.  6. A. I believe it is easier to read/write research reports that have a formal structure and are written in an impersonal (third-person) voice. B. I believe it is easier to read/write research reports that have an informal structure and include the personal (first-person) voice of the researcher.

PositivistOntologyNature of reality

One reality; truth is a set of statements that accurately describe reality

EpistemologyNature of knowledge

Knowledge exists independent of the observer; objective

AxiologyRole of values

Research can be value-free and unbiased; do not let personal values distort reality or confuse what is with what the researcher thinks it should be

Methodology Deduction; goal is to find cause and effect relationships; static design; researcher- controlled setting’ quantitative methods; context-free generalizations

Inquiry goal Explanation, prediction and control

POSTPOSITIVISMCONSTRUCTIVISMTRANSFORMATIVE

PRAGMATISM

The Question Drives the Method

• In a new student-centered curriculum, why are so many students still opting to learn on their own outside of class or to disengage from educational activities while in class?

• Are the quality of regulatory processes of medical students completing a diagnostic reasoning task related to short-term and longer-term medical education outcomes?

• Does testing affect students' comprehension of basic science mechanisms and diagnostic accuracy?

Qualitative Research & Evidence Based Medicine

• Can help bridge the gap between scientific evidence and clinical practice

• Findings provide rigorous accounts of treatment regimens in everyday contexts

• Can help us understand the barriers to using evidence based medicine, and its limitations in informing decisions about treatment

• Recognizing the limits of evidence based medicine does not imply a rejection of research evidence but awareness that different research questions require different kinds of research

Green & Britten, 1998, p. 1230