The existing research in your field may seem immense, much like the Grand Canyon. Maybe you think that one photo, even a combination of photos, doesn’t come close to capturing the experience that lies ahead. However, your initial idea of combining photos to create a panorama is an excellent first step because you have created a framework from which to work, much like you will do when developing a research mindset, which begins with knowledge of the philosophy of science.
This week, you familiarize yourself with various philosophical orientations, including their underlying epistemological and ontological assumptions, to gain an understanding of the role of the philosophy of science in the research process.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
- Describe topic of personal research interest
- Explain epistemological and ontological assumptions of philosophical orientations
- Explain relationship between epistemological and ontological assumptions and research approaches
- Apply APA Style to writing
Required readings
- Babbie, E. (2017). Basics of social research(7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
- Chapter 1, “Human Inquiry and Science”
- Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., Crawford, L. M., & Hitchcock, J. H. (Eds.). (2020). Research designs and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Chapter 1, “Introduction to Research”
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- Chapter 2, “Philosophical Foundations and the Role of Theory in Research”
Required media
Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2016a). Introduction to research design [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 14 minutes.
Dr. Patton gives context to the research process, including a discussion about the terms epistemology and ontology.
Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2009e). Roundtable: Research methods [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 26 minutes.
Walden University researchers discuss quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research approaches.
The Learning Resources in this first week will help you answer these questions, and they will provide you with a foundation in the philosophy of science that will help you appreciate various research designs and methods. With this foundation, you will be encouraged to reflect on how your assumptions about the acquisition of truth and the nature of the world influence your approach to the research process.
For this Discussion, you will identify an area of interest for a possible research topic. As you read about the different philosophical orientations in this week’s readings, consider if one of these orientations most closely aligns with your worldview and a particular approach to research.
Post a brief description of your topic of research interest. Next, state the philosophical orientation that reflects your worldview and explain the epistemological and ontological assumptions of this orientation. Then, explain how these assumptions lend themselves to one or more research approaches.
Be sure to support your Main Issue Post and Response Post with reference to the week’s Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA Style.