Research paradigm I

Ontology, Epistemology, Axiology,

Methodology
By Ali Belaidi
Introduction

Mainly, we have two raisons/objectives for doing research: 1st filling knowledge gap, and 2nd
problem solving. As a researcher we have to be in-between. Based on those two objectives, we
have research paradigms. Thus, our attitude to develop our research behavior is closely linked or
relying on which paradigm we are inscribed. And in a matter to develop our research paradigm,
we look for something called ontology axiology, epistemology and methodology. These terms
address the often unspoken assumption tent rest beneath the surface of the research and theory we
read and conduct. The terms are abstract because the subjects are abstracts. Most researchers
don’t write much them underlying assumptions, but their research leaves clues:

“Your ontology dictated your epistemology, which dictated your methodology, which dictated
your methods.”

To make sense for the asking question research, it is important to know what these terms mean:
How to get clear about ontology, epistemology methodology and axiology?

Ontology

What is the meaning of ontology?

Ontology is a branch of philosophy that studies values. Comes from the ancient Greek: ontos,
which means being or to be. Ontological question include “what is existence,” “what is the nature
of existence.”

Ontology means the philosophy of reality or the theory of reality; it is a belief about reality. Do
we think we have a single reality or no single reality? Do we think we have a single reality or
multiple realities? In sum, ontology is a belief about reality.

In matter to be consistent in our philosophy thinking and ideas, we start from reality problem: in
organization, people cannot adopt information system, and we do not know why?

For social sciences, some fundamental ontological question might be:

• Are people essentially selfish?
• Do people calculate cost and benefits for all their actions?
• Are there universal features or social organization?
• Do people always know the consequences of the actions?
Question: what do we value? What value should guide our research?

Epistemology

Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that studies knowledge or knowing.

The word comes from the ancient Greek episteme meaning “to know.” Philosophically speaking,
epistemology the study of how we got about knowing things how we know whether things are
true or false, and what steps we need to take to gain knowledge of the world. Classical question
is: “How do we know what we claim to know?”

Theorists have different epistemological assumption

- Knowledge is out there waiting to be discovered
- In contrast, people develop knowledge based upon our perceptions and experiences
- All knowledge is relative, a mere social construction. It’s whatever we say it (no
universal true)
- Most researchers don’t come right out and state their epistemological assumption directly
their work leaves clues how they approach their research methods
The research comes with new of knowledge, or what is knowable and worth knowing (an
EPISTEM-ology). The ology of knowledge: what is knowledge.

We have to distinguish here between knowledge and everyday belief as common sense or doxa.
Everyday knowledge and proper knowledge really secure knowledge. The epistemology is any
debate about what it is to know your field. Any view of relationship between theory and practice
implies an epistemological position. Philosophically speaking, it is the study of how we go
knowing things, how do whether things how we know whether things are true or false, and what
steps we need to take to gain knowledge of the world.

During the writing of literature review, the researcher will deal with a lot of studies. What s/he
will be hard to summarized the variety of these studies, and put them together in literature
review. Such a difficulty is du to these completely different views of what it is to know
underpinning those studies. And this is an epistemological problem that researcher has to face in
writing research. When the researcher reads prior literature about his/her topic of interest or those
related to it they will have different assumption underpinning then as well. The objective study
will be constructed in slightly different ways. In sum, epistemology is how you get knowledge.

Methodology

Methodology or research methodology is the science of studying and understanding how research
is/can be/should be done scientifically. The main question is how knowledge is discovered and
analyzed? In it, we study the various steps and designs can be generally adopted by researcher in
studying his/her research problem along with the logic behind them.

The systematic theoretical analysis of the methods applied in stream of research it comprises the
theoretical analysis of the methods and principles association with the brand of knowledge. The
overall framework of philosophical assumption and practical methods within one chooses to
conduct his/her research (i.e. his/her search to understand the world). Systematically, rigorously
way approaching a research problem makes the conclusions valid and reliable, and therefore
credible.

Methodology is the study of the methods. Most people confused between methods and
methodology. While the term is often used rather loosely and every project is different; people
often account for their approach with terms like: quantitative or qualitative or mixed
methodology. The term case study ethnography or experiment usually also denote a
methodological resolution of some kind. In sum, methodology refers to philosophy guide data
gathering, and methods are data gathering techniques: interviews, direct observations, etc.

In fact that there has been a debate concerning choices made – about methods and design, to give
an approach (i.e. every study has a methodology). A debate about what to do: what and how.
There is always alternative in all these decisions the study has an approach. The methodological
consideration of discipline differs in which of these they favor or promote or encourage. The
researcher can be mainstream in one discipline but very widely wacky in another because his/her
method is not really adopted in the second one very widely.

It’s the discussion or debates of decisions choices and the argument why this rather than that. It’s
logistical it’s pragmatic about experience resources time. It’s a whole serious of methods. Good
method is what the researcher ends up with.
Axiology question: should we seek to understand or seek to change the world better?

The most important problem in filling the thesis is the research question. We do research to
understand something. We conduct research in order to solve a problem.

Based on the question what you want to know? You have to take a consideration how many
questions you should have in your thesis? One big research question; beside, you can have sub-
question. Three types of question: what? Why? How?