The current paradigm shifts and arguments provide some sort of mixed and fragmented conclusions for the adoption of some "irregular" designs in scientific inquiries subject to the objectives of a specific study. Please, with relevant justification (i.e., evidence), can a qualitative study adopt a positivist/post-positivists approach?
Positivists emulates on quantitative methods, yet post-positivists accept both quantitative and qualitative methods to be acceptable approaches.
Frank Oduro Bannor Thank you for your take but justification (i.e., references) would have given your feedback a much more weight. Regards.
First, most discussions of Positivism confuse that early 20th century school of philosophy with naive realism, and almost no one accepts naive realism. Instead, I would concentrate on post-positivism, which is a widely accepted approach to both qualitative and quantitative research.
I think the most likely reason for using post-positivism in qualitative research is if you have hypotheses that you want to evaluate. Because hypotheses require statements about the relationships between variables that you develop before collecting any data, they are a good fit to post-positivism.
What differs positivism and post-positivism is the "approximation or probability" where reality can reside. From this perspective, if you don't restrict yourself to research philosophies, underpinnings, etc., and you borrow some ideas from Cresswell i.e. both approaches can be used in tandem with the deficiencies of one approach strengthen the other, you can combine different philosophies in a single study.
But if I may suggest, why can't you use a simple design instead of complicating the research? In addition, in order to do justice to both approaches and clear doubts, you have to study different types of design used in mixed methods researches or use triangulation.
Murtala Ismail Adakawa Thank you my brother. But please, the question was not in relation to mixed methods. I meant adopting positivists paradigm in a qualitative study. I mean the design itself is qualitative however the study draws inspiration from the positivist/post-positivist ideation. I hope you understand the question now. All the same thank you once more for your feedback. Salaam!
Edmond Kwesi Agormedah Paradigms are philosophical assumptions underlying different approaches to research. So, Post-Positivism, Constructivism, etc. are paradigms, but things like qualitative and quantitative are not. Instead, those are ways of collecting and analyzing data that may be driven by a philosophical paradigm.
Dear Prof.,
I agree. But looking at the determinants of paradigm i.e. ontology, epistemology, methodology, and axiology, I think, I may be wrong, the choice of each method to use in research has direct or indirect bearing with the philosophical assumptions. In addition, the researcher is at liberty to select which approach best suits his/her research problem bearing in mind the paradigmatic determinants.
In a nutshell, by definition, despite logical positivists stand led by Ludwig Wittgenstein in 1920s that not to define concepts but provide logically or sufficiently necessary conditions, positivism sees reality as residing outside the human mind. Post-positivism agrees that even though reality resides outside the human mind, there's an approximation that at least some portion can reside within the human mind. By definition, post-positivist paradigm is absorbable in qualitative research.
In the previous post, I was trying to show the implications
Research paradigms are set of philosophy that determines the researchers value and choice of methodology. The modern day's researchers dilemma is on trying to fit their chosen method to the paradigm. This is the wrong way to do it. It should be the paradigm that dictates your choice of methodology (way to uncover the truth/solve issues).
As for your query to which paradigm will qualitative method be suitable approach, it is post-positivist. Since, positivist seeks to verify the relationship between the variables most preferable way to do it is via numbers, thus positivist adopts mostly quantitative approach. While post-positivist adopts both qualitative and quantitative approach.
Regards!
Yonten Chophel Thank you for your feedback. Your answer is much appreciated.
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