What is ontology
What is real, the nature of the world
What is epistemology
Study of knowledge, how do we find out what we know
What is objectivism
Reality is an absolute
What is positivism
What is post-positivist research
Reality consists of whats available to senses
Tradition that rejects the belief that human behaviour can be investigated
What is paradigm
A perspective of world view based on a set of values that explanations are proposed from
What is constructivism
Truth and meaning are created by interactions with the world
What is interpretivism
Humans generate knowledge and meaning from interactions with the world
What is phenomenology
Any attempt to understand reality has to be grounded in people’s experience of that reality
What is realism
The idea that science paints a real and accurate image the world
Naive realism - world is how it appears
Scientific realism - scientific method can truly represent the world
Critical realism - the perception of the world depends on beliefs/expectations
What is hermeneutics
Social reality is socially constructed rather than being rooted in objective fact
What is naturalistic inquiry
Phenomena can only be understood within their environment and setting
Outline quasi-experimental research
Quasi-experimental design - existing groups are used - IV experienced in their own natural setting
What is action research
Close collaboration between researchers and practitioners, emphasises change within organisations
What is heuristic inquiry
Process that begins with a question or problem that the researcher tries to find the answer to
What is reductionism
Reducing complex phenomena to underlying pre-existing factors
Outline turn to language and turn to interpretation
Pays attention to how speech contributes to realities appearance
Seeking a deeper understanding of a particular phenomena
Outline the deductive approach and the inductive approach
Engages with theoretical perspectives before conducting research - universal view and works back to particulars
Engages with theoretical perspectives after conducting research - moves from fragmentary details to a connected view
