Choosing a paradigm, where should I start?

In previous posts I have talked about the importance of paradigms in different aspects of the research. In this post I will discuss what a research paradigm is and my experience of choosing one.

When thinking about the research many researchers start with identifying the methods, which is mainly the tools they want to use for data gathering. However not so many consider the reasons behind their choices or what is called the underpinning theory and the research paradigm.

Like many novice researchers, I started my research with a research problem and chose research methods. I chose to use qualitative research methods for the right reasons as identified in the research methods books (exploring participants' views and in depth understanding of the context).  However, at that time I lacked an understanding of the meaning of research paradigms and how my understanding of reality is affecting my choices. While developing my research plan, this lack of understanding affected the shape of my objectives, the choice of the appropriate methods including data collection and analysis, the research quality criteria and the language used in writing. Discussing my work with my supervisors and other academics, I realised that unlike bachelor and master dissertations, a PhD thesis should state the researcher's philosophical position and a PhD graduate should have a deep understanding of the research methodology. Trying to understand the research paradigms and the related concepts was not an easy process at the beginning. I started reading about the topic and I could not easily absorb what is written as it was all very theoretical for me, and I could not easily link it to my research.  I have attended a number of qualitative research methods courses and workshops on the hope that I can have two way discussions and understand the relation of philosophy to research. Unfortunately, most of these courses focused on the practical aspect (methods), the paradigms topic was not covered and I was told in many instances that it was not the focus of these courses. During that time I met Dr. Alison Ledger (who later joined my supervisory team) who kindly shared her PhD thesis with me. In her thesis she covered the philosophical background in a very clear way that helped me to understand how to put these theoretical concepts in a practical way. In addition I have attended a presentation titled "Challenging dominant paradigms in medical education research" by Dr. Lynn Monrouxe who described her journey between different paradigms. What has been written about research paradigms started to make more sense to me and I was able to understand the practicality of it. I would consider understanding the research paradigms the most important skill I have learned during my PhD journey and I think it is what turned me into a real researcher.

So what is research paradigm and why is it important?

Paradigm is defined by Guba and Lincoln (1994) as a "basic set of beliefs that guide actions". This simple definition indicates the importance of realising our beliefs (ontology and epistemology) before deciding our actions (methodology).  This set of beliefs are our philosophical understanding of the world and knowledge and based on these beliefs we conduct our researches. Using the research philosophy language these beliefs are called Ontology and Epistemology. Guba and Lincoln (1994) use Ontology to describe how we understand reality and Epistemology to define how we come to this knowledge about reality. Once a researcher gets a clear view about their personal ontological and epistemological views about a phenomenon, they can choose the most suitable methodology to explore that phenomenon.

When I started to think about my paradigm I started with the wrong questions, I had decided my objectives and methods and wanted to figure out in which paradigm they fit. This never worked out because the way I formulated my objectives and methodology did not fit perfectly within one paradigm.  I therefore stepped away from my objectives and methods and got back to my topic and the research problem. The area I was researching was learning during transition from university to workplace. To decide the appropriate paradigm for my research I had to think about my ontological and epistemological positions. This meant thinking whether there was an absolute truth that can be isolated or not and to consider the nature of knowledge I am seeking. For me I did not see learning as a "thing" that could be isolated from learners. Instead I believed it is bound up with the learner and is influenced by interactions, the context and experiences. As a result I believed that multiple realities can exist and the most appropriate way to explore that topic was through investigating the experiences and perceptions of the participants, what influences these perceptions and the meanings they assign to their experience. Once I realised my philosophical position in my study I chose to adopt a constructivist paradigm. In this paradigm people develop a unique view of the world around them according to the interactions and the context and experience in which they are situated. This viewpoint therefore rejects the notion of absolute truth, and acknowledge that multiple realities are possible (Guba and Lincoln 1994).

By being a constructivist I understood that my research did not seek generalisation but to provide in-depth description of the context and highlight the uniqueness of the case under study. In addition I did not seek objectivity and I understood that my previous experience as a patient educator -like my participants- was inseparable from the research, and therefore should be utilised in reflecting on the  findings.

Based on choosing a constructivist paradigm and understanding the philosophy underpinning it, I was able to get back to phrasing accurate objectives that fit with that paradigm (i.e. explore experiences, ascertain views), choose the appropriate research methods that help to achieve these objectives (i.e. qualitative methods; interviews, narrative analysis) and even write my research using the most appropriate language the fit with my paradigm. 

 

Adopting a paradigm is crucial for research. In my experience understanding and choosing a paradigm was not an easy process. Reading about research philosophy and different paradigms is crucial to develop an understanding, however I did not find reading books enough on its own. Reading other peoples' work and theses which has clear description of their paradigms help to link the theoretical understanding with the practical use of it. To be able to choose the appropriate paradigm a researcher need to consider his/her own beliefs about the phenomenon under study and their ontological and epistemological position from it. Once a researcher adopt a paradigm everything else in the research fall in place (research questions, objectives, methods, quality criteria etc.)

References and further reading:

CRESWELL, J. W. 1998. Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, Calif.; London: Sage Publications.

GUBA, E. and Y. LINCOLN. 1994. Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In: N. K. DENZIN and Y. S. LINCOLN, eds. The handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, Calif. ; London: Sage.

PATTON, M. Q. 2015.Variety of qualitative inquiry frameworks: paradigmatic, philosophical and theoretical orientations In:  Qualitative research & evaluation methods. 4th ed. ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.; London: Sage.

Waring, M. 2012 Finding your theoretical position. In: Arthur, J., Waring, M., Coe, R. and Hedges, L.V. eds. Research Methods and Methodologies in Education. SAGE.