The epistemological background tendencies underscoring Psychological, Educational, Social, Management, Quantitative, and qualitative research

Abstract

If the purpose of research in the human and social sciences is the production of scientific knowledge, then how do we proceed? What are these methods? Are these research outcomes valid, legitimate, and accepted by the scientific community? In other words, what are the epistemological frameworks used in research? This article tends to clarify the nature of epistemological paradigms, to understand what is meant by epistemological questioning, to examine the implications of epistemological assumptions for research practices, and finally to understand the main contemporary epistemological tendencies and paradigm that have dominated quantitative and qualitative research.