Ontology and Epistemology in Social Science Research

Running head: LEARNING JOURNAL ON RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE
LEARNING JOURNAL ON RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE
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LEARNING JOURNAL ON RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE
Journal 2: Epistemology and Ontology
Ontology and Epistemology are intrinsic to research methodology. Ontology is the
foundation of knowledge. Research paradigm is constructed by the integration of ontology
and epistemology. The characteristics of research paradigm are ontology, epistemology and
methodology. The ontology of positivist knowledge is that reality is present out there, it can
be understood through the external intervention by the scientist (Ritchie et al. 2013). Result is
understood as the outcome of current convention. Ontology raises question about reality and
what is reality. Ontology emphasizes on what is knowledge and in what ways we perceive
knowledge. This enables us to understand the quintessence of knowledge. A clear
understanding regarding the philosophy of knowledge will guide the researcher to engage in
better research. The ontological position of the positivists is that there is a single reality that
is out there and the task of the researcher is to go out there and discover the reality. The
understanding of the positivist ontological position is that there is a fixed reality. This
ontology informs the researcher to deploy quantitative research methods that facilitates
measurement and quantification of the reality. Another ontological position is that of the
constructivists or the interpretivists. Their understanding about knowledge is that there is no
single reality. There are multiple realities. Reality is contingent about the perception of
different individuals based on their distinctive social location. Since reality is multiple, the
approach towards understanding the reality is to explore the lived experiences of individuals,
groups, communities and sects. Since experiences of different individuals cannot be
quantified, measured on generalized to a larger sample population, therefore qualitative
research methods comprising of qualitative interviewing, in-depth and intensive interviews,
oral history and participant observation are some of the pertinent techniques deployed for the
constructivist approach of research.
The ontological framework of critical social science research is that there is social
construction of reality and that the construction of reality is subject to internal reflection.
This ontological position influences the a critical and reflective orientation towards social
issues. Therefore, Marxist method and feminist method are the key features of this kind of
position. According to critical social science research, social realities are manifestation of the
power structure and embedded in hierarchical relationship (Lewis 2015). The appropriate
methods for this kind of approach is discourse analysis that engages in a perusal of the
discourse itself and highlights the power that is manifested through discourse analysis,

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LEARNING JOURNAL ON RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE
ethnography and action design research. Action design research is suitable for the
temperament of this ontological position as it emphasizes on identifying the issues and
seeking solutions to the problem with the motive of social transformation or praxis. The term
epistemology refers to the ways one can know the reality or knowledge and also explains the
relationship between the knower and the phenomenon the person wants to know. It is
ontology that informs the epistemological premise. Epistemology also emphasizes on the
process of knowing and guides about future methods that can be adopted by the researchers.
For example, the epistemological tenet of constructivism is subjective understanding of
knowledge. According to this philosophy, reality needs to be interpreted with the aim of
understanding the meanings imbued to the social action of individuals or groups.
Submission Journal 3: Theory, methodology and research design
Ontology and epistemology determines guides and informs theory. Theory informs
the methodological framework to be adopted for research and the methodical framework in
turn gives shape to the research design. In social science research, there are three key
ingredients, the first step is the construction of theory followed by the collection of data and
followed by the designing of the research. The term theory connotes a testable proposition
that have emerged either through the nomothetic (that is based on generalisable scientific
laws) or the idiographic (that emphasizes on the subjective interpretation of reality) approach.
A theory either emerges through the inductive of the deductive method. According to the
deductionist approach, a researcher commences the research with a hypothesis based on the
on intensive review of literature on the issue that is being studied. Then, the researcher goes
into the field and deploys the survey or the questionnaire method to find the data. The aim of
the researcher is to prove the hypothesis valid or invalid (Hughes and Sharrock 2016). The
deductionists are inspired from the positivist foundation and tries to provide an objective
account of reality. On the other hand, in the inductionist approach the researcher commences
with broad research question and enters the field. During the course of the fieldwork and post
the data collection, there will emerge the theory. This is also known as the grounded theory.
Grounded theory makes use of qualitative research methodology. The foundation of
qualitative research is that individuals experiences cannot be quantified and the researcher
needs to adopt verstehen (empathetic understanding). This emphasizes that the researcher to
understand the participants should put themselves in the shoes of the participant. This would