Core Research Principles
Exposition
The are each based in a fundamental process that is taken to be intrinsically valid and essential for justifying the value of findings. The diagram at right uses an imperative formulation for each.
Schema of Characteristics
Primacy: Research methods reveal their origin in the significance (primacy) given to the corresponding level in the . (Recently developed verbs are included.)
Activity: The inquiry process is characterised by a particular activity that is repeated in study after study to develop a body of knowledge.
Focus: An essential psychosocial object intrinsic to the activity.
Ends: The goal of the research principle.
Means: The process guiding the activity.
Generalization: The scientific output of the research principle.
Assessment: The question that the researcher wants to answer and expects colleagues to ask.
Philosophical Position: The great division and perennial debate amongst philosophers in regard to grasping reality is idealism v realism. This oscillating duality is explained and explored further here.
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L'1: Accumulate Facts
Primacy:
Activity: Obtaining, organising and correlating ever more data.
Focus: Facts extracted from data which are regarded as valid and reliable.
Ends: To remain fully grounded in tangible reality.
Means: Induction.
Generalization: Associations—ideally, a regularity that is a law.
Assessment: Is the association/law verified?
i.e. have others repeated the data collection and confirmed the findings.
Philosophical Position: Realist.
L'2: Ratiocinate Systematically
Primacy:
Activity: Arguing on the basis of defined concepts and using available evidence. The result is a sustained systematic flow of consistent coherent reasoning.
Focus: Common important ideas or findings that require clarification and organisation.
Ends: To offer a logical consistent and coherent framework for thinking that removes confusions.
Means: Conventional rules of rational discourse and persuasion.
Generalization: Conclusions.
Assessment: Is the conclusion reasonable? i.e. would another person assent to its validity based on the concepts used and the flow of argument.
Philosophical Position: Idealist.
L'3: Test Hypotheses
Primacy:
Activity: Comparing a variety of alternative hypothesized possibilities.
Focus: Conjecturing different explanations for a particular set of data or an accepted regularity.
Ends: To establish causal relations.
Means: Indicators and controls.
Generalization: Theories
Assessment: Is the theory falsifiable? i.e. can a further alternative hypothesis be developed that might explain the phenomena in a better or more precise way.
Philosophical Position: Realist.
L'4: Address Polarization
Primacy:
Activity: Articulating opposing, often paradoxical, valued perspectives to foster their reconciliation.
Focus: Opposites may be findings, positions, values, theories, assumptions &c.
Ends: To unite inquirers and ultimately unify existing knowledge.
Means: Develop a synthesis which includes and combines the thesis and its antithesis.
Generalization: Principles
Assessment: Does the principle resolve the value conflict?
Philosophical Position: Idealist.
L'5: Model Completely
Primacy:
Activity: Inter-relating factors within a defined bounded system that is agreed as the object of study.
Focus: Pattern of interactions, both physical and psychosocial, within the system and between the system and its environment.
Ends: To facilitate deliberate change.
Means: Distinguishing content and context, hierarchies, influences (forces) between factors, dualities.
Generalization: Models.
Assessment: Does the model represent the reality? i.e. can it be used to operate within or on that reality and does it predict features not originally assumed or included in the modeling.
Philosophical Position: Realist.
L'6: Reason Mathematico-Logically
Primacy:
Activity: Determining essential fundamentals that are irrefutable.
Mathematics is...
Focus: Axioms, which are the basic assumptions, not necessarily self-evident, but always to be taken as true.
Ends: To get maximum certainty and precision.
Means: Deduction.
Generalization: Theorems.
Assessment: Is the theorem proven? i.e. can the deductive steps from initial axioms be checked and confirmed beyond any doubt.
Philosophical Position: Idealist.
L'7: Speculate Insightfully
Primacy:
Activity: Deliberate but unforced contemplation of something that is mysterious or provokes curiosity.
Focus: Relevant reality.
Ends: To alter a belief system within the current consensus.
Means: Images, symbols and idea that emerge spontaneously from the unconscious while the person identifies with and opens up to an unbounded universe.
Generalization: Revelations (or unexpected insights).
Assessment: Is the insight inspired? i.e. do previous paradoxes or anomalies vanish in a way that illuminates, fertilizes, expands and/or unifies the field.
Philosophical Position: Realist.
Matrix
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| L' | Method Principle |
Activity - Focus (PH Correspondence) |
Rationale | Position | Means | General'n Assessm't |
Method Paradigm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L'7 | Speculate insightfully |
Sustained wondering (L7) about the relevant reality. | To alter a current belief system. | Realist | Use images, symbols, unconscious identity. | Insight Is it inspired? |
Contemplative |
| L'6 | Reason mathematico-logically | Determining assumptions (L6) that are essential and irrefutable. | To maximize certainty and precision. |
Idealist | Use deduction | Theorem Is it proven? |
Formal |
| L'5 | Model a system completely | Inter-relating (L5) factors constituting a bounded system. | To facilitate deliberate change. | Realist | Use context-content, duality, hierarchy. | Dynamic model Does it fully represent? |
Holistic |
| L'4 | Address polarization | Valuing polar opposite positions to enable reconciling.* | To unify the field & unite inquirers.* | Idealist | Use thesis-antithesis leading to synthesis. | Principle Does it resolve? |
Dialectic |
| L'3 | Test hypotheses | Comparing (L3) a variety of alternative conjectures. | To establish causal relations. | Realist | Use indicators and controls |
Theory Is it falsifiable? |
Explanatory |
| L'2 | Ratiocinate systematically | Using defined concepts (L2), to argue a case by applying reasoning to available evidence | To offer a logical framework for thinking. |
Idealist | Use rules of rational discourse. |
Conclusion Is it reasonable? |
Analytic |
| L'1 | Accumulate facts | Organising data (L1) collected from systematic observation. | To remain fully grounded. | Realist | Use induction | Law Is it verified? |
Empirical |
*The relation of L'4 to is uncertain. More
- Develop the different method paradigms.
- Examine the Realist v Idealist duality.
Originally drafted: 17-Apr-2015. Last amended 21-Feb-2022