Research philosophies and why they matter
Natasha S. Mauthner
Abstract
The topic of research philosophies tends to be challenging for doctoral researchers. Given the vast array of such philosophies within the social sciences, how do you decide on a research philosophy and why does it matter? To answer this question, the author draws on her own experiences. The chapter outlines how she was introduced to philosophical alternatives to positivism and how she came to learn about a feminist method of narrative analysis, encountering tensions between her constructionist philosophical commitments and the implicit realism underpinning this method. Next, she recalls her failed attempts to translate these philosophical commitments into methodological practices, before she ran a research methods workshop and discovered that philosophies are built into methods. Finally, she found a book that helped her to understand this, and much more, providing a philosophy of science she has found utterly convincing and compelling. Throughout the chapter, she considers implications for doctoral researchers.