Foundations of Inquiry

Linking Paradigms and Methodologies in Social Research

When researchers adopt a methodology, they bring to their research the theoretical assumptions infused within that methodology, and the paradigm that shapes that methodology describes their view of social life. This book is about paradigms and how they connect to methodologies. The authors explore a rich body of paradigms and how they support different methodologies and connect to designing and carrying out research. The book includes clear explanations of complex material, a thorough development of established paradigms and discussion of contemporary ones such as general interpretivism, critical race theory, and Indigenous orientations. The book's pedagogy includes examples of published research, discussion of the issues related to each paradigm and the connections between them, and review questions and prompts to help deepen understanding.