Are phenomenology and postpositivism strange bedfellows?

Full Abstract

Researchers are advocating that a necessary condition of scholarly research is congruence between philosophical positions and research approaches. Phenomenology and postpositivism, traditionally, may appear to be situated in scientific inquiry as polar opposites and mutually exclusive paradigms. This article (a) describes the reflections of a nurse researcher and clarifies her philosophical assumptions; (b) delineates the postpositive paradigm and the interpretive paradigm, which traditionally includes phenomenology; (c) discusses phenomenology as a philosophy, an approach, and a research method; and (d) demonstrates the consistency between postpositivism and phenomenology. Nurse researchers must be aware of their philosophical assumptions and appraise the philosophical underpinnings of the methodologies, but this process should not restrict and limit their exploration of possibilities and the creativity in their efforts to address the growing challenges that await nursing science research.

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Author information

Author/s: Racher, Frances E (FE); Robinson, Steven (S);

Affiliation: School of Health Studies, Brandon University. racher(-atsign-)brandonu.ca

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Review

Journal: Western journal of nursing research (West J Nurs Res), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-Aug; vol 25 (issue 5) : pp 464-81; discussion 482-91

Dates: Created 2003/09/05; Completed 2003/10/10; Revised 2005/11/16;

PMID: 12955966, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Attitude of Health Personnel
Creativeness
Existentialism
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Knowledge
Models, Nursing
Nurses - psychology

Nurses - psychology
Nursing Methodology Research - methods; standards
Nursing Theory
Philosophy, Nursing
Qualitative Research
Reproducibility of Results
Research Design
Research Personnel - psychology

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