RSE4801
ASSIGNMENT 5
ANSWERS 2025
RSE4801 ASSIGNMENT 5 ANSWERS 2025
, RSE4801 Assignment 5
Introduction
It is widely argued in the social and applied sciences that researchers do not
discover knowledge in a vacuum. Their choices about what to study and, crucially,
how to study it are shaped by their aims (what they want to know or accomplish) and
by their philosophical worldview (their beliefs about what exists, what counts as
knowledge, and what values should guide inquiry). This essay develops and defends
the claim that methodological decisions are not neutral techniques but are profoundly
influenced by ontology, epistemology, axiology, and the broader research paradigm
within which a study is conducted. I begin by outlining key philosophical notions that
underwrite research design, then map the major epistemological ontological
positions and their implications for method. I then discuss how research aims and
worldviews interact in practice, followed by attention to reflexivity, ethics, and validity.
To illustrate the argument, I offer concrete examples and conclude with reflections
on how researchers can navigate paradigm choices in ways that are coherent,
rigorous, and ethically responsible.
Philosophical foundations: ontology, epistemology, axiology, and
methodology
To understand why the choice of method is so tightly linked to worldview and aims, it
helps to clarify four interrelated philosophical axes.
- Ontology: What is taken to exist? What is the nature of reality or being? Is there a
single, objective reality that can be discovered (a realist/positivist position), or is
reality multiple, socially constructed, and contingent on context
ASSIGNMENT 5
ANSWERS 2025
RSE4801 ASSIGNMENT 5 ANSWERS 2025
, RSE4801 Assignment 5
Introduction
It is widely argued in the social and applied sciences that researchers do not
discover knowledge in a vacuum. Their choices about what to study and, crucially,
how to study it are shaped by their aims (what they want to know or accomplish) and
by their philosophical worldview (their beliefs about what exists, what counts as
knowledge, and what values should guide inquiry). This essay develops and defends
the claim that methodological decisions are not neutral techniques but are profoundly
influenced by ontology, epistemology, axiology, and the broader research paradigm
within which a study is conducted. I begin by outlining key philosophical notions that
underwrite research design, then map the major epistemological ontological
positions and their implications for method. I then discuss how research aims and
worldviews interact in practice, followed by attention to reflexivity, ethics, and validity.
To illustrate the argument, I offer concrete examples and conclude with reflections
on how researchers can navigate paradigm choices in ways that are coherent,
rigorous, and ethically responsible.
Philosophical foundations: ontology, epistemology, axiology, and
methodology
To understand why the choice of method is so tightly linked to worldview and aims, it
helps to clarify four interrelated philosophical axes.
- Ontology: What is taken to exist? What is the nature of reality or being? Is there a
single, objective reality that can be discovered (a realist/positivist position), or is
reality multiple, socially constructed, and contingent on context
