What's Your Philosophical Worldview?

Discover your ontological and epistemological leanings in research. Don't worry if you're new to these concepts - each question comes with an explanation!

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Understanding Philosophical Worldviews in Research

This interactive quiz will help you identify your philosophical orientation when it comes to research and knowledge. Your answers will reveal how you view:

Ontology

Your beliefs about the nature of reality and what can be known about it.

Epistemology

Your understanding of how knowledge is created and what counts as valid knowledge.

Methodology

Your preferences for how research should be conducted based on these beliefs.

Why does this matter?

Understanding your philosophical leanings helps you align your research questions, methods, and analysis in a coherent way. It can also help you recognise and appreciate different approaches to knowledge and research.

Question

What does this question explore?

Your Philosophical Worldview

Philosophical Spectrum

Positivist
Post-Positivist
Interpretivist
Critical Theory

Philosophical Traditions

Positivism

Positivism sees reality as objective and observable. It values scientific methods, measurable evidence, and seeks to discover universal laws. Knowledge is considered value-free and based on empirical verification.

Post-Positivism

Post-positivism maintains belief in objective reality but acknowledges that our understanding is always imperfect. It emphasises probability rather than certainty and recognises that researcher values influence inquiry, though objectivity remains an ideal.

Interpretivism/Constructionism

Interpretivism sees reality as socially constructed through meaning-making and interpretation. It values understanding multiple perspectives, contextual factors, and how people make sense of their experiences.

Critical Theory

Critical theory examines how power, privilege, and historical contexts shape knowledge and social structures. It aims not just to understand society but to critique and transform it, with research often oriented toward emancipation and social justice.

Philosophical Worldviews Resources

Research Paradigms

Learn more about the major research paradigms and their applications.

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Ontology & Epistemology

Explore the relationship between beliefs about reality and knowledge.

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Research Methodology

Discover how philosophical positions inform research methods.

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Mixed Methods Approaches

Understand how different worldviews can be integrated in research.

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