4 Main Philosophical Underpinnings of Qualitative Research

What are the philosophical assumptions made by researchers when conducting a qualitative study? Scholars have articulated various assumptions over the past 20 years—for instance, Denzin and Lincoln in 1994, 2000, 2005, and 2011. So, there is no need to gloss over or be perplexed by research philosophy when undertaking a dissertation or formal academic study. Before discussing the main philosophical underpinnings of qualitative research, let’s differentiate between research philosophy and paradigm.

Research Philosophy is about the researcher’s beliefs about knowledge and reality. It answers big questions like: Is there a single objective truth or do we have multiple subjective realities? How do we know something is true? Can we only gain knowledge through observation and measurement, or can we also learn through interpretation and understanding? Think of research philosophy as the researcher’s worldview or perspective on how knowledge is created.

Research Paradigm is about the approach to doing research, shaped by the researcher’s philosophy. Think of it like a blueprint that guides how the researcher designs a study, collects data, and interprets results. Research paradigm answers big questions like: What is the ideal research method to use? Should the research be quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods? What type of data should the research collect? Should the data be numerical, textual, or both? How should the data be analyzed – statistically, thematically, or through another method?

Differences between Research Philosophy and Research Paradigm

Feature	Research Philosophy	Research Paradigm
What it is	Overarching beliefs about reality and knowledge	Framework within a philosophy; a specific worldview
Scope	Broad, fundamental assumptions	Narrower, focused on specific research questions
Example 1	Positivism: Reality is objective and measurable.	Quantitative research using surveys and statistics
Example 2	Interpretivism: Reality is socially constructed.	Qualitative research using interviews and focus groups

Research Philosophy (What does the researcher believe?)

Imagine setting up a study to investigate consumer behavior in online shopping. Below is how research philosophy plays into the equation:

1. If you believe reality is objective and measurable, you may say: “People buy because of price and product reviews” (the philosophical underpinning is positivism).
2. If you believe reality is subjective and based on personal experiences, you may say: “People buy because they feel connected to the brand’s story” (the philosophical underpinning becomes constructivism).

Research Paradigm (This explains how the research is conducted)

The philosophy a researcher picks guides the approach. For example:

1. By taking a positivist position, the researcher might run surveys with 1,000 customers and analyze the results statistically.
2. Basing the research on a constructivist philosophy implies the research might conduct in-depth interviews with 10 customers to understand their feelings and experiences.

Takeaway:

Research philosophy is the foundation, the bedrock of that particular research thinking. It influences which research paradigm is adopted, and that paradigm, in turn, shapes the specific methods the researchers will use to collect and analyze data.

List of 4 Philosophical Underpinnings of Qualitative Research

A researcher discusses philosophical underpinnings in qualitative research when explaining the foundational beliefs that guide their study. This typically includes their ontological, epistemological, and axiological stance. Addressing these underpinnings helps clarify the researcher’s perspective, informs their choice of methodology, and ensures alignment between research design and approach to knowledge construction.

Below is a Table Summarizing the Philosophical Assumptions in Qualitative Research

4 Main Philosophical Underpinnings in Qualitative Research
Assumption	Questions	Characteristics	Implications for research/example
Ontological	What is the nature of reality?	Reality is multiple as seen through many views	While investigating how different religious beliefs shape the perception of mental illness as a spiritual struggle or a medical condition, a researcher reports different perspectives as themes develop in the findings
Epistemological	What counts as knowledge? How are knowledge claims justified? What is the relationship between the researcher and that being researched?	Subjective evidence from participants; researcher attempts to lessen distance between himself or herself and that being researched.	Researcher relies on quotes as evidence from the participant; collaborates, spends time in field with participants, and becomes an “insider”
Axiological	What is the role of values?	Researcher acknowledges that research is value-laden and that biases are present	Researcher openly discusses values that shape the narrative and includes his or her own interpretation in conjunction with the interpretations of participants.
Methodological	What is the process of research?	Researcher acknowledges that research is value-laden and that biases are present.	Researcher works with particulars (details) before generalizations, describes in detail the context of the study, and continually revises questions from experiences in the field

1. Ontology

Ontology focuses on the nature of reality. In other words, what does the research believe or perceive to be the meaning of reality?

In qualitative research, reality can be viewed from subjective, multiple, or socially constructed. It should not be viewed as a single, objective issue.  Different researchers embrace different realities, as do the individuals being studied and the readers of a qualitative study.

As Creswell and Creswell (2022) phrase it, ontology “addresses the question: When is something real? The answer provided is that something is real when it is constructed in the minds of the actors involved in the situation. Thus, reality is not “out there,” apart from the minds of actors.”

A research investigating leadership style, the qualitative researcher could believe that each leader experiences leadership differently based on unique contexts.

2. Epistemology

The epistemological assumption in a qualitative study means that the researcher tries to get as close as possible to the participants being studied. Subjective experiences of participants are what matters.

Since knowledge is gathered through subjective evidence, it becomes important, then, to conduct studies in the “field,” where the participants live and work because these places offer important contexts for understanding what the participants are saying.

A researcher using epistemological underpinning will tend to stay in the field for longer and rely on lengthy interactions, dialogue, and interpretation to gain knowledge.

Some examples of epistemologies are interpretivism and social constructivism.

3. Axiology

All researchers bring their values to a study, but qualitative researchers make their values known in a study. This is known as axiological assumption. Qualitative research can be characterized by axiological assumptions. The most important element to focus on is how the researcher implements this assumption in practice. Therefore, when analyzing data or reporting findings in a qualitative study, the inquirers admit the value-laden nature of the study and actively report their values and biases as well as the value-laden nature of information gathered from the field.

Axiology focuses on the role of the researcher’s values, ethics, and biases.

A researcher exploring gender equality in the workplace will acknowledge their feminist perspective in analyzing interview responses. Thus, transparency and reflexivity are often considered key.

4. Methodology

Methodology is the approach to inquiry. The procedures of qualitative research are characterized as inductive, emerging, and shaped by the level of experience the research has in data collection and analysis.

A range of methodologies like phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory, and narrative inquiry are used by qualitative researchers to understand research problems.

Source:

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2022). Research Design Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE Publications.