How Research Paradigms Shape Your Dissertation’s Direction - Expert View
Have you ever wondered why some research papers feel like compelling stories while others seem dry and complex? Imagine a historian uncovering lost manuscripts or a scientist piecing together clues from nature; both are guided by a research paradigm. This invisible framework shapes how researchers, writers, and students perceive reality and interpret knowledge. It influences every step of the academic journey and determines whether your work captivates or confuses your audience.
In writing a research paradigm for qualitative or quantitative studies, a writer must consider all the practices and theories to create a flawless research plan. A study published in ResearchGate states that having information about the various types of paradigms reduces the risk of research method bias.
In this article, we’ll explore the role of research paradigms in thesis and dissertation writing. We’ll also discuss different types of paradigms to help you choose the most suitable one for your research.
The Role of Research Paradigm in Shaping Dissertation
Compiling a dissertation to earn your degree doesn’t start with writing the introduction or going through the literature review. An ideal thesis begins by writing a research paradigm that enables you to define all the processes you will follow. With a qualitative research paradigm, students define the research questions of their studies and decide on methods.
However, many students find it challenging to write a research paradigm, whether qualitative or quantitative, for their dissertations. Without proper guidance and support, they often make mistakes that weaken their research framework. In such circumstances, acquiring dissertation writing service from legitimate sources can be a valuable solution for those who lack expertise in research paradigms.
Here is detailed information about how research paradigms shape dissertations, allowing students to successfully complete their writing and earn their degrees. A research paradigm will explain all the essential parts of a dissertation.
1. Composing Research Questions
Research questions are the fundamental part of a dissertation. Without these questions, a student can’t complete it effectively and bring a new idea to academia. Research paradigms let students decide on various questions they will ask or discuss based on the type of their studies.
For example, in positivism, the first type of research paradigm, students or researchers test hypotheses and find the relationship between variables. They know about the effect of one aspect on another and how a change in one variable impacts the other, especially in the social sciences and humanities.
Conversely, other types of paradigms help formulate deeper research questions. Critical realists, interpretivists, and constructivists explore the deeper meaning of a particular phenomenon. They usually don’t limit themselves to above-the-surface knowledge and understand the complexity of specific contexts.
Here is why students need a perfect paradigm when writing a dissertation:
An actionable research paradigm always ensures flexibility for students or research scholars. They can formulate the research questions based on their target audience or the way of data collection.
Research paradigms help in resolving particular issues instead of targeting generic questions and bringing no value and innovation to academia. So, define a paradigm for your study clearly and make your dissertation a success for your academic journey.
2. Guidance About Methodology
Sometimes, students make mistakes and choose a research paper or dissertation methodology without deciding on their paradigms. Different types of paradigms choose various methods to select a way of data collection. This data collection decision will initially pave the way to a perfect dissertation, regardless of the approach you follow for your writing.
This is how different types of paradigms allow students to choose a methodology for their dissertation:
Positivists: This is a philosophical stance that discusses empirical evidence and the study of social phenomena. Positivists mainly rely on numerical data for hypothesis testing, whether through surveys or experiments. Most researchers use tools such as Excel and SPSS to ensure accuracy in statistical analysis.
Constructivists: A constructivist research paradigm focuses on qualitative way of data collection. Usually, researchers conduct in-depth interviews and write case studies to learn about real-world experiences and explore the deeper meaning of queries.
Interpretivism: In this paradigm, students can also follow a similar approach as selected by constructivists. They can employ a method of participant observation to ensure accuracy and originality.
Pragmatists: This is the best part of a research paradigm, where researchers or students follow a mixed approach considering the nature of their selected topic. For example, sometimes a topic needs to use both qualitative and quantitative approaches, and scholars act accordingly.
Critical Realists: Critical realists can also employ both qualitative and quantitative approaches. However, they aren’t limited to collecting generic data. They try to explore the hidden meaning of phenomena.
3. Research Paradigm Enhance Coherence
A dissertation without an appropriately defined paradigm will have no coherence among its parts. For instance, research questions will not be in accordance with the literature review. Similarly, the research analysis will differ from the previous parts of the dissertation, leading to major flaws on any topic.
Therefore, scholars stress the utilisation of a critical research paradigm to ensure coherence and logical consistency among your research article or dissertation. To ensure coherence, you also need to choose the type of paradigm wisely. For example, if you desire to conduct a quantitative study to explain a specific context.
However, you may mistakenly select constructivists as your research paradigm, which will definitely lead to failure. The selection of a paradigm and the topic of your study must go hand in hand. You can’t select a specific paradigm and then choose a different topic with no logical relevance.
4. Analysis and Results Presentation
A flawlessly explained paradigm, regardless of its nature and type, also dictates how a writer or student must adapt to analyse and present the results of their studies. Different types of paradigms follow different approaches to analysing the collected data. Positivists will try to find out whether hypotheses are tested and what the relationship between them is.
They will try to explain their results using charts and bars to eradicate any ambiguity. On the other hand, constructivists and interpretivists follow a descriptive approach to their results, stating the subjective nature of the meaning of different things or questions.
The critical realist paradigm again employs a different approach for this analysis. It doesn’t only find the answer to “how” and tries to explain “why” it is happening, going beyond the surface to detect hidden meanings.
What Are the 4 Types of Research Paradigms?
Scholars usually divide research paradigms into four types based on their purposes and nature. Here, we will explain them all individually so you can choose one for your dissertation.
Positivism
The positivists argue that only one reality exists in this world, and this reality is objective, meaning there will be no second opinion about it. For example, when a student of philosophy asks a question: Whether God exists or not. Similarly, a student of media studies or social sciences will ask: Whether people are happy with their current conditions or not.
When there is a single reality, researchers compare it with different hypotheses and claims to find its logical base. Following this paradigm for a dissertation, a scholar or student collects data from a large sample size.
Interpretivism
These scholars state that reality can be one, but people will perceive it differently and give different answers to the same question. For example, a researcher might ask their audience whether they like the “XYZ” personality. In contrast, the personality remains the same, the answers and reasons to like it will be different.
Scholars usually conduct in-depth interviews to collect data in this paradigm. They can also distribute comprehensive documents to gather answers to different questions.
Constructivism
Constructivists say that reality does not exist in this world. Rather, it is a construct of our minds. Therefore, they make the interesting argument that reality will always be subjective, and people will form it based on their individual experiences. These scholars also use qualitative research methods for data collection.
Critical Theory
The critical theory research paradigm states there will be no 100% objectivity in social sciences. Following this paradigm for their dissertations, students mostly investigate societal changes in a number of ways. Scholars and students both can employ qualitative and quantitative research methods to collect data for their studies.
What Is a Research Paradigm in Conceptual Framework?
A research paradigm in conceptual frameworks is a set of beliefs and assumptions the researchers will follow for their studies or dissertations. Based on the selection of a research paradigm, a researcher can define methodology, literature review, and result analysis. This paradigm will also help provide the theoretical base for a study considering its topic. Shortly, we can say that a research paradigm will allow us to define every study component without any ambiguity.
Is Qualitative Research a Paradigm?
No, qualitative research is not a paradigm in itself. Instead, it is a methodological approach to data collection and analysis that can be applied within various research paradigms.
For example, constructivist scholars often use qualitative research to explore complex social phenomena, interpret meanings, and understand contexts in depth. Different paradigms like interpretivism and critical theory also employ qualitative methods to generate rich, descriptive insights.
The Last Words
Writing a clear research paradigm is the first step toward compiling a research paper or dissertation that you can easily defend before the institutional committee. However, you will need a comprehensive understanding of different paradigms to write a paradigm that explains every step of your study, from the literature review to the presentation of the results.
Without a deep understanding of your dissertation's paradigm, flaws may emerge, potentially leading to errors in your final submission. To ensure accuracy, you can ask for assistance from UK-based dissertation writing services to refine your paradigm. This will enable you to confidently present a well-structured framework to your supervisor. Therefore, create a comprehensive paradigm outlining every step of your dissertation to enhance your academic excellence.
Author Bio
David Brooks is an award-winning dissertation writer with years of experience in writing different types of paradigms for numerous fields. He focuses on understanding your topic first and then deciding on a paradigm perfect for your dissertation.
