Pluye, P., El Sherif, R., Hong, Q. N., & Vedel, I. The pluralism of scientific worldviews in mixed methods research: Where do I stand? McGill Family Medicine Studies Online, 2021, 16:e03

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Abstract

Graduate students and novice researchers can be puzzled over scientific worldviews. This report is to help them find or confirm where they stand. Based on a literature review, we define two extreme worldviews that are deemed not compatible with mixed methods research (historical positivism and radical constructivism), and five common contemporary worldviews that are compatible with mixed methods research (postpositivism, social constructivism, pragmatism, critical theory, and critical realism).

Note

This report is a companion of a textbook chapter that proposes six possible combinations of worldviews in mixed methods (MM) empirical studies. The chapter ends with a Framework and Aid for Combining Worldviews to help MM team members to prevent and manage worldview-related disruptive tensions in their MM projects.

Reference of the companion chapter: Pluye, P., Hong, Q. N., El Sherif, R., & Vedel, I. (in press). Combining scientific worldviews in mixed methods research. In P. Ngulube (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Mixed Methods Research in Information Science. IGI Global: Hershey