1. Frameworks in Research
Lesley Jolly Strategic Partnerships

2. Considering epistemology orients us to the field

3. Epistemology deals with the nature of knowledge

4. Positivism holds that meaning exists external to the knower

5. Constructionism holds that meaning is constructed in minds

6. Any method can be used in either positivist or constructionist ways

7. Epistemology has implications for the kind of question we ask

8. It will influence our choice of theoretical framework

9. It will influence our choice of methodology

10. It provides a rationale for our choice of methods

11. Methods are chosen congruent with epistemology

12. Need to describe methods in detail

13. Need to consider analysis as well as data gathering

14. Can you justify the coherence of your research approach?
epistemology
theoretical perspective
methodology
methods
constructionism
symbolic
interactionism
ethnography
participant
observation
survey *
network
analysis *
structured
tests *
adapted from Crotty, M (1998) The Foundations of Social Research

15. Wider understanding of social research will help you make better procedural choices

16. Engineering knowledge + well-constructed research = more informed innovations in engineering education