In a positivist view of the world, science and scientific research is seen as the way to get the truth. Positivists believe that there is an objective truth out there – to understand the world well enough so that we are able to predict and control it.
For the positivists, the world operates by laws of cause and effect that we can discern if we use a scientific approach to research.
Positivists are concerned with the rigor and replicability of their research, the reliability of observations, and the generalibility of the findings.
They use deductive reasoning to put forward theories that they can test by means of a fixed, pre-determined research design and objective measures.
The key approach of positivist researchers is the experiment, which allows them to test cause-and-effect relationships through manipulation and observation. Some positivists believe that the goal of research is to only describe phenomena that one can directly observe and objectively measure. For them, knowledge of anything beyond that – such as emotions, feelings, and thoughts –is impossible.
Positivist believes that only phenomena observed will lead to the production of credible data. To generate a research strategy to collect these data he or she will is likely to use existing theory to develop hyphotheses. These hypotheses will be tested and confirmed, in whole or part, or refuted, leading to the development of theory which then maybe tested by future research.
Interpretivism
Interpretivism is an epistemology that advocates that it is necessary for the researcher to understand differences between humans in our role as social actors. This emphasizes the difference between conducting research among people rather objects such as trucks and computers.
The root of interpretivism comes from two intellectual traditions: phenomenology and symbolic interactionism. Phenomenology
