The fundamentally philosophical question, ‘what is the stance of the researcher when conducting research?’ has led to the evolution of several research paradigms. A paradigm can be defined as a collection of logically related assumptions, concepts or propositions that orient thinking and research. Ontology, Epistemology and Methodology are the main foundational constructs of a paradigm. Every construct of each paradigm has different connotations, depending on the underpinning theoretical framework. This paper discusses three major research paradigms: Positivism, Interpretivism and the more recent Mixed Methods which can be loosely called as the pragmatist approach and aptly described as ‘selecting the best of various ideas’. An attempt has been made to give a comprehensive and detailed account of the three philosophical stances on the basis of their essential elements, strengths and limitations. Comparing the three it can be said that mixed methods research offers great promise for practicing researchers.
Research Paradigms, Positivism, Interpretivism, Mixed methods
