Now that we’ve looked at the two opposing ends of the research philosophy spectrum (positivism and interpretivism), you can probably see that both of the positions have their merits, and that they both function as tools for different jobs.
More specifically, they lend themselves to different types of research aims, objectives and research questions. But what happens when your study doesn’t fall into a clear-cut category and involves exploring both “hard” and “soft” phenomena? Enter pragmatism.
Pragmatism takes a more practical and flexible approach, focusing on the usefulness and applicability of research findings, rather than an all-or-nothing, mutually exclusive philosophical position. This allows you, as the researcher, to explore research aims that cross philosophical boundaries, using different perspectives for different aspects of the study.
With a pragmatic research paradigm, both quantitative and qualitative methods can play a part, depending on the research questions and the context of the study. This often manifests in studies that adopt a mixed-method approach, utilising a combination of different data types and analysis methods. Ultimately, the pragmatist adopts a problem-solving mindset, seeking practical ways to achieve diverse research aims.