Pragmatic Approach and

the Choice of Methods

Dr. Muhammad Islam
University of the Punjab
Ph D (University of Leeds, UK)

Introduction
Paradigmatic conflict of the Quantitative
and Qualitative approaches
Philosophical Divide between Positivists
and Interpretivists
dichotomy between the deductiveobjective-generalizing and inductivesubjective-contextual approaches
(Morgan, 2007, P. 73)
Recent Voices against strict qualitative
quantitative demarcation and the
emergence of new views e.g. pragmatism

Points to Consider:

Does insistence on mono-method

research pose any threat to the
advancement of the social sciences?

Does pragmatic approach (or its

philosophical companion -Mixed
Method approach) offer a way out?

Can Quantitative and Qualitative

Approaches Co-exist?

Three Major
Schools of
Thought

Purists

Situationalists

Pragmatists

Differences Continued
Incompatibility Thesis (Howe, 1988)
"accommodation between paradigms
is impossible . . . we are led to vastly
diverse, disparate, and totally antithetical
ends" (Guba, 1990, p. 81)
Two separate research cultures- "one
professing the superiority of 'deep, rich
observational data and the other the
virtues of 'hard, generalizable' ... data
(Sieber, 1973, p. 1335).

Issues with Paradigm

Conflicts

Focus on Differences rather than on the

Similarities
Viewing epistemology and method as being
synonymous
Narrow definition of the concept Science
objective verification
Subjectivity + Objectivity = Subjectivity
fully objective and value-free research is a
myth (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004, p.16)
Near-perfect reliability is not achievable in
social sciences

Continued
Interpretivists claim of multiple and valid
accounts of reality always exist can be
misleading.
Unqualified relativism of qualitative purists
Qualitative analysis often remain private
and unavailable for public inspection
(Constas, 1992, p. 254)
Feelings of anxiety and alienation by the
researchers with different orientation

Commonalities Between
Qualitative and Quantitative
Approaches

Use of empirical observations to address

research questions
Use of safeguards to minimise confirmation
bias and other sources of invalidity (e.g.
triangulation, narrative conclusions and
implications)
Derivation of meanings from the
interpretation of Data
Use of data reduction in both methods of
inquiry

Continued

Role of theory is central for both paradigms

Qualitative Approach: theory initiation + theory
building
Quantitative Approach: theory testing + theory
modification
Both empirical and qualitative data are
interchangeable
Gueulette et al.s (1999) analysis of 339
randomly selected qualitative articles 44 %
invlovled the blending of qualitative &
quantitative

Need for a methodological

Pluralism A Way Forward
All research in the social sciences
represents an attempt to understand
human beings and the world around them
Need to focus on removing the barriers
against the merging of two methods
De-emphasize the terms qualitative and
quantitative, instead subdivide research
into exploratory and confirmatory
methods
A pragmatic approach to research instead of
a blind following of methodological divide

Pragmatism the philosophy of

mixed method approach

The meaning of an idea may be discovered in its

consequences
Both methods may be useful in certain research
situations and can be put together to produce a
superior product
Provides a useful middle ground philosophically as
well as methodologically
The goal of mixed methods research is not to
replace either of these approaches but rather to
draw from the strengths and minimize the
weaknesses of both in single research studies and
across studies.

A Comparison of Research
Approaches
Research
Approach

Qualitative

Quantitative

Pragmatic

Connection of
the theory and
data

Induction

Deduction

Abduction

Relationship to
research
process

Subjectivity

Objectivity

Intersubjectivity

Inference from
data

Context

Generality

Transferability

Strengths of Mixed Method

Research
Mixed Method can:
Use narrative to add meaning to numbers
Use numbers to add precision to words
generate and test a grounded theory
answer a broader and more complete range of
research questions
Use the strengths of an additional method to
overcome the weaknesses in another method
Provide stronger evidence for a conclusion
through convergence and corroboration of
findings

Continued
Increase the generalizability of research
Produce more complete knowledge to
inform theory and practice
Enable researchers to be flexible in their
investigative techniques
Merge the researchers concerns and the
participants voice in a single study

Five Rationales for Mixed

Method Research
1. Triangulation seeking convergence and
corroboration of results from different
methods
2. Complementarity - seeking elaboration,
enhancement, illustration, and clarification
of the results from one method with results
from the other method
3. Initiation - discovering paradoxes and
contradictions that lead to a re-framing of
the research question

Continued
4. Development - using the findings from one
method to help inform the other method
5. Expansion - seeking to expand the breadth
and range of research by using different
methods for different inquiry components

Conclusion

Mixed method approach based on pragmatism

has a great potential to address multi-faceted
issues in social sciences research.
Researchers should select methods and
approaches with respect to their underlying
research questions, rather than with regard to
some preconceived biases about a research
paradigm
Research methodologists formally recognize the
third research paradigm and begin
systematically writing about it and using it

Thank You