Title:	INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH: DETERMINING THE CORRECT RESEARCH PARADIGM FOR A SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROBLEM
Author(s):	Lizani Botha and Estelle Taylor
ISBN:	978-989-8704-37-5
Editors:	Miguel Baptista Nunes, Pedro Isaías and Philip Powell
Year:	2022
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Information Systems Research, Research Concepts, Research Paradigms
First Page:	47
Last Page:	56
Language:	English
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Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	A researcher should understand the research philosophy or the principles of the research paradigm that he/she chooses and should show that the research philosophy is suited to the research problem being addressed. Students and early career researchers find this difficult. The aim of this paper is to describe research terminology, as well as aspects that should be taken into account when choosing a research paradigm for a specific problem. Terminology such as information systems research, quantitative research, qualitative research, mixed methods research, methodology, research method and research paradigm are discussed. Four research paradigms are also investigated including positivistic, interpretivist, critical theory, and design science research. Each of these research paradigms are discussed and compared according to their ontology, epistemology, and methodology. How would one determine which research paradigm is suitable to a study? This is a question that many researchers struggle with and an example of how to determine the appropriate research paradigm is discussed. The conclusion is that knowledge of the different paradigms and their ontological and epistemological assumptions is necessary to choose the research paradigm for a specific research problem. The definitions, comparisons and example applied in this paper may provide guidance to researchers new to the field of research.
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