Writing about paradigms in your PhD thesis - where to write about them and what to say

What is a research paradigm? How and where do you write about your research paradigm in your thesis? How do you weave it in? Keep reading because I’m going to tell you!

Hi, I’m Dr Elizabeth Yardley and I’ve been supporting social science graduate students through their masters and doctoral dissertations for the last 20 years.

In that time, I’ve encountered a lot students fretting over research paradigms. Understanding what paradigms are, which one they align with etc can be difficult enough. But then, you’ve got to figure out where and how to write about it in your thesis.

Should you wait until your methods chapter? Should it come into your literature review? What about your discussion? Argh!

Let’s sort all that out.

(1) First things first, what is a research paradigm?

Think of a paradigm as the rules of the game in research.

It sets the boundaries and parameters for how researchers think about their study.

It helps them in defining what’s in scope and what’s not. What’s important and what’s not. What methods will get them answers and what methods won’t.

It’s like having a playbook that guides everything from the goals of the research to the techniques used to achieve them.

Essentially, your research paradigm will heavily influence your research. It will have an impact on the factors you decide to focus on. It will determine how you go about collecting and analysing data. It will shape how you interpret the data you discover. I’ve laboured the point a bit here but it’s a massively big deal!

To make this easier to understand, let's use an analogy: high school cliques.

Just like in high school, where you have different groups – the goths, the science nerds, the artsy kids, the activists, the gamers, the mean girls, the jocks etc – social science has different groups of researchers. Each group has its own unique culture and way of doing things.

This analogy is helpful because it shows that these groups aren’t entirely isolated from each other. For example, gamers and jocks might share common interests, like playing games with rules. Similarly, researchers from different paradigms, whether they are positivists, interpretivists, or critical realists, have common goals. They all aim to understand and explain social phenomena but differ in their approaches to doing so.

So, while each research paradigm has its own distinct methods and beliefs, their own playbook and set of rules, they all contribute to our overall understanding of the social world in unique and valuable ways.

Now, time for a quick whistle stop tour of three prominent social science research paradigms:

Positivists. Let's start with the positivists. Imagine them as the science geeks of the research world. Positivists are all about hard facts, quantifiable data, and objective truths. They love measuring and predicting. They draw inspiration from the natural sciences to understand the social world, believing that with the right principles and approaches, we can make sense of society in a similar way.

Interpretivists. Next up, we have the interpretivists. Think of them as the artsy, creative clique in high school. These researchers focus on people's stories, meanings, and subjective experiences. They immerse themselves within the drama and richness of human life, exploring different perspectives. Unlike positivists, interpretivists believe you can't fully detach from the social world you're studying because, as a researcher, you're a part of it too.

Critical Realists. Finally, we have the critical realists. Picture them as the activist kids, the social justice warriors of the research world. Critical realists dig beneath the surface to uncover deeper structures and mechanisms that shape our society. They blend elements of positivism and interpretivism while championing social justice. They’re interested in individual experiences like interpretivists but also situate these experiences within broader social contexts—like the economy, political systems, and religion—to understand how these structures influence personal realities.

So, that’s a quick overview of what a paradigm is and three example paradigms from social science research. Before we move on, I recently did a series of blogposts in which I did deep dives into each of them, here’s the link if you want to check any of those out.

(2) Where and how should you write about your research paradigm?

Paradigms can sometimes feel difficult to write about. It can be challenging to find the words and phrasing to bring your paradigm into your writing without it sounding forced and weird. But this is possible! In this part of the blogpost I’ll share some sentence templates with you to help you articulate your ideas about all things paradigm.

As I said at the start, your research paradigm is massively influential when it comes to your study. It guides a lot of the decisions you make. It shapes what that research looks like.

So, in my humble opinion, you should be referring to it throughout your thesis, pretty much in every chapter. However, the extent to which you’re discussing it is going to vary and how you’re writing about it will shift depending on the specific things you’re focusing on.

Let’s walk through some of the thesis chapters now and consider what you might say about your paradigm in each of them.

Introduction

Your introduction is where you set the context of your research. You write about why your research is important and why it matters. You outline key terms and definitions. You explain how that research is framed.

So, writing about your research paradigm is important in this chapter. Be super clear and direct in your language. Identify what paradigm you’re working within, why you’ve chosen it, the implications of working within this paradigm, and signpost the reader to other parts of the thesis where you will go into more depth about your paradigm.

Here are some phrases you’ll find helpful for writing about paradigms within the introduction:

This research is grounded in the _______ paradigm, aiming to understand the _____.

Rooted in ______, this research examines ______.

The choice of the ______ paradigm is justified by the need to explore _____.

By adopting a ____ stance, this research will investigate _______.

The _____ approach will guide the study to prioritise ______.

Further details on how the ____ paradigm shapes the research design are discussed in Chapter X.

Literature Review

Next up, literature review. Now, the literature review isn’t a place where you might naturally think, “Yeah, should write about my paradigm here”, because the literature review is a critical consideration of existing literature – what other people have done.

But, writing about your paradigm in the literature review is crucial for several reasons.

Doing so helps bridge the gap between existing literature and your research – you make it clear to the reader where you’re coming from and in turn, how your stance relates to those of authors who’ve already produced research in this area.

It also helps guide your critique. When you’re clear about your paradigm, you’re clear about your approach to critically analysing the literature. You have a set of standards by which to judge how valuable the existing research is. You know what you’re looking for when you’re exploring literature.

So, for example, if you’re an interpretivist and you’ve come across a study that sits within the positivist paradigm, you might critique its focus on quantifiable data and lack of attention to subjective experiences and meanings. You would question how well it captures the nuanced perspectives of the participants and consider its limitations in understanding the social context.

And if you’re a critical realist who has come across a piece of literature that’s also from within the critical realist paradigm, you can appreciate its effort to uncover underlying social structures and mechanisms. You would evaluate how effectively it addresses power dynamics and social inequalities, ensuring it aligns with the critical realist commitment to social justice.

Understanding where existing literature fits within different research paradigms boosts your ability to analyse it critically and see how it can shape your own research. This viewpoint lets you assess how valuable different studies are by comparing how closely they match or diverge from your own approach.

Here are some phrases you ‘ll find helpful for writing about paradigms within the literature review:

The research by [Author] employs a approach, similar to the one used in this study.

While [Author’s] study is located within the ______ paradigm, this research takes an ____ approach.

The ______ approach in this study provides valuable insights into _____, though it contrasts with my ______ focus on _______.

The _____ paradigm within which this research was conducted contrasts with my _____ focus, but it underscores the importance of _________.

By comparing the ______ approach in this study with my own _______ framework, I can highlight ________.

Methods

Talking about your paradigm in the methods chapter is super important because it shapes how you design your study and how you collect and analyse data. Explaining this clearly helps your readers see why you chose your methods and makes your research more cohesive and easier to follow.

For instance, a positivist paradigm will lead you to design a study focused on measurable, observable phenomena, while an interpretivist approach will emphasise understanding subjective experiences of people affected by a topic or issue.

By explaining how your paradigm shapes your research design, you clarify why you’ve chosen specific methods and how they align with your research questions and objectives.

The methods you use to gather data are directly influenced by your paradigm. Positivists typically prefer quantitative methods such as surveys and experiments, while interpretivists lean towards qualitative methods like interviews and observations. Discussing this in your methods chapter shows how your paradigm informs the selection of data collection techniques that best suit your study.

Your paradigm also affects how you analyse data. Positivists often rely on statistical analysis to draw conclusions, interpretivists might use a technique like thematic analysis to identify patterns and meanings. Explaining your data analysis methods in the context of your paradigm helps readers understand how you interpret your findings and draw conclusions.

By elaborating on how your paradigm influences each stage of your research, you provide a clear, coherent framework that enhances the credibility and rigor of your study.

Here are some sentence templates to help you write about paradigms in your methods chapter:

This study's research design is grounded in the _____ paradigm, emphasising a ______ approach to collecting and analysing data.

Guided by an _______ paradigm, this research includes ______ to explore ______.

Consistent with the conventions of the _____ paradigm, the study _________.

In line with the traditions of (paradigm), this research employs_______.

The _____ framework of this study necessitates a ______ approach to analysis.

Following a _______ framework, the research adopts a _____ analytical approach.

Discussion and Conclusions

Looking back at your paradigm in the final parts of your thesis helps you carefully assess how it influenced your findings and how it served your research aims.

Throughout your study, your chosen paradigm—whether positivist, interpretivist, or critical realist—has provided both opportunities and constraints in exploring your research questions and here’s where we get the opportunity to zoom out and think about that.

Our paradigms enable us to gain insights into particular things within our studies. For example, interpretivists explore the rich tapestry of meanings and subjective experiences. Critical realists explore the interplay between individual actions and broader social structures.

However, our paradigm also poses challenges and limitations. For instance, interpretivists may encounter difficulties in generalising findings beyond their specific context due to the emphasis on unique individual experiences. Positivists sometimes overlook the complexity and nuances of human behaviour that qualitative methods might have captured.

Here are some sentence templates you might find useful here:

Through a _____ lens, the findings underscore the effectiveness of _____.

In light of its _______ stance, the focus on ______ highlights the importance of ______.

Grounded in the ______ paradigm, this exploration of _____ draws attention to _____.

While the ______ approach provided rich insights into ______, its focus on _______ limited its ability to _______.

The _____ paradigm's emphasis on _____ allowed for _______, yet it may have overlooked _______.

The ________ perspective illuminated _________, however its qualitative / quantitative focus ________.

Got one hour? Ready to get clued up about paradigms?

If this blog post helped, you’ll love my 1-hour express course, Paradigms for Beginners.

In just 60 minutes, you'll gain the confidence to talk and write about key paradigms like positivism, post-positivism, interpretivism, critical realism, and pragmatism. By the end, you’ll not only understand where your research fits paradigmatically, but you'll also feel more confident in tackling philosophical concepts that may have felt overwhelming before.

The course includes five easy-reference cheat sheets on each paradigm and a guided worksheet to help you identify your own research stance. Plus, you can preview the first two lessons for free!

Ready to feel confident in your understanding of paradigms? Click here to learn more and enrol today. I can’t wait to see you inside!

Paradigms for Beginners 60-minute express course