Post
a brief description of your topic of research interest. Next, state the philosophical orientation that reflects your worldview and explain the epistemological and ontological assumptions of this orientation. Then, explain how these assumptions lend themselves to one or more research approaches.
There are many different topics that I am interested in researching. I have been fascinated with understanding how one's morals and beliefs affect one's decisions. I
have also been interested in learning and understanding more about childhood development and how nature versus nurture affects one's life. Relativism and constructivism philosophical orientation reflect my worldview. One's experience shapes the relativist philosophical orientation, while the constructivist philosophical orientation is based on individual interaction (Burkholder et al., 2020). Ontological and epistemological assumptions are “crucial for understanding the nature of truth and reality as well as how knowledge is generated” (Burkholder et al., 2020, p. 16). The ontology of relativism/constructivism is “there can be no truth because truth is subjective and is created through the
interaction of individuals” (Burkholder et al., 2020, p. 21). Epistemology is “knowledge generated through the interaction of individuals who cocreate meaning; knowledge is socially constructed, and facts are given meaning through an individual exchange” (Burkholder et al., 2020, p. 21). Research methods for relativism and constructivism include qualitative research, interpretive research, “hermeneutic, action research, and emancipatory/critical models” (Burkholder et al., 2020, p. 21). References
Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., Crawford, L. M., & Hitchcock, J. H. (Eds.). (2020). Research designs and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-
practitioner
. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
