Skip to main content icon/video/no-internet
icon backReturn to Entries

Empirical Research

Empirical research, following the tenets of empiricism, is grounded in the belief that direct observation of phenomena is an appropriate way to measure reality and generate truth about the world. Within the realm of qualitative research, then, empirical research has been redefined to challenge traditional notions of “truth” and “evidence” while still maintaining the basic premises of acknowledging the materials under study as “empirical.” This entry reviews the development of empirical research in the social sciences, describes the role of qualitative methods in the field, and considers ways in which qualitative researchers have sought to redefine rigor and find new criteria for evaluating research.

Empirical Research and Logical Positivism

Empirical research in the social sciences has been shaped by logical positivism, an ontological framework that assumes social phenomena can be studied scientifically when modeled along the objective, experimental, verifiable, and generalizable methods of the natural sciences. The philosophical assumption in positivist research is that of foundationalism—that all knowledge has a secure foundation and that following the right procedures leads us to “truth.” From its origins, social science has been enmeshed with the Enlightenment ideas about human reason. From Francis Bacon to David Hume, to Auguste Comte, to Émile Durkheim and several others after that, the focus has been on facts (defined as an observable reality “out there” that is independent of the researcher and that the researcher can capture by being objective and following certain methods) and the causal explanation of facts. Logical positivism insists that value is not a part of science, primarily because it cannot be observed and is not part of an “objective” philosophy. Human subjectivity in knowledge creation is typically sealed off. Only observations are important, and methods are designed to control biases and prejudices. The main goal of this kind of research is to generate universal explanations and predictions of social phenomena. It is assumed that there is always a causal explanation for phenomena. In traditional empirical research, human action is constrained and shaped by factors and forces (including external stimuli) that must be observed correctly and objectively if knowledge is to be created. Positivist and much post-positivist practice defines knowledge as a product of something we use (techne/method).

However, contemporary naturalism accepts that no unequivocal procedures/criteria for choosing among different competing knowledge claims is possible. Also, facts and values are no longer entirely separated, and it is now accepted that observation is theory laden, thereby creating more similarities with the anti-naturalist stand.

Empirical Research within Qualitative Research

Qualitative methods texts outline various approaches to conducting empirical research within this paradigm. For example, John Creswell outlined five methodological approaches to qualitative empirical research: narrative research, phenomenological research, grounded theory research, ethnographic research, and case study research. Similarly, Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna Lincoln discussed several sources of, and techniques for, gathering empirical data: observation, interviews, analysis of cultural and archival records, visual methods, autoethnography, data management and analysis techniques, computer-assisted analysis, focus groups, applied ethnography, and conversation and cultural analyses. All of these approaches address the central goal of empirical research—to observe phenomena in the social world so as to generate knowledge about these phenomena.

...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles

Read next

More like this

Sage Recommends

We found other relevant content for you on other Sage platforms.

close

Have you created a personal profile? Login or create a profile so that you can save clips, playlists and searches

close
close
close Signed In to profile You are signed in as:
close
Logged in Institution Institution