If you are writing a research method for your dissertation or thesis, you may come across the terms positivism and interpretivism. These are epistemological positions that form part of your research philosophy, representing your world views and your beliefs about the nature of the world and individual’s place in it. Positivism aligns with deductive logical reasoning and the methods of natural sciences, using initial theories and hypotheses to work towards more specific details.

This approach is straightforward and can generally be proved with research data that can be verified.

On the other hand, interpretivism lends itself well to studies that have a lot of grey areas, such as understanding why and how somebody feels or behaves a certain way. Instead of analyzing numbers, it requires an in-depth assessment of words, actions, and behaviors to interpret the meanings that people bring to situations. Interpretivist researchers believe that reality and the individual who observes it are inseparable, as a person’s view of the world is linked to their life experience.

The choice of philosophical approach tends to either be scientifically based, which is often associated with quantitative data collection and a positivist approach, or society based, which can often be associated with qualitative research and an interpretivist approach.

Ultimately, the choice between positivism and interpretivism will depend on the research aims and objectives, and what best fits the research approach.