Abstract:
This paper focuses on removing the ambiguity regarding selecting the research
methodology when embarking on a research project by the researcher in the social
science phenomenon. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods are the dominant
methodologies in the social research milieu. Choosing an appropriate methodology
is determined by the research paradigms (positivism, interpretive, transformative, and
pragmatism). These paradigms are differentiated by the philosophical assumptions
(ontology, epistemology, and research method). Therefore, the researcher should be
aware of their philosophical assumptions because they inevitably shape the whole
research project.
