Paradigm

The term “paradigm” was first brought to the attention of the scientific community by Kuhn (1962). Influenced mainly by the natural sciences, he was interested in their development and argued that they go through different stages, including a revolutionary phase – a scientific revolution – which leads to a significant change, radical advancements, and new directions. In this context, the concept of a paradigm denoted shared theoretical beliefs, values, instruments, and techniques http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/thomas-kuhn/#3.

The contemporary use of the term paradigm suggests that it plays a specific role in the research process. As a system of views and beliefs, it is interconnected with ontology, epistemology, and methodology. Taken together, these form the research design: setting the parameters for what it is possible to know, while acknowledging researchers’ philosophical assumptions about reality, and their attitude towards the research problem. To determine under which...