laws

explanati
on

predict

control
 Determine
Accepting
the laws that
facts or Infer
governs the
phenomenon
given

OBJECTIVITY
EMPIRICISM
• Social scientists began to argue
against positivism

• Argument:
• physical sciences deal with objects
that are exclusive / independent
of human beings whereas
• social sciences deal with actions
and behaviour that are inclusive /
part-of human beings
• objectivity is much harder to
achieve in social sciences than in
natural sciences
Subject experience
Researcher Phenomenon
 meaning

researcher phenomenon

reality subjectivit
qualitative y
IS research is positivistic if it involves:
1. Evidence of formal propositions
2. Quantifiable measures of variables
3. Hypothesis testing
4. Drawing of inferences about a phenomenon from
IS research is interpretive if:
1. Researcher interacts
a representative with
sample to ahuman subjects,
stated population
changing the perceptions of both parties
(thus, interpretation or meaning is attached
to interaction)
2. Case studies or observation, for example,
because some interpretation is attached to
the interaction
developed in social sciences originally from natural
sciences
Case studies
Interviews Survey methods
Observation Laboratory experiments
Formal methods
Numerical methods
(mathematical
modelling)
 Positivism vs Phenomenological
Positivism Phenomenological
Quantitative Qualitative
Objective Subjective
Scientific Humanistic
Experimentalist Interpretivist
Hypothesis testing Generating theory
Uses large samples Uses small samples
Data is highly specific and precise Data is rich and subjective
The location is artificial The location is natural
Generalises from sample to population Generalises from setting to another
Facts Values
True / false Likert scale (1 to 5)
Measurement Meaning
Summary (1)
• Natural sciences try to limit variables only to the one being
researched

• Social sciences must accept many variables that interact

• Therefore, research in Natural Science can be more ‘accurate’ than in

Social Sciences
Summary (2)
• Positivistic research:
• Total objectivity
• Researcher does not influence the environment at all

• Interpretivistic research:
• Subjective = total objectivity cannot be guaranteed
• Allows for personal interpretations
Summary (3)
Positivism predict and explain
natural laws

Interpretivism understand social

practices and relations