An Overview: Epistemological Foundations of the Qualitative and Quantitative Research Approaches

• Author Details:   
• Shar Abdullah Alamri ^*

The philosophical underpinning of pragmatism allows and guides qualitative/quantitative researchers to use a variety of approaches to answer research questions. Pragmatism's philosophical underpinning permits and directs researchers to use a range of methodologies to address research questions. However, this article provides the philosophical and conceptual framework that informed the two research methodologies and discusses how ontological and epistemological issues were translated in to specific methodological strategies and influence researchers methodological decision. The purpose in writing this article is to describe and reflect on the differences between the two research methodologies from ontological, epistemological and methodological perspectives and how they will be selected for research.

Keywords: Epistemology, Ontology, Methodology, Positivism, Interpretivism