Linking philosophy, methodology, and methods in qualitative research

As I search for information on the Philosophy of Qualitative Research I came across this article. In it is a definition of Epistemology or the Philosophy of Knowledge.

"Qualitative research methods should be congruent with a philosophy of knowledge. Philosophy of knowledge is known as epistemology. Epistemology assumes a separation between knowing and being. A holistic philosophy that knowledge cannot be dissected from life experience is known as ontology. Philosophers have different visions of what constitutes knowledge. A researcher needs to align his or her personal perspective with a philosophy, which will underpin the assumptions of a study. Methodology, therefore, can be thought of as being embedded with a guiding philosophy and method as a concrete process of research steps.

An analogy of cooking can be used to facilitate understanding of this terminology. If your vision (ie, philosophy) is of French gourmet cuisine (ie, methodology), you would not follow a recipe (ie, method) to make franks and beans. You probably would expect a recipe (ie, method) related to crepes suzette or creme puffs. Realize, though, that more than one method can fall under a guiding philosophy. To complicate matters further, specific philosophers (ie, chefs) may fall under the same methodology (ie, French cuisine) but disagree as to the method (ie, recipe).

How does a researcher choose a philosophical perspective and method? There is no easy answer. A novice researcher may use the single tool provided by a professor without being aware of different choices and perspectives. Qualitative researchers must read extensively to broaden their views and identify their personal epistemology. This will generate an awareness of the diverse methodologies and the congruence or conflict with specific research methods. The research question and phenomenon under study also will guide the methodology and method. In addition, some disciplines lend themselves to specific methodologies and philosophies. In education, for example, researchers often perform narrative research. Narrative research is similar to nursing's phenomenologic methods; however, the guiding philosophies differ.

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