Journal of Philosophy and Theology

Interpretivism-Constructivism as a Research Method in the Humanities and Social Sciences – More to It Than Meets the Eye
Johannes L van der Walt

Abstract
Novice article-writers, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, including Philosophy and Theology, tend to merely mention in their draft papers that they had utilized interpretivism-constructivism as research method or approach, as if this disclosure were fully self-explanatory. Closer inspection of the procedures that they had followed reveals that the authors lacked insight into the fact that the term ?interpretivism-constructivism? encapsulates a great deal more than just the interpretation of data or facts and the construction of new solutions to scholarly conundrums. There is much more to this term than meets the eye. A researcher who opts for interpretivism-constructivism as research method has to demonstrate an appreciation of the status of data and of facts, an understanding of the fact that interpretation works both ?upwards? to the creation of new theoretical and/or social constructs, and ?downwards? to a point where the current conversation terminates, has to demonstrate insight into the various theoretical and pre-theoretical considerations surrounding the method, as well as into the deep historico-philosophicalroots of interpretivism-constructivism.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijpt.v8n1a5