Four Research Paradigms: from Rossman, Gretchen and Rallis, Sharon. 1998. Learning in the field: An introduction to qualitative research. Sage Publications. pp. 26-43.

I like these authors ideas around organizing research types by the asssumptions being made on two continuum: the subjectivity/objectivity continuum and the status quo/radical change continuum. "When the two continuua are crossed, the result is four paradigms that capture important sets of assumptions that shape research about the social world. These assumptions often operate at the tacit level." pg 34

	Subjectivist	Objectivist
Radical change	Radical subjectivism Critical Constructivist	Radical objectivism Critical functionalist
Status quo	Interpretivism Constructivist	Positisism Functionalist

Assumptions about social science - p. 29

Subjectivist Assumptions	Objectivist Assumptions
contextual dependency "working understandings" getting close to the subject focus on understanding subjective experience comparative logic case study designs researcher as "instrument" interpretative analysis of data data in the form of words	generalizing tendency "universal verities" or laws systematic protocal and technique focus on testing hypotheses logic of probabilities experimental or quasi-exp designs reliable instrumentation statistical manipulation of data data in the form of numbers

Assumptions about society - p. 34

The Status Quo Orientation is concerned with	The Radical Change Orientation is concerned with
The status quo social order consensus social integration and cohesion solidarity need satisfaction actuality	Radical change structural conflict modes of domination contradition emancipation deprivation potentiality

Please read the book for expanded ideas about the Nature of Knowledge and Knowing, the Nature of Reality, the Nature of Human Agency etc.