Philosophy of Research

'Her Indoors' has been busy working on an assignment for her PhD and there has been much huffing and puffing over the last couple of weeks. I am, quite frankly, glad it's all over, as she's been spending far too much time staring at a screen and getting irritable with any barking or whining. Apparently it breaks her train of thought. It's obviously a very fragile thing thing that's all I'm saying. Anyway, she's clearly been making heavy weather of it, so I thought I'd show her the way.
          One of the first things is to be clear about is terminology and concepts, so to banish any doubt, I'll start by defining a few:
Paradigm - Easy, that's a model, probably one of those slim, spruced furs that appear at Crufts.
Epistemology -The art of leaving and reading pee-mails.
Ontology - The study of your Mum's sister, in my case, a worthy relative called 'Always Dotty'.
Methodology - Like a method, only much more important as it's got an 'ology' attached.
          Then it's a case of establishing the relationship between them and that's easy too; they're all pups from the same litter so they hang around together, occasionally playing with the same tuggy toy or pinching food, and at other times, only loosely associated. Sorted!
          There's also the matter of some fundamental views on reality and knowledge. Something was mentioned about knowing what a table is and whether or not it still exists when you can't see it. Well, I don't know about you Pals, but these PhD students clearly aren't the full ticket. A table is a wooden thing with legs that has noms on top. If you shut your eyes and open them again the table is still a table but the noms are often gone. I've also noticed that 'Them Indoors' have the wrong idea about reality when watching the TV. They don't seem to get sufficiently agitated when dogs appear and then run off screen. I always check round the back. I don't want some strange fur turning up in my living room thank you very much.
          Then there's the different theoretical and philosophical approaches:
Constructivism - Building something up, like Lego.
Post-structuralism - I'm not sure about the second part, but the first is something you bark at, and, if you've got our postman delivering it, you get a nice biscuit.
Critical realism - This is a training term. It means you've not done very well but that's probably as good as it's going to get.
Feminism - be respectful to the lady furs or else!
          So that's all there is to it. I really can't see what the problem is. Now come on, University of Lancaster, that's my second assignment completed so what more do you want as evidence of my genius; where's my dogtorate?

Get off that computer and play with me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paradigms, clearly, with all that fluffy fur...

Checking for any furs coming into the living room

And when I open my eyes, it'll still be there.....