Research philosophy explained: ontology, epistemology and axiology
A clear introduction to research philosophy for dissertations: ontology, epistemology and axiology, and how they shape your methodology choices.
10 min read · Reviewed 2026 · Written and reviewed by Chris McGarrigle
Research philosophy is the set of assumptions you hold about the nature of reality (ontology), how knowledge can be known (epistemology), and the role your own values play in research (axiology). Stating it explicitly justifies why you chose a qualitative, quantitative or mixed approach rather than treating that choice as arbitrary.
Most UK methodology chapters expect a short, explicit statement of your research philosophy before the methods are described, because the philosophy is what makes the choice of method a reasoned decision rather than a default.
This article works through the core concepts and the four positions — positivism, interpretivism, critical realism and pragmatism — that most dissertations position themselves against.
Ontology: what is the nature of reality?
Ontology asks whether reality exists independently of human perception (an objectivist or realist position) or is constructed through the meanings people give it (a subjectivist or constructivist position). Your answer shapes whether you treat your subject matter as something fixed to be measured, or as something socially produced and variable across contexts.
Epistemology: how can knowledge be known?
Epistemology follows from ontology. If reality is objective and external, knowledge is typically gained through observation, measurement and testing (a positivist epistemology). If reality is socially constructed, knowledge is gained by understanding how people interpret and give meaning to their experience (an interpretivist epistemology).
These are not simply labels to insert into a paragraph — they should genuinely describe how you are treating your data. If you are counting and testing for statistical relationships, you are working within a broadly positivist epistemology whether or not you use the word.
Axiology: what role do your values play?
Axiology concerns the place of the researcher's own values in the research process. A positivist stance typically aims for value-free, detached observation; an interpretivist stance usually accepts that the researcher's perspective inevitably shapes interpretation and asks you to be reflexive about that rather than pretend it away.
The main philosophical positions
You do not need to master every philosophical school, but you should recognise where your project sits among the common positions used in dissertations.
- Positivism: reality is objective and measurable; knowledge comes from observation and hypothesis testing; typically pairs with quantitative methods.
- Interpretivism: reality is socially constructed; knowledge comes from understanding meaning and context; typically pairs with qualitative methods.
- Critical realism: reality exists independently of perception, but our knowledge of it is always partial and shaped by social context; often used to justify mixed methods or explanatory qualitative work.
- Pragmatism: the research question should determine the method, drawing on whichever philosophical assumptions are useful for answering it; commonly used to justify mixed-methods designs.
Writing the philosophy section without padding
State your position in a sentence or two, justify it by reference to your research question rather than in the abstract, and move on. A common weakness is a philosophy section that reads as a generic summary of paradigms copied from a textbook with no connection to the actual study.
A stronger version names the position, explains briefly why it fits the kind of knowledge your question requires, and states the methodological consequence directly: 'because this study seeks to understand how participants make sense of X, it adopts an interpretivist epistemology, and therefore uses semi-structured interviews rather than a structured survey.'
Common mistakes
- Writing a generic textbook summary of paradigms with no link to the actual research question.
- Choosing positivism or interpretivism as a label after the methods are already decided, rather than as a genuine justification for them.
- Confusing ontology and epistemology, or using the terms interchangeably.
- Ignoring axiology entirely, even in qualitative studies where reflexivity is expected.
- Claiming a mixed-methods pragmatist stance without explaining what each method contributes.
Try this: Locate your own philosophical position
- Write one sentence describing what you believe about the nature of the phenomenon you are studying (fixed and measurable, or shaped by meaning and context).
- State how you think that phenomenon can be known — through measurement, through understanding perspectives, or both.
- Match your answers to positivism, interpretivism, critical realism or pragmatism.
- Write two sentences linking that position directly to your chosen method, using your own research question as the example.
Do it in SuperDiss
State and justify your research philosophy alongside your method choices.
Build your methodology chapterStudents also ask
- What is research philosophy in a dissertation?
- Research philosophy refers to your assumptions about the nature of reality (ontology), how knowledge can be known (epistemology), and the role of your own values in research (axiology). Stating it explicitly justifies why you chose a qualitative, quantitative or mixed approach.
- What is the difference between ontology and epistemology?
- Ontology concerns what you believe about the nature of reality — whether it is objective and fixed or socially constructed. Epistemology follows from that and concerns how you believe knowledge of that reality can be gained, for example through measurement or through understanding meaning.
- Do I need a research philosophy section in an undergraduate dissertation?
- Most UK methodology chapters expect at least a short, explicit statement of your research philosophy, even at undergraduate level, because it is what justifies your method choice as a reasoned decision rather than a default. Check your own module guidance for the expected length.
Related research: design the methodology
Choose philosophy, approach, sampling and ethics you can defend in the viva.
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A decision path from research question to methodology, plus how to write the justification examiners are looking for.
Qualitative vs quantitative research
The real difference between qualitative and quantitative dissertation research, and how to choose based on your question rather than your comfort zone.
How to get ethical approval
What ethics committees actually look for, the documents you need, and the mistakes that cause applications to be returned.
Continue your dissertation journey
- Interpretivism vs positivism: which fits your dissertation?
- How to choose a methodology
- The research onion explained
- Qualitative vs quantitative research
- Sampling explained
Browse every guide in research methodology.
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This guide is general educational content. Your institution's regulations, handbook and supervisor's instructions always take precedence. Where a named framework is mentioned, consult the original source text rather than relying on this summary.