When conducting research, there are different philosophies, with their own assumptions and worldviews, that inform your decisions on selecting a method or design for your inquiry. Some common terms are:

• Constructivism
• Feminism
• Realism
• Interpretivism
• Postivism
• Post-modernism
• Pragmatism

You may also heard the term research paradigm, which is the worldview from a specific philosophy that a researcher follows. For more information on different research philosophies and paradigms, see the suggested materials below.