By the time doctoral students in the social sciences and education reach the dissertation phase of their program, they have brought a methodological perspective to their research. This perspective-gained through socialization within a field of study, mentoring by advisers, or their own initiative-shapes the direction of their scholarly research. This perspective is called a research methodology (also a belief system [Guba and Lincoln, 1989], paradigm perspective [Sparkes, 1992], or inquiry paradigm [Guba and Lincoln, 1988]), and it provides a philosophical base or frame of reference for approaching research that complements a content area of inquiry.
In this chapter, we explore the methodologies that guide student research, and we advance their centrality to three aspects of the doctoral process: the selection of research courses, the affiliation with faculty and a chair (adviser) on a committee, and the doctoral dissertation proposal. Although research methodologies have been explicated elsewhere (for example, Burrell and Morgan, 1979; Guba and Lincoln, 1988), their potential impact on the doctoral process has not been assessed. In addition, although a small, growing literature exists about the doctoral dissertation and working with faculty from alternative disciplines on dissertation committees (for example, Krathwohl, 1987; Locke, Spirduso, and Silverman, 1987), this literature has not been related to research methodologies. An understanding of the relationship of methodologies and the doctoral process can enhance our understanding of the experiences of doctoral students and add to existing knowledge.
We begin by assessing four research methodologies: positivist, which is the traditional quantitative approach to social and educational research; qualitative, also known as the interpretive or constructionist approach; ideological,