62 Paradigms — What’s in the box?

Here’s the thing about paradigms, they affect the way(s) that people see the world. That means that they affect your gut reaction when you are presented with “research”, from “harump! How can that possibly be true. Everybody knows that statistics lie!” to “15 people?? They talked to 15 people?? How can anyone possibly come to a legit conclusion talking to so few people??”

Paradigms also affect the way that scholars – and other people conducting research (at least those who are trained to conduct research…in contrast to those who are not trained and act like experts…not that that’s extraordinarily irritating to the people who trained for 10 years or anything) – see the world. Paradigms affect the questions researchers think are worth asking, the choices they make to answer those questions, and the way they write it up. Do you see where I’m headed here? Paradigms affect The things you CHOOSE to measure, the questions you choose to ask.^[1] A paradigm isn’t anything you can necessarily see, hear, touch, taste, or smell…but it’s about as important to understanding research as air is to your lungs. Anyway, enough from me. Turning it over to your student textbook authors…

Paradigms

PARADIGMS are like a …

• …kid catching fireflies because they force nature into a box

• …teacher because they transmit through education

• …police officer because they enforce a particular ideology

**This Textbook Contribution was submitted by students who did not include their identity. DO YOU KNOW THESE STUDENTS? Tell ’em to message me and we’ll get their work properly allocated. (also, in case we haven’t mentioned it more than 600 times yet, please use the templates for submitting these assignments!)