What does the term “ontology” refer to ?
The nature of social entities
In research methodology, ontology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of reality, that is, what exists and what kind of things social entities are. Alan Bryman frames the ontological question as whether social entities (organisations, culture, roles) are objective realities external to social actors or are social constructions built up from people's perceptions and actions.
The two main ontological positions are objectivism (social phenomena exist independently of actors and confront them as external facts) and constructionism (social phenomena are continually produced and revised through social interaction). Ontology is distinct from epistemology, which asks what counts as acceptable knowledge and how we come to know it.
The study of cancer is oncology, not ontology. There is no discipline studying an 'onto tribe'. Research into ontogeny concerns the development of an individual organism over its lifespan, a biological and developmental idea unrelated to the philosophical term.
Hence, the answer is the nature of social entities.
Similar Questions
................ is a limitation of positivism in research.
..................... is a common goal of both positivistic and post-positivistic approaches to research.
........................ is the study of nature of knowledge, justification and rationality of belief.
Ontology refers to :
...................... is the philosophical study of being.
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Important Questions from Research Paradigms - Teaching
................ is a limitation of positivism in research.
..................... is a common goal of both positivistic and post-positivistic approaches to research.
........................ is the study of nature of knowledge, justification and rationality of belief.
Ontology refers to :
...................... is the philosophical study of being.
