Choosing an Epistemic Stance

Abstract

This paper discusses issues connected with methodological choices. There is a need to be clear about the stance at which the knowledge is generated from. The existence of various domains for mapping knowledge and the concept of “methodological sophistication” will also be addressed. The connection of what we claim to know (ontology) and how do we claim to know (epistemology) will be addressed in this paper. Some mapping tools will be used to make understanding easier. It should be understood that making a choice of a certain epistemic stance is not the end of the journey. The critical aspect is to justify why we make a particular choice and exclude others. There is no practical justification of belonging to more than one domain, neither should we fight once we belong to different domains. At the end, the title of a research project, which I am expecting to do, will be given, followed by an indicative bibliography.


(Af. J. of Finance and Management: 2003 11(2): 59-64)