Advanced Inquiry and Evidence Based Practice

Another reflection, everyone…this one will help you to discover (or re-discover?) your own approach to advanced inquiry…Here is your prompt:

Recall in the Module 3 section titled, Differences in Research Methodologies, I described having all 3 research methodologies in my portfolio: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods. While you are not researchers (yet!), and therefore you may not have consciously considered this, we all have a philosophical perspective that guides our thoughts, beliefs, and values as we walk through this life. This means that how we view ‘reality’ or the world ‘out there’ will strongly influence the methods we choose to investigate it.  
Reflecting on how you view the world will provide perspective on why you view the world as you do and yourself in it. Such introspection provides a model for social inquiry and, by extension, advanced nursing inquiry. Considering that it is not unusual for a researcher (or a non-researcher for that matter) to occupy a range of positions along the spectrum from Positivist to Pragmatist to Constructivist, where would you place yourself on that continuum? How do you know? What real-world examples lead you to this conclusion? As a result of critically reflecting on your beliefs and values, which is intended to lead us to a better understanding of self, which research methodology would you be drawn to as a nurse researcher and why? Why is this process of self-discovery an important leg of your journey of learning in this course?
As you are engaging in this process of reflection, please do not restate the questions in your response post but rather weave your answers into a scholarly narrative. Also as FYI, references are never required when you are self-reflecting… 😉 Dr. R.