Synergistic Research in Medical Education: Some Philosophical Reflections
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11575/jah.v0i0.53285Keywords:
Synergistic research, medical education, philosophy of science, hermeneutic wager, person-centred care, research methods.Abstract
In this paper, we present and discuss the “synergistic research approach,” from quantitative and qualitative through mixed methods, as a term that refers to an academic endeavour in which researchers are not only committed to comprehensiveness and rigor, but also – and importantly – to excellence in peer processes that further enhance knowledge generation by emphasizing the philosophical underpinnings thereof. We outline the hermeneutic wager, which provides the philosophical grounds for synergistic research, and explain the reasons why we consider this perspective to be of particular interest in the health profession education field of inquiry.
References
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Creswell, J.W., & Garrett, A.L. (2008). The “movement” of mixed methods research and the role of educators. South African Journal of Education, 28, 321-333.
Creswell, J.W. (2011). Controversies in mixed methods research. (In N.K. Denzin & Y.S. Lincoln, Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research (pp. 269-281). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Davey, N. (2006). Unquiet understanding: Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Denzin N.K. (2010). Moments, mixed methods, and paradigm dialogs. Qualitative Inquiry, 16, 419. doi: 10.1177/1077800410364608
Denzin, N.K. (2012). Triangulation 2.0. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 6, 80-88.
Gadamer, H-G. (2001). Gadamer in conversation: Reflections and commentary (R. E. Palmer, Ed. & Trans). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Gadamer, H-G. (1999). Praise of theory: Speeches and Essays. (C. Dawson, Trans.) New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Gadamer, H-G. (1992). Hans-Georg Gadamer on education, poetry, and history: Applied hermeneutics. (D. Misgeld & G. Nicholson, Trans.) Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Gadamer, H-G. (1960/1989). Truth and method (2nd ed.; J. Weinsheimer & D.G. Marshall, Trans.). New York, NY: Continuum.
Giddings, L.S. (2006). Mixed-methods research – Positivism dressed in drag? Journal of Research in Nursing, 11, 195-203.
Hovey, R., & Craig, R. (2011). Understanding the relational aspects of learning with, from, and about the other. Nursing Philosophy, 12(4), 262-270.
Johnson, R.B., & Onwuegbuzie A.J. (2004). Mixed methods research: a research paradigm whose time has come. Educational Research, 33, 14-26.
Kearney, R. (2011). Anatheism: Returning to God after God. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Lavelle, E., Vuk, J., & Barber, C. (2013). Twelve tips for getting started using mixed methods in medical education research. Medical Teacher, 35, 272-276.
Lund, D. E., Panayotidis, E. L., Smits, H., & Towers, J. (2012). Provoking conversation on inquiry in teacher education. New York, NY: Peter Lang.
Morgan, D.L. (2007). Paradigms lost and pragmatism regained: Methodological implications of combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1, 48-76.
Tashakkori, A., & Creswell, J.W. (2007). The new era of mixed methods. [Editorial]. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1, 3-7.
Tavakol, M., & Sandars, J. (2014). Quantitative and qualitative methods in medical education research: AMEE Guide No 90: Part I. Medical Teacher, 36, 746-756.
Symonds, J., & Gorard, S. (2010). Death of mixed methods? Or the rebirth of research as a craft. Evaluation & Research in Education, 23, 121-136.
Synergy (n.d.) In Online etymology dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=synergy
Treanor, B. (2010). The anatheistic wager: Faith after faith. Religion and the Arts, 14(1), 547-560.
Vattimo, G. (2011). Farewell to truth. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Wittgenstein, L. (2009). Philosophical investigations (4th ed.; G.E.M. Anscombe, M.S. Hacker, & J. Schulte, Trans.). West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
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2016-06-07
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