Research philosophy pragmatism, what’s it all about and how does it differ from other paradigms?

Pragmatism. Is it a paradigm? Is it a philosophy? What’s it all about? Are you feeling confused about research paradigms? You’re not alone! For many PhD students, understanding paradigms can feel like a massive challenge - especially if you haven’t spent much time engaging with these concepts before. In this video, I break down pragmatism, one of the most misunderstood and debated approaches in research philosophy. What exactly is pragmatism, and is it really a paradigm? How does it differ from other paradigms like positivism, interpretivism, and critical realism? And most importantly, how can you actually apply it to your research? These are the kinds of questions we’ll be tackling, addressing common misconceptions like ‘you need to stick to one strict philosophical stance’ and ‘pragmatism isn’t a serious approach because it’s too flexible.’ We’ll also explore why pragmatism can be both a blessing and a curse for PhD students - its flexibility offers freedom, but it can also leave you feeling unsure about whether your research has enough philosophical grounding. I’ll walk you through practical examples so you can see how pragmatism might look in action and give you some tips on how to avoid the common pitfalls of using it in your research. If you’re still on the fence about whether pragmatism is right for your research, stay tuned and drop your thoughts in the comments. Let’s dive in and clear up the confusion! Chapters 0:00 - 1:25 Introduction 1:26 - 3:18 What is pragmatism? 3:19 - 3:43 Applying pragmatism: a case study 3:44 - 4:41 Research methods and questions for pragmatists 4:42 - 5:09 Your thoughts on pragmatism 5:10 - 6:00 Pragmatism and flexibility 6:01 - 6:59 Ethics and pragmatism - potential issues 7:00 - 7:45 Pragmatism and the paradigm purists - more potential issues! 7:46 - 11:42 Pragmatism and its implications for your research 11:43 - 12:36 Conclusion // Other helpful videos // What are paradigms? https://youtu.be/rLK-Vnc5gjg?si=0kbcgIR0ID_8BbRS Positivism https://youtu.be/8S3BgLENILg?si=ZMLz8JnBWm72vMJF Interpretivism https://youtu.be/Q0vGTN9Rb-M?si=Lh4CcBMm0qnSipxr Ontology and epistemology explained https://youtu.be/KA3iCfUmy6M?si=sN4ZCJKDZBqFXJ-n Reflective and reflexive, what's the difference? https://youtu.be/EDDaQiOTVzY?si=Z7rtbrjn60CYE9nK // Try my course, Paradigms for Beginners // If paradigms feel overwhelming to you, don’t worry - I’ve created a beginner-friendly course that breaks down all the major paradigms in simple terms. It's designed to help you get to grips with these tricky concepts in no time. https://www.thedegreedoctor.com/paradigms-for-beginners // Tidy up a messy literature review with my FREE guide! // Grab my free PDF guide for tidying up a messy literature review AND get on my email list at the same time! The PhD journey can be a tough one, and my weekly emails are written with that in mind! They’re full of advice and easy-to-implement tips, as well as, “It’s okay, the way you’re feeling is completely valid” type stuff. Here's the link to sign up for your free guide and the email list: https://www.thedegreedoctor.com/how-to-structure-your-phd-literature-review // I sell lots of great stuff! Take a look at what you can buy! // Want to see some of the other courses and resources you can buy to help you on your PhD journey? Here are my bestsellers: Need some quick wins? Try my Cheat Sheet Library https://www.thedegreedoctor.com/cheat-sheet-library Want me to walk you through each of your PhD chapters, step-by-step? Check out my PhD Survival Guides https://www.thedegreedoctor.com/phd-survival-guides Are you doing Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis and feeling massively stuck? I have a self-study course for that https://www.thedegreedoctor.com/phd-survival-guides/p/braun-clarke-thematic-analysis Is your literature review a mess? Sort it out with my Literature Review Rescue Plan course https://www.thedegreedoctor.com/savemylitreview Just want some cool new PDF planners? Take a look in my Planner Shop https://www.thedegreedoctor.com/dissertation-planner-shop