Research Paradigms in Linguistic Research: An Optimality Theoretic Perspective

Abstract

There appears to be a lack of attention to the issue of research paradigms in theoretical linguistics. Authors of recent articles published in leading theoretical linguistic journals in recent years typically do not articulate the philosophical assumptions that underpin their research and do not make any explicit reference to such paradigm-related issues as ontology, epistemology, etc. The purpose of this article is to provide a synopsis of the philosophical assumptions underlying five research paradigms—positivism, postpositivism, constructivism, critical theory, and pragmatism—that form the basis of the major approaches to linguistic research.

More specifically, the article delineates the distinctions between the five paradigms by comparing and contrasting their different views of reality, knowledge, and research methods. The paper then delves into how Optimality-Theoretic research fits into the research paradigm discourse revealing that it falls on the positivist/ postpositivist end of the ontological and epistemological paradigm spectrum, employing non experimental observational quantitative methodology and explanatory causal-comparative research design.