An easy approach to epistemology and ontology in computing theses

Abstract

In many research fields---notably social sciences but also in those fields where design, experiment-based science, and social sciences are mixed---researchers must often describe their epistemological and ontological commitments in research reports. The research literature describes those commitments in various ways, often grouped under research paradigms such as positivism, post-positivism, and constructivism, and described as world views. This paper presents the bare bones of the ontological and epistemological questions in scientific practice. Ontologically speaking, subject matters can be mind-dependent or mind-independent. Epistemologically speaking, elements of research may be more or less open to interpretation. This paper introduces a simplified approach to standard research terminology for computing and engineering students by offering a rough-and-ready way for resolving ontological and epistemological questions.