Abstract
Facts and fiction are two sides of a coin; this is so because the former is backed up with evidence while the latter is imaginary in nature. Positivism is a method of gaining knowledge that is empirically based, while non-positivism is also a method of gaining knowledge through secondary data and observation. Positivism is a method of gaining knowledge that originated from pure sciences, though its use has been accepted in the behavioural sciences. The study examines; facts and fiction in positivism and neo-positivism. The research method adopted for this study is the secondary sources or documentary research method found under qualitative research method. The method of research analysis used for this research is the ‘Content Analysis Method’. The findings of this study are; Qualitative and quantitative research uses observation as the mode of gaining knowledge (use of our five senses); hence the two paradigms believe that anything that cannot be observed lacks validity. Quantitative and qualitative research aimed at the same goal, which is to build theory, prediction, generalization, and to gain knowledge. Even though quantitative and qualitative researches are facts based, they end up being infiltrated with imagination they initially try as much as possible to avoid. For instance, both research undertakings often than not fall victim of ‘fallacy of band wagon’, a situation where majority of the subjects (that questionnaire were administered to or subject that interview were administered to) give false observation about social phenomenon they have observed. Keywords: Facts, fiction, positivism, neo-positivism, qualitative, quantitative DOI : 10.7176/RHSS/9-4-03
Highlights
In carrying out a good research, there is need for some elements of facts and not fiction
Non-positivism is a system of enquiry or method of carrying out research that try to explain social phenomenon with the aid of research questions, without necessarily testing hypotheses
Positivism is a method of gaining knowledge from applied science that has come to bear on behavioural science to study human activities
Summary
In carrying out a good research, there is need for some elements of facts and not fiction. The researcher’s subjective experience influences what is observed, recorded, and described in the final story (Rogers, 2014:2) Research in humanities often at times employed fiction in writing; this is carried out in form of www.iiste.org exaggeration of testimonies in narration which readers believe to be truth. This exaggeration by writers in the process of narration is often carried over to further research as truth for scholars who might consult such literature as secondary source. Imagination is something that researchers in behavioural sciences always run away from, researchers at one point or the other see their research works being clouded with imagination
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