Epistemological Research Research Articles

Bringing Theory to Life in Social Justice Research

This article is written in honour of Professor Tessa Hochfeld’s life and work, as part of the special issue on social and gender justice. In the article, we seek to show that Hochfeld positioned herself within the social justice research tradition but was not satisfied with normative ideas of utopian societies; rather theory was only useful in its ability to present solutions to and highlight gaps in states’ efforts to create just societies. We propose several characteristics of theory within social justice-oriented research aiming towards positive change, which Hochfeld through her methodological approach and empirical investigations contributed to. These characteristics of social justice theory are that it is instrumental, emancipatory, incomplete, paradox-sensitive, and relational. We end by bringing these characteristics together to discuss implications for the epistemology of social justice research, for the nature of the state and for the nature of social policy solutions.

Épistémologie psychanalytique : une épistémologie aux frontières

ObjectivePsychoanalysis and epistemology raise multiple questions, and provoke debate and lively controversies. Without wishing to take up the old debate on the scientific nature of psychoanalysis, we wish to question its place in a contemporary epistemology, an epistemology of research, rather than one of science. We propose to think about psychoanalytic epistemology on the borders: between the theoretical and the clinical, between research and the practice of the cure, but also in dialogue with other hybrid disciplines such as psychiatry. MethodStarting from the observation that progress in scientific disciplines such as physics has led to the abandonment of the illusion of a universal theory of knowledge and to the shattering of the affirmation of epistemology's unique conception, we study the specificities of psychoanalytic epistemology as well as current conceptions of epistemology in science, research, and evaluation. We are interested in metapsychology as a Freudian epistemology, as well as in its limits and the criticisms it raises. ResultsPsychoanalysis carries a specific form of knowledge based on the hypothesis of the unconscious. It is a hybrid object with a hypercomplex causality that mixes nature, culture, and the clinic. Thinking about its epistemology roots us in the processual logic of the notion of epistemological obstacle, as opposed to epistemological impasse. The liveliness of psychoanalytical epistemology rests both on its confrontation with clinical practice, and with the progress of other sciences such as the chaos sciences, which open up to non-linear causalities and take dissipative structures into account. The epistemology of research in psychoanalysis requires compromise but also makes “border work” possible; here, a metapsycho-epistemological gap is put to work. DiscussionThe possibility of a psychoanalytical epistemology is not unanimously accepted. The best-known skeptic is perhaps K. Popper, whose proposals on the criteria of scientificity were ultimately refuted by epistemologists of the physical sciences. Scientific models’ lack of uniqueness makes the exclusive recourse to the experimental model based on the triptych observation-hypothesis-verification obsolete from an epistemological point of view. Its epistemological specificity lies in its method, which articulates the theory of unconscious processes with a transference-based clinical practice, making it a regional epistemology. The epistemology of psychoanalysis is situated at the borders of the natural and the cultural, the individual and the intersubjective, science and fiction, hermeneutics and phenomenology, clinical practice and research. Its multiple borders are, according to the times and the theoretical choices, more or less open or even porous, more or less closed or even impassable. ConclusionPsychoanalysis's epistemological stakes reflect the contemporary evolution from an epistemology of science to an epistemology of research and therefore of evaluation. The hypercomplex nature of the human psyche and of psychic facts makes the transposition of epistemic models from other sciences inadequate. The border position of psychoanalytic epistemology cannot be limited to a form of causalist and theoretical originality; it is first and foremost rooted in the specificity of its method, which is itself on the border between practice and theory. The processual part of psychoanalysis as a theory, but also as a therapy, is essential and thus opens to a questioning of the transmission of psychoanalytic epistemology to the field of research, to the sciences as a whole. The wager of the transmissibility of the epistemology of psychoanalysis remains a challenge but we consider that thinking about it as a dialogue – that is, a confrontation with and an opening-up to other disciplines – is necessary in this between compromise and border work.

Evolutionary Epistemology: Two Research Avenues, Three Schools, and A Single and Shared Agenda

This special issue for the Journal for General Philosophy of Science is devoted to exploring the impact and many ramifications of current research in evolutionary epistemology. Evolutionary epistemology (EE) is an inter- and multidisciplinary area of research that can be divided into two ever-inclusive research avenues. One research avenue expands on the EEM program and investigates the epistemology of evolution. The other research avenue builds on the EET program and researches the evolution of epistemology. Since its conception, EE has developed three schools of thought: adaptationist, non-adaptationist, and applied EE. Although diverse in outlook and theoretical background, these research avenues and schools share the same agenda of understanding how knowledge evolves, and how it relates to the world. In this paper, we first explain wherefrom evolutionary epistemological schools of thought developed, and then we highlight current debates in EE by briefly reviewing the papers that form part of this special issue.

Basic epistemology of biographical research: a review based on the extraordinary life history of a young offender

This article analyses the basic epistemology of biographical research methodology. This analysis is grounded on the life history of a Moroccan boy who entered Spain illegally, but after being processed by the juvenile justice system, became a social educator. Some methodological aspects of this case are examined, including biographical hermeneutics; the often-confused concepts of 'life story' and 'life history'; the main characteristics of the method, including the usually neglected vision of the 'other'; life as a process; and the idea of subject. The educational, ethical, and political dimensions analysed make visible counter-narratives that question the status quo and pursue social justice.

Theoretical proposal for the relationship between epistemology and ethics in psychology

The concept of epistemological violence and recommendations on how to avoid it have been extensively developed by Thomas Teo. The objective of this article is to elaborate a conceptual proposal to investigate the relationship between ethics and the epistemology of empirical research in psychology. It is contended that some concepts of Axel Honneth’s theory of recognition strengthen the ethical scope of the concept of epistemological violence. This article presents the concept of epistemological violence and shows how the production of psychological knowledge can have negative consequences for groups and individuals. The relevance of broadening the ethical dimension of the concept, theorizing the negative consequences of knowledge as probabilities of misrecognition, is discussed. To this end, central aspects of the theory of recognition are developed that will allow the consideration of epistemological violence as an accomplice in the practice of social injustices.

Breaking through the epistemic impasse: Ending homelessness with the invention of ‘functional zero’ in the Anglo-American world

In this article, we examine strategies to ‘end’ homelessness in Anglo-American countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia. In the process, we critically reflect on the shifting terrain of homelessness governance in these ‘liberal’ welfare regimes. Beginning in the early 2000s, municipalities across the United States, and later Canada, reconfigured their homelessness policies around the ambitious goal of ending homelessness in 10 years. Grounded in evidence-based interventions such as Housing First, 10-year plans target resources toward the hardest-to-house, endeavor to achieve zero homelessness within a set time frame, and do so while purportedly reducing the economic cost of homelessness. In the time since these plans were initiated, ending homelessness, in an absolute sense, has proven elusive. These circumstances reveal an impasse: we have never known more about homelessness yet, in cities and nations of the Anglo-American world, we seem incapable of ending it. In the face of this impasse, an epistemological inquiry into the very meaning of ‘zero’ homelessness has emerged among homelessness experts and practitioners, one that focuses, in particular, on the notion of ‘functional zero’ and a new campaign called Built-for-Zero. We critically examine this discursive configuration and in doing so work to unpack its significance for homeless governance.

Inductive, Abductive and Deductive Theorizing

Considering the very broad range of approaches to theorizing, it is challenging to try to encompass them all at once. Indeed, most theory-building guides focus on theorizing within established paradigms, such as positivism or interpretivism. To provide a comprehensive perspective, we develop a unified framework that spans multiple research epistemologies by discussing theory-building from the perspective of inductive, abductive, and deductive theorizing. Based on this framework, we present a simple way of thinking of theoretical contribution as development towards increasing maturity of theory. This theorizing framework is sufficiently general to apply to any social science study that aims to build theory, whether empirical or conceptual. Moreover, the principles of theory building are sufficiently general that they are readily applicable to a wide range of social sciences.

Pesquisa em Educação: aspectos históricos e teórico-metodológicos

A finalidade principal deste artigo é orientar e reorientar epistemológica e metodologicamente as pesquisas histórico-historiográficas no campo da Educação. Desse modo, demonstram-se com este debate, embora não de forma estanque, os principais elementos estruturantes e estruturadores que pesquisadores/as devem incluir sistematicamente por ocasião da construção de uma pesquisa científica em Educação. Discute-se acerca dos principais paradigmas que envolvem os diferentes campos científicos com seus respectivos métodos, técnicas e epistemologias de pesquisa. Deixa-se registrada a discussão, mesmo que de forma sucinta, atinente à querela entre as abordagens qualitativa e quantitativa nas pesquisas científicas. Considera-se, por último, que a composição de um trabalho científico obedece a critérios, normas técnicas e acadêmico-científicas no âmbito das várias e diferentes áreas do conhecimento.

How do students approach the study of the History of Medicine? Some considerations after the final exams at the first year and fourth year.

Background and aim:Reports about the teaching of the History of Medicine in universities worldwide can be found easily in medical literature. They are often comparative studies in which the opinions provided by the professors are collected and the teaching programs are compared. Our study focuses instead on the relationship between the students and the discipline, what they look for from it, and how their interest changes with the progress of the course of study.Methods:The final tests of the students of two Italian universities, Parma and Bologna, were analyzed, in which the candidate had the ability to choose the topic of discussion and to outline his personal analysis. The course year in which the final examination was faced is different: in the first year in Bologna, in the fourth year in Parma.Results:This survey show that in both universities most students have carried out autonomous research regardless of the educational material made available to them. This attitude can be interpreted as a real interest in the history of medicine, widening their search throughout all the fields of the discipline.Conclusions:These results seem to suggest to teachers of History of Medicine to convey to their students the methodology of historical and epistemological research, giving the student to the pupils the opportunity to become passionate about history in the way he/she prefers. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Evidence for the Non-Evidenced: An Argument for Integrated Methods and Conceptual Discussion on What Needs to be Evidenced in Psychotherapy Research

Evidence for the Non-Evidenced:An Argument for Integrated Methods and Conceptual Discussion on What Needs to be Evidenced in Psychotherapy Research Femke Truijens (bio), Melissa Miléna De Smet (bio), Reitske Meganck (bio), and Mattias Desmet (bio) With its focus on evidence, psychology has grown into a mature, professional, and scientifically supported practice over the last decades. In general, psychotherapy and psychological counselling have shown to be more efficacious than waiting it out (Wampold & Imel, 2015) and a staggering 350 specific treatments have been scientifically supported as effective (Kazdin, 2015). Although, evidencebased treatments seem to work equally well, not all people benefit from evidence-based treatments, and it often remains unclear why. This raised the field-wide concern of what works for whom (Meganck et al., 2017) and sparked a wealth of research on specific ingredients, common factors, process factors, and intra- and inter-individual predictors (Cuijpers, Reijnders, & Huibers, 2019). Considering that about 10% of people in treat ment deteriorate (Lambert, 2011) or experience treatment burdens (Demain et al., 2015), this shift towards more fine-grained and complex mechanisms is not just a scientifically interesting but rather a clinical-ethical imperative. In the first place, this asks for a joint thinking exercise on the philosophical and methodological foundations of both our science and practice. It is not a question whether but rather which evidence we need where general evidence does not fit. Concretely, this asks for discussions such as between Truijens et al. (2021), McLeod (2021), and Kious (2021). Discussions like these have the tendency to become dichotomized: science versus practice, objective versus subjective, quantitative versus qualitative, aggregated versus individualfocused. The responses by McLeod and Kious represent different poles in the debate, as both [End Page 137] provide thorough and nuanced arguments yet end up in almost opposite directions—let's call it "statistical/methodological foundationalism" versus "person-centered/constructivist pragmatism." However, as the parties in the debate do share their clinical aims, the question is whether an either–or approach brings us any further. Especially considering the much-discussed research–practice gap (Iwakabe & Gazzola, 2009), we urge to look for common ground rather than for differences. Indeed, we can take the methodological foundation of evidence (see Kious, 2021) as our starting point and dig deeper into the local validity of epistemic assumptions that are easily taken for granted (see McLeod, 2021). One prominent assumption in psychotherapy research is the assumption of generality. Using probability statistics, we study "the majority" based on mean behavior and outcome, which we assume to be distributed in an orderly manner. By prioritizing a statistics-based methodology, we inherently define "evidence" in a methodological rather than a conceptual way. For example, in the use of mean statistics the exception will by principle be regarded as outlier or error. Consequently, we have limited means to study where the mean does not hold, such as people with more severe, chronic, or complex symptoms or less response to evidence-based treatment protocols. This way, cases that are part of everyday clinical practice in research contexts become "error." This conceptualization-by-methodology has impact on clinical practice and research epistemology. We tend to assume that if we design a study properly, use validated measures, provide every participant with the exact same procedure, the design is internally valid and will thus suffice in principle to reach our purported evidence (Kious, 2021). In Truijens et al. (2021), we discussed three vignettes that show a problem in the execution phase of research that may pose substantial problems to the validity of evidence, regardless of the thoroughness of the trial's design (Meganck et al., 2017). Kious (2021) is quick to assume that these are mere exceptions, but as McLeod argues correctly, we have frankly no idea whether this regards random or systematic error. By using cases instrumentally (Stiles, 2007) we have not argued that we have provided conclusive evidence, but rather that we need to gather such evidence to know more about assumptions that are easily black boxed by statistics. A truly evidence-based science and practice requires evidence for all principles as well as real-world variations, not just the ones that suit our method best. Only when such...

Designing Generative Dialogue Spaces to Enhance Focus Group Research: A Case Study in the Context of COVID-19 Vaccination

Focus groups are a core method in qualitative research for bringing people together to discuss an issue of concern; however, it has been criticized for not enabling researchers to gain a deep understanding of the participants’ lived experiences or generating in-depth personal narratives that build on those experiences. In this article, the author builds on the shared epistemologies of qualitative research and journalism to introduce the Generative Dialogue Framework. The Generative Dialogue Framework is grounded in the intersection of inquiry, knowledge, and storytelling to design and facilitate remote and in-person focus groups. Informed by phenomenology, the philosophy of dialogue, and design thinking, along with a strong visual focus, the framework aims to surface participants’ lived experiences as a way of understanding their perceptions, thoughts, and perspectives, especially within the context of controversial or polarizing topics of concern. The Generative Dialogue Framework stimulates constructive dialogue by offering a focused framework and a structured yet flexible question guide. The result is intended to be a reflective learning dialogue in which participants jointly develop shared meanings and insights, rather than simply exchanging rationalized opinions. Drawing on insights from a case study that explores people’s perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccination, the article demonstrates the framework’s application and provides a toolkit to structure the design and implementation process. Finally, reflecting on methodological and epistemological perspectives, the author reviews the advantages and challenges of applying the framework in focus group research for both researchers and participants.

ЮРИДИЧНА ДОКТРИНА ЯК ДЖЕРЕЛО КРИМІНАЛЬНОГО ПРОЦЕСУАЛЬНОГО ПРАВА УКРАЇНИ: ЗАГАЛЬНЕ ГНОСЕОЛОГІЧНЕ (ЕПІСТЕМІОЛОГІЧНЕ) ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ (ЧАСТИНА ДРУГА)

In this scientific article, the continuation of the gnoseological (epistemological) research of legal doctrine as a source of criminal proceedings is carried out. In this scientific work, theoretical perception of scientific concepts of Ukrainian and foreign legal scholars in the field of legal doctrine as a source of law (in general), taking into account the legal significance of legal doctrine as a source of criminal procedural law (in particular) is carried out. In this scientific work, the attention is paid to the research of the fundamental and systemic relationship of legal doctrine with other sources of criminal proceedings (in particular, with the Decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine on a particular constitutional and judicial case). The text of this scientific article studies, inter alia, the fundamental and systemic relationship of Legal Doctrine with Separate Opinion of the Judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (in a particular constitutional and judicial case), as sources of criminal procedural law of Ukraine. At the same time, the peculiarities of constitutional and judicial legal regulation in the field of criminal proceedings and in combination with the study of theoretical and legal and philosophical and legal bases (foundations) of the abovementioned two sources of criminal process in Ukraine are taken into account. The scientific knowledge of the theoretical and legal and philosophical and legal relationship of the Legal Doctrine with the Separate Opinion of the Judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (as sources of criminal procedural law of Ukraine) is carried out with consideration of the scientific and theoretical features, specified in the text of Separate Opinion of the Judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine of legal (in particular, philosophical and legal, doctrinal and legal, general and legal, criminal and procedural) definitions. In the text of this scientific article, the attention is paid to the humanistic legal doctrine on which the acts of international law in the field of human rights (in particular, human rights in the field of criminal procedure) are based. In this scientific article, the attention is paid to legal doctrine as a manifestation of a person's ability to learn (including knowledge of the sphere of criminal process).

The Impact of Government Policies on the Growth and Development of SMEs interprises in Bauchi State Nigeria

Every business or start-up was e-ray by the government official ranging from local, state and federal level in Nigeria. Therefore, for SMEs to operate it’s a perquisite to follow the due process from registration by ministry of commerce and industry at state level and the various agencies responsible for registration. This challenge represents both widespread personal misfortune for individuals and a lost opportunity for critical national and global economic development. This study examines the challenges that affect the growth and development of small and medium enterprises in Bauchi state, Nigeria .The study was guided by an epistemological research philosophy adopting a positivist research paradigm. The research design was cross-sectional survey design using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The target population for this study was 754 registered small and medium scale owned enterprises registered with the Bauchi state government by December 2019 and the sample size was 172 respondents derived using Fisher’s formulae. This study used a self-administered, closed, and open-ended questionnaire to obtain quantitative data. The study used descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, median and proportions using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 and Microsoft Excel. Regression analysis and correlation analysis were used to determine the direction and strength of the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables.. The questionnaires were administered among the seventy (70) management staff members of the one hundred and seventy two (172) selected SMEs in Bauchi state Nigeria through purposive sampling method, and this was done personally by the researcher. Descriptive and inferential statistics was use to analyze and interpret the data use in this research. The study reveals that government policies is a major challenges that help SMEs to grow and achieve its stated objectives in global competitive environment. On same vain this study is so keen and motivated to established evidence on these challenges ascertain especially, in a context of current phenomena SMEs face in Bauchi state. Finally, the study will utilize the element of contingency theory, as these SMEs require sound institutional framework to mitigate these challenges. However, anecdotal evidence shows that SMEs in developing countries like Nigeria are faced with a lot of challenges that have hampered their growth in recent times. Among these challenges are: intermittent power supply, indiscriminate tax levies government policy, low accessibility to loans from financial institutions and inability to keep proper financial records. The study reveals that Government policies have a significant impact on the growth and development of SMEs in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Subsequently, the study recommends that management of SMEs should adopt good strategy in order to overcome these challenges.

The Impact Of Marketing Innovation On The Performance Of Small And Medium Enterprises In Nigeria

The intensity of global market competition has created dynamic and fast-changing business environment which has affected all enterprises including small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs have, therefore, realized the need to explore, exploit and deploy marketing innovation and innovative strategies in order to stay competitive in the changing business environment. In both developed and developing countries across the world, SMEs form an important fragment of the local economic system. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the impact of marketing innovation on the performance of SMEs in Nigeria. The study was guided by an epistemological research philosophy adopting a positivist research paradigm. The research design was cross-sectional survey design using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The target population for this study was 782 registered SMEs by and the sample size was 120 respondents derived using Fisher’s formulae. This study used a self-administered, closed, and open-ended questionnaire to obtain quantitative data. The used descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, median and proportions using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 and Microsoft Excel. Regression analysis and correlation analysis were used to determine the direction and strength of the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables. The study results revealed that whereas marketing innovation had a positive and significant influence on performance of SMEs in Nigeria. Study concluded that in this ever-changing technology, adoption of various innovations by SMEs is a key component of enhancing their performance. Therefore, enterprise owners need to be proactive in adopting different innovations since they all are linked positively to the performance of enterprises.

Историческая эпистемология – триггер реформы философии познания

Historical epistemology has to become a basis for reconsideration of a concep­tual framework of the philosophy of knowledge. Such reform was about to happen because this framework meets difficulties, so far as it concerns the un­derstanding of historical processes, including сhanging of that conceptual framework itself. Reform will allow comprehending such concepts anew as “historical reality”, “a historical event”, “the subject of historical knowledge”, “rational reconstruction of historical knowledge”, etc. The principle of histori­cism has to be put in organic connection with the principle of objectivity, and this connection is a necessary basis for understanding “the truth of historical judgments”. Thus “historicism” joins a row the main epistemological concepts and stops being the “additive”, implemented to this row by a researcher’s dis­cretion. All elements of this row are interdependent values. Considered out of this interconditionality, they lose the sense and can turn into anti-values. The objectivity and the validity are historical in the same meaning in what his­toricism there is a necessary condition of objectivity and validity. These values exist only in the course of continuous change of historical knowledge. Such understanding of a backbone kernel of epistemological concepts conducts to a specification of the concept “subject of historical knowledge”, which gains contextual sense, and properly epistemological research is enriched with psy­chological, sociological, and existential characteristics. Their interrelation re­mains under the joint control of the principles of objectivity and historicism. The reform also affects the ontology of historical knowledge. The problem of the historical theory’s ontological bases is put and solved according to the principle of historicism.

Medical History Taking Using Electronic Medical Records: A Systematic Review

Background: The relationship between digital tools and medical history taking (classically referred to as anamnesis) in clinical settings is problematic. We explored the medical history taking context, how data is managed by physicians and patients and which tools are used, particularly electronic health record, to gather, organize and record patient’s medical history and related health data. Materials and methods: Systematic review of the literature following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines, using published studies in English-language available from PubMed and Cochrane databases, using a combination of Medical Subject Headings and keywords. Our search yielded 162 citations of which 18 corresponded to our criteria and were included, regardless of study design, sample size or measurement type as a variety of perspectives and methodologies was deemed useful for an exploratory review and under a socio-technical research epistemology. The small number of publications related to the topic conditioned our analysis. Discussion: This review shows the paucity of relevant studies in the area of interest. Even thought it was possible to evaluate context changes in history taking that relate to EHR implementation and usage. Also, multiple challenges, benefits, risks and workflow adaptations have impacts on medical history taking. A potentially useful workflow adaptation is the access to the EHR previously or during the patient encounter with him or her. Conclusion:With the ever-increasing adoption of EHRs and its varying influence in clinical practice, physician’s adaptability was strained. Multiple workflow challenges and necessary changes regarding EHR use have been identified. Improving anamnesis practice is possible through better documentation, EHR templates and tools. Yet a new aspect of anamnesis – Digital anamnesis – benefits from better conceptualization and integration with classic anamnesis still taught in traditional medical schools. This study points to implications for medical schools and medical education in general. Highlights: Electronic Health Records implementation transformed clinical practice and redesigned workflows, improving patient safety and care within a multidisciplinary care setting. Some concerns surfaced concerning information privacy, quality of documentation and doctor-patient relationship, however many studies developed implemented and evaluated tools, templates and mnemonics to mitigate such distresses. “Digital anamnesis” is a proposed concept and refers to the process of medical history and information gathering using digital tools. This will be evermore important in the future, since technological development increasingly adds relevant features and functions to Electronic Health Record.

Contemporary Secular Approaches to the Origin and Study of Man: An Islamic Critique

This paper critically analyses contemporary secular psychological approaches to the origin and methodological study of man from an Islamic perspective. The paper argues that the contemporary theories on human existence and behaviour emerged from secularism which has taken a philosophical view that the world and all that it contains is a result of evolution. Both the ontology and epistemology of research have been influenced by this view point. Thus, the behaviour of man is defined and studied to exclude his spiritual dimension, a direct conflict with the Islamic view point which links every creature and its behaviour to the creation and guidance of Allah. It is recommended that an integrative methodological approach be adopted to cater for both the materialistic and spiritual aspects of man.

Aggregology: Exploration and innovation at aggregate level

Aggregology: Exploration and innovation at aggregate level

Understanding Indigenous Exploitation Through Performance Based Research Funding Reviews in Colonial States.

Countries with significant indigenous populations, such as Australia, New Zealand and the Nordic countries, are providing increased support for improvements in the number of indigenous academics represented in higher education and engaged in research. Such developments have occurred at the same time as the implementation of performance-based research funding systems. However, despite the significance of such systems for academic careers and knowledge diffusion there has been relatively little consideration of the way within which they meet the needs of indigenous academics and knowledges. Drawing primarily on the New Zealand context, this perspective paper questions the positioning of Māori researchers and Māori research epistemologies (Kaupapa Maori) within the Performance Based Research Fund and the contemporary neoliberal higher education system. It is argued that the present system, rather than being genuinely inclusive, serves to reinforce the othering of Māori episteme and therefore perpetuates the hegemony of Western and colonial epistemologies and research structures. As such, there is a need to raise fundamental questions about the present ecologies of knowledge that performance based research systems create not only in the New Zealand higher education research context but also within other countries that seek to advance indigenous research.

Hawthorne and Presentism: A Backward Glance

Hawthorne and Presentism: A Backward Glance