This paper begins with a short review of some of the major sources of the critique of
traditional science. It provides a context in which to assess the extent of the challenge posed …

Observations on positivism and pseudoscience in qualitative nursing research In this paper I
will examine the boundaries between positivism, interpretivism and pseudoscience, arguing …

Nursing and nurse education have been influenced by a shift towards a broadly humanistic
philosophy as a basis for practice At the same time, in attempts to develop a knowledge …

The major concerns expressed in the literature regarding the development and expansion of
nursing science stem from questions related to 'what sorts of science'and 'which scientific …

New nursing researchers are faced with a smorgasbord of competing methodologies.
Sometimes, they are encouraged to adopt the research paradigms beloved of their senior …

This paper emphasises the importance for researchers to explicitly locate their work within a
philosophical framework. It examines the ontological, epistemological and methodological …

Philosophical orientations in science are important in shaping research agendas. The
purpose of this paper is to review major positivistic and postmodern philosophies of science …

Reasons for the limited uptake of the clinician–scientist role within nursing are examined,
specifically: the lack of consensus about the nature of nursing science; the varying …

This article examines current definitions and practice of the nursing process and discusses
its key aspects. These are then compared with accepted views on the nature of Western …

BACKGROUND: Positivism is sometimes rejected for the wrong reasons. Influential
textbooks on nursing research and in other disciplines tend to reinforce the misconceptions …