Reflections on shifting research paradigms

In this commentary, I use writing as a method of inquiry to work through some issues I am struggling with as I attempt to transition from a positivist research paradigm to a critical research paradigm. I begin with the question of whether I should continue doing research “on” volunteers when I align with the epistemology of doing research “with”. This leads me to think about the ethical considerations at play, whether there is an absolute choice to be made at all, the role of fundamental research, how situating knowledge may be ‘good enough’, how such a shift in paradigms affects student projects and finally that transitions take time. I arrive at a rather pragmatic conclusion, where transitioning from one paradigm to the other cannot happen all at once, and that it perhaps isn’t necessary to disavow everything about positivism but rather find ways to incorporate critical practice into it.