An introduction to the Islamic foundation of research methodology

Author

Assistant professor of Shaheed Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The Islamic ontological and epistemological foundation is not in accordance with methodological segregation of natural sciences and social sciences on one hand and on the other hand does not accept the dominance of natural sciences methodology over social sciences. However, since the fields of knowledge or branches of science have common goals, common subject, common origin and structure the hierarchical and unique truth, their research methods are common. Methodological monopoly causes limited-mindedness of the researcher toward the complexities of reality and its different aspects or layers. The skeptical unity approach in epistemology is the basis for synthetic approach in methodology and produces an expanded spectrum of proportional and agreeable research-methodology combinations which are used according to circumstances and problems of each field. In addition to leaving methodological monopoly, paying attention to fundamental approach, taking advantage of the standard knowledge, considering the researchers character in research validity, paying attention to the third level of reality, the generalization of conceptual methodology from social sciences to natural sciences are other researchmethodology that are resulted from Islamic foundations.  

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