ABSTRACT
In developing a research agenda, a researcher often integrates a number of elements in formulating a plan for inquiry, including past experiences, observable needs, and curiosity regarding a particular situation. When used in the research realm, the purpose of a theory is to explain a set of circumstances with an empirically supportable degree of accuracy. Research in the social sciences is often conducted outside an objectivist epistemology, where multiple perspectives might be used to view a phenomenon. A researcher’s paradigm will guide his or her pursuit of the knowledge that can be gained through theories. On the tree model, the outgrowth of theories from the paradigm indicates the possibility of different branches of research work to be informed by multiple theories stemming from a supporting paradigm. Again, the circle diagram shows how each of the components is open to the influence of the others, with the circles becoming smaller as the research becomes more specific.
