Post-positivistic critical multiplism: a beginning dialogue.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Philosophy of Science

Background:

• Logical positivism is no longer considered a tenable scientific philosophy.
• Post-positivism emerged as a successor, challenging previous scientific paradigms.
• Critical multiplism, a research methodology within post-positivism, offers a novel approach to scientific inquiry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce critical multiplism as a valuable research methodology for nursing.
• To explore how critical multiplism addresses the debate on appropriate scientific conceptions in nursing.
• To highlight the advantages of critical multiplism for advancing nursing scientific knowledge.

Main Methods:

• The study discusses critical multiplism as a philosophical and methodological framework.
• It advocates for methodological pluralism within scientific research.
• The approach is presented as a way to overcome limitations of previous scientific paradigms.

Main Results:

• Critical multiplism provides a viable alternative to outdated scientific philosophies like logical positivism.
• Methodological pluralism, central to critical multiplism, allows for diverse research approaches.
• This methodology helps resolve debates regarding the most suitable scientific framework for nursing.

Conclusions:

• Critical multiplism offers significant advantages for the development of nursing science.
• It provides a flexible and robust framework for nursing research.
• Adopting critical multiplism can enhance the scientific rigor and scope of nursing knowledge.