The nature of scientific truth

The purpose of this article is to share with the readers the authors' views on the need for a philosophical foundation in nursing scholarship. The philosophical premises of realism, idealism, and empiricism are discussed. In addition, the research methods most appropriately used with each philosophical stance are identified and discussed. The authors strongly suggest that nursing epistemology will not advance along the lines of good science until all nursing theorists, thinkers, and philosophers identify their underpinning philosophical positions prior to the discovery of theory, through research and other scientific endeavors. A nursing science fiction account of discovery and theory is used to illustrate the points made within the article.