Abstract

The discussion in this paper is meant to simplify two philosophical foundations of research to the understanding of both Undergraduate and Graduate Students. Thus, positivism and subjectivism as paradigms of research forms the basis of this discussion in this paper. The paper proceeds to discuss, in a comparative sense, where one philosophical paradigm may be usable and instances where they may not be. The author also points out that the academic discourses that focus on the argument that one paradigm opposes the other must be reconsidered. The author argues from the position that indeed, these paradigms are rather complementary and may in some cases, be used  together to collect data from the field. The paper further looks at criticisms raised against each paradigm.

Keywords: Philosophical, Subjectivism, Positivism, Africa, Social, Research