Positivism in Research: What qualitative PhD researchers need to understand
Positivism is often one of the first research paradigms PhD students encounter.
And for many qualitative researchers, it creates uncertainty.
Not because it is especially difficult to understand, but because it doesn’t quite align with how they are beginning to think about their own work. It can feel structured, certain, and grounded in a kind of clarity that qualitative research does not always offer - at least not in the same way.
That tension is worth paying attention to.
Because understanding positivism is not simply about learning what it is. It is also about recognising what your own research is not, and becoming more confident in that distinction.
Why positivism still matters
Even if you are not working within a positivist paradigm, it continues to shape the broader landscape of research in quite subtle ways.
It sits behind many of the assumptions that circulate within academia: ideas about what counts as “rigour”, what constitutes a “strong” study, and what research is ultimately supposed to produce.
You might notice this in expectations around:
clarity and certainty in findings
the idea that research should lead to generalisable conclusions
or the assumption that the researcher should remain neutral and detached
These are not neutral expectations. They come from somewhere.
And more often than not, they are rooted in positivist ways of thinking.
Understanding that makes it easier to see why qualitative research can sometimes feel like it sits slightly outside those expectations - and why you may find yourself needing to explain or justify your approach.
Thinking about paradigms as ways of seeing
Rather than treating paradigms as abstract categories, it can be helpful to think of them as different ways of seeing the world.
Each one carries its own assumptions about what the social world is like, and how we can come to know it.
Positivism offers one particular version of that.
It assumes that the world exists independently of us, and that it can be observed, measured, and explained through careful, systematic study. From this perspective, the task of research is to uncover patterns and relationships that already exist, rather than to interpret meaning as something that is constructed through interaction.
This is why positivism is so closely associated with measurement and quantification. It is not simply a preference for numbers - it reflects a deeper belief about what knowledge is and how it should be produced.
The role of the researcher in positivism
Within this way of thinking, the researcher occupies a very specific position.
They are expected to stand slightly apart from the research itself, observing rather than participating, measuring rather than interpreting. The aim is to minimise influence - to ensure that what is being studied is not shaped by the person studying it.
There is a certain clarity to this position. It offers a sense of stability, a clear separation between the researcher and the research, and a defined pathway for generating knowledge.
But it is also the point at which many qualitative researchers begin to feel that something does not quite fit.
Where qualitative research begins to diverge
Qualitative research starts from a different set of assumptions.
It does not treat meaning as something that sits “out there”, waiting to be measured. Instead, it recognises that meaning is shaped through context, interaction, and interpretation.
This has a number of implications, not all of which are immediately comfortable.
For example:
the researcher cannot be fully separated from the research process
interpretation is not something to eliminate, but something to engage with carefully
understanding develops gradually, often through revisiting earlier ideas rather than moving in a straight line
Qualitative research tends to unfold through cycles of reading, reflection, and interpretation. This can feel messy at times, particularly when compared to the more linear logic associated with positivist approaches.
But that difference is not a weakness. It reflects a different way of thinking about what research is trying to do.
Recognising positivism in practice
One way to make this distinction clearer is to look at the kinds of studies that emerge from a positivist perspective.
For instance, early sociological research examining patterns of crime in urban environments focused on identifying relationships between variables such as location, poverty, and crime rates. Researchers collected large datasets, mapped patterns over time, and worked towards explanations that could account for those patterns.
The emphasis here is not on how individuals experience crime, or how they make sense of it, but on identifying broader regularities that can be measured and explained.
This is characteristic of a positivist approach: a focus on patterns, relationships, and generalisable findings.
Using positivism to clarify your own position
For qualitative PhD researchers, the value of understanding positivism lies less in adopting it, and more in using it as a point of contrast.
It gives you a way of articulating your own approach with greater precision.
You may find yourself recognising that your research:
is not trying to produce generalisable laws
does not treat the researcher as detached from the process
and is concerned with meaning, interpretation, and context rather than measurement alone
Being able to say this clearly - and to understand where those differences come from - is an important part of developing your research identity.
Moving forward
If you are still working out where your research sits, that is entirely normal.
Most qualitative researchers move through a stage where paradigms feel slightly abstract, or difficult to connect to their actual project. Over time, however, these ideas begin to settle. They become less about labels, and more about ways of thinking.
And it is often through contrast, through understanding approaches like positivism, that your own position becomes clearer.
If you want to deepen that understanding, it can be helpful to step back from individual paradigms and focus instead on how qualitative research works as a whole.
My Qualitative Research Starter Guide was designed for exactly this point in the process.
It explores why qualitative research often feels unclear, how interpretation develops over time, and how you can begin to build a more coherent way of working with your ideas.
You can access it here: 👉 What does it mean to be a qualitative researcher?
You can also join the email community. It’s designed for researchers who are developing their thinking over time, rather than looking for quick fixes.
Positivism is not something you need to adopt in order to do good research. But understanding it can bring your own approach into sharper focus.
And for many qualitative researchers, that clarity is what allows the rest of the project to start making sense.
