3.3.1. Explicit Research Paradigm

The elements of a research paradigm are ontology, epistemology, methodology, and methods. For some time, ontology and epistemology have been the core of humanities and social science research. In health sciences, the idea that varying ontologies and epistemologies inform and justify the knowledge produced by research has increasingly gained traction [15]. Table 1 identifies these elements and presents examples from positivist and constructivist perspectives. These are not the only two standpoints, but they are the best at demonstrating which paradigms most adequately justify CDA research.


**Table 1.** Critical discourse analysis research paradigm.

The purpose of Table 1 is to explain how knowledge and truth are socially constructed through language, demonstrating CDA's constructivist orientation. Consequently, an effective CDA researcher would likely employ a constructivist research paradigm. Moreover, it

is argued that performing CDA well requires explicitly identifying one's research paradigm in their product (i.e., manuscript or presentation).
