THE PENTADIMENSIONAL APPROACH: PRISM AND EVIDENCE OF CONSISTENCY PARADIGMATICS IN RESEARCH

Abstract

The purpose of this bibliographical documentary research was to unveil some theoretical approaches related to the episteme that sustains the paradigms of social research; the elements of each paradigmatic approach that give it coherence and that encompass the theoretical foundations and the procedures, methods, techniques, instruments and forms of analysis of social phenomena, which allow an apprehension of reality in harmony with the worldview of researchers. Investigating requires a paradigmatic orientation that, in the style of the pole star, guides actions in order to successfully complete any investigation undertaken. The presentation of the information begins with some considerations about the generation of knowledge in universities from the substantive role of research in the different areas of knowledge. Some classifications of the research paradigms are mentioned and how, from different perspectives, they are distinguished from each other. The paradigms considered traditional: positivism, interpretivism and sociocritical are complemented by the complexity paradigm and the notions of the Transcomplex Integrative Approach or the Transcomplexity paradigm. Subsequently, a description of the Pentadimensional approach and the relationship between paradigm and epistemic matrix is ​​made. Finally, the epistemic matrix of each of the identified paradigms is shown. The inquiry allowed the recognition of the importance of properly knowing the research paradigms, the assumptions that characterize them and the dimensions of the epistemic matrix as clarifying aspects of the investigative process.

Keywords: Research paradigms, Paradigmatic coherence, Pentadimensional approach, Epistemic matrix, dimensions.