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One reference that I have found very helpful in sorting out the 
epistemological and ontological assumptions on which scientific research is 
based is:

Phillips, D. C. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: The Many Faces of 
Constructivism
Educational Researcher, Vol. 24, No. 7 (Oct., 1995) , pp. 5-12

One point that Phillips makes in this article is that BOTH individual 
knowledge and public disciplines (e.g. physics, chemistry, pschology) are 
socially constructed. Both are also dynamic, that is, constructions that 
change over time. Scientific theory and research are affected by the culture 
(including language) developed within and specific to disciplines. Phillips 
does a good job of taking on some big issues.

Carey

Carey E. Tisdal
Tisdal Consulting
4475 West Pine Blvd., #1705
St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone: 314-531-9766
Cell: 314-496-9097
Email: [log in to unmask]

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