Sherratt_2018_5.doc (311 kB)
Biased? Biased? Everything is biased! Unpacking ontological perspectives in CEM research
conference contribution
posted on 2023-08-30, 15:35 authored by Fred Sherratt, Rob LeichtMethodological debates are nothing new in CEM research. However, when the consequences (and at times even the content) of such debates are considered, what often emerges is both a superficiality and inconsistency in the way research methodologies are understood, mobilised and used to judge the rigour and value of empirical work. CEM research seems reluctant to engage with the nature of reality, the nature of knowledge, or indeed with any philosophy at all. This paper explores and considers the influence, or lack of influence, that ontological and epistemological positioning has on much of our CEM research, and what that means for the findings we generate. With an explicit focus on bias, and the approaches taken within a volume, 173 manuscripts, of the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management are examined. We argue that multi-methodological perspectives on a problem should be adopted where possible, able as they are to generate more holistic understandings and more comprehensive illuminations of phenomena in practice, and thereby support the development of a more mature CEM research discipline, both in terms of academic scholarship and relevance to practice.
History
Name of event
Engineering Project Organisation Conference (EPOC 2018)Location
Brijuni, CroatiaEvent start date
2018-06-25Event finish date
2018-06-27File version
- Accepted version
Language
- eng
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2018-08-31Legacy creation date
2018-08-30Legacy Faculty/School/Department
ARCHIVED Faculty of Science & Technology (until September 2018)Usage metrics
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