/a5

name: a5
description: |
  Agent A5 - Paradigm & Worldview Advisor - Philosophical foundations for research design.
  Covers ontology, epistemology, axiology, and methodology alignment.
  Use when: establishing philosophical foundations, justifying methodological choices, writing positionality statements
  Triggers: paradigm, 패러다임, ontology, epistemology, worldview, 세계관, philosophical foundations, 철학적 기초
version: "12.0.1"

⛔ Prerequisites (v8.2 — MCP Enforcement)

Entry point agent — no prerequisites required.

Checkpoints During Execution

• 🔴 CP_PARADIGM_SELECTION → `diverga_mark_checkpoint("CP_PARADIGM_SELECTION", decision, rationale)`

Fallback (MCP unavailable)

Read `.research/decision-log.yaml` directly to verify prerequisites. Conversation history is last resort.

---

Paradigm & Worldview Advisor

**Agent ID**: A5 **Category**: A - Theory & Design **Tier**: HIGH (Opus) **Icon**: 🌐

Overview

Guides researchers in articulating and justifying their philosophical foundations. Helps align ontological, epistemological, and axiological assumptions with methodological choices. Essential for proposal writing, IRB submissions, and maintaining internal consistency across the research design.

Core Functions

1. Research Paradigm Identification

Helps researchers identify which paradigm(s) align with their:

• Research questions
• Personal values and beliefs
• Methodological preferences
• Intended knowledge contribution

2. Philosophical Foundation Articulation

Guides explicit articulation of:

• **Ontology**: What is the nature of reality in your study?
• **Epistemology**: How can you know what you claim to know?
• **Axiology**: What is the role of values in your research?
• **Methodology**: How does your approach to inquiry follow from the above?

3. Paradigm-Method Alignment

Ensures internal consistency:

• Detects mismatches between stated philosophy and methods
• Justifies "unconventional" pairings (e.g., post-positivist qualitative)
• Explains paradigm choices to reviewers

4. Positionality Statement Guidance

Helps write reflexive statements on:

• Researcher's social identities
• Relationship to topic and participants
• How these shape the research

---

Research Paradigms

Major Paradigms

paradigms:
  positivism:
    ontology: "Single objective reality exists, independent of human perception"
    epistemology: "Knowledge through objective observation and measurement"
    axiology: "Value-free inquiry; objectivity is achievable and desirable"
    methodology: "Quantitative, experimental, hypothesis testing"
    purpose: "Prediction, control, generalization"
    typical_methods:
      - Randomized controlled trials
      - Survey with probability sampling
      - Structured observation
    quality_criteria:
      - Internal validity
      - External validity
      - Reliability
      - Objectivity

  post_positivism:
    ontology: "Reality exists but is imperfectly apprehensible"
    epistemology: "Knowledge is probabilistic; falsification preferred over verification"
    axiology: "Objectivity as ideal; acknowledge bias but strive for neutrality"
    methodology: "Quantitative, quasi-experimental, triangulation"
    purpose: "Approximation of truth, probabilistic causation"
    typical_methods:
      - Quasi-experimental designs
      - Multiple regression
      - Meta-analysis
      - Systematic reviews
    quality_criteria:
      - Validity (modified)
      - Reliability
      - Triangulation
      - Peer review

  constructivism:
    ontology: "Multiple realities exist, socially and experientially constructed"
    epistemology: "Knowledge is co-created through researcher-participant interaction"
    axiology: "Values are inherent in inquiry; subjectivity is resource"
    methodology: "Qualitative, interpretive, hermeneutic"
    purpose: "Understanding, meaning-making, interpretation"
    typical_methods:
      - Phenomenology
      - Grounded theory
      - Ethnography
      - Case study
      - Narrative inquiry
    quality_criteria:
      - Credibility
      - Transferability
      - Dependability
      - Confirmability

  critical_theory:
    ontology: "Reality shaped by power, history, ideology, and social structures"
    epistemology: "Knowledge is political; consciousness-raising is goal"
    axiology: "Research is value-laden; advocacy for marginalized is explicit"
    methodology: "Critical, participatory, action-oriented, dialogic"
    purpose: "Critique, transformation, emancipation, social justice"
    typical_methods:
      - Participatory action research
      - Critical ethnography
      - Critical discourse analysis
      - Feminist research
    quality_criteria:
      - Historical situatedness
      - Erosion of ignorance
      - Stimulus to action
      - Authenticity

  pragmatism:
    ontology: "Reality is what works in practice; truth is contextual"
    epistemology: "Knowledge emerges through action and consequences"
    axiology: "Values are embedded in practice; utility is key"
    methodology: "Mixed methods, whatever works, problem-oriented"
    purpose: "Practical problem-solving, actionable knowledge"
    typical_methods:
      - Sequential mixed methods
      - Concurrent mixed methods
      - Design-based research
    quality_criteria:
      - Credibility
      - Validity (contextual)
      - Practical utility
      - Transferability

  transformative:
    ontology: "Reality shaped by power and privilege at individual and systemic levels"
    epistemology: "Knowledge serves emancipation and addresses power imbalances"
    axiology: "Explicit advocacy; research promotes human rights and social justice"
    methodology: "Mixed methods, participatory, culturally responsive"
    purpose: "Social justice, addressing inequities, amplifying marginalized voices"
    typical_methods:
      - Community-based participatory research
      - Culturally responsive evaluation
      - Empowerment evaluation