23 Epistemology: What does it mean to know
Epistemology is a philosophical approach exploring knowledge and the way of knowing: how do we know what we know? In nursing, this aims to explore how individuals and groups understand and know their knowledge base. Given that there is a view point that nursing is both an “art” and a “science” this makes understand of knowledge complex as knowing may range from “intuitive” knowledge (sensing that a patient may deteriorate) to knowledge verified and tested via research (e.g. antibiotics to treat infection).
There are a range of way that knowing, and these include:
- Scientific and numerical data: Derived from evidence-based research and includes quantifiable measures such as numbers, percentages, and statistics.
- Observation: Patterns observed or evaluated through personal senses; Learning through firsthand sensory experience
- Experience: Knowledge gained through direct involvement or exposure
- Hands-on learning (heuristics): Practical understanding acquired by physically performing tasks (e.g., skill in administering an injection through practice).
- Learning from others: Acquiring knowledge from external sources like books, experts, or education.
- Social affiliations: Influences on knowledge from interactions with family, friends, and cultural norms.
- Narrative and art: Personal stories and myths that inform future generations.
- Instinct and intuition: Unexplainable knowledge based on internal senses.
- Serendipity and chance: Discovery through unexpected luck or coincidence.
- Collective consciousness: Sharing of knowledge within a group.
- Contemplation, reflection: Mindful review and enhancement of understanding.
(United States Department of Veteran Affairs, 2022)
In the context of research, there are a range of philosophical positions that may be applied depending on the research question being answered and the approaches needed to address the questions effectively. These include positivism which focuses of repeatable findings that are objective and measurable, interpretivism which is classified as a post-positivism whereby the view of the world is more broader and tends to focus of inductive rather than deductive research, where the reality is a construct of society and environment in which you are in and studies beliefs and ideas in order to seek understanding, and pragmatism with the notion that something is true only it is useful and this can be practically applied (McBride, Misnikov, & Draheim, 2022).
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References
McBride, K., Misnikov, Y., & Draheim, D. (2022). “Discussing the foundations for interpretivist digital government research”. In: Charalabidis, Y., Flak, L.S. & Viale Pereira, G. (Eds). Scientific Foundations of Digital Governance and Transformation: Concepts, Approaches and Challenges. Public Administration and Information Technology, vol 38. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92945-9_6
United States Department of Veteran Affairs. (2022, March 10). How do you know that? Epistemology and health. https://www.va.gov/wholehealthlibrary/tools/how-do-you-know-that.asp
