The impact of postmodernism on research methodology: implications for nursing

This article considers what have been referred to as the two major crises in research methodology: (i) the crisis of legitimation (to what extent are the notions of reliability and validity still meaningful in the light of a posture that is said to approach an 'anything goes' standpoint); and (ii) the crisis of representation (to what extent is it possible to represent the world view of 'the other' without it being merely a construction of the researcher). These are discussed in order to identify aspects of a continuing debate that is of relevance to nurses for they are integral to graduate research and the ongoing application of research in hospital or community contexts. Educating nurses in research requires that they learn a repertoire of research skills such as literature critiques, developing research questions, interviewing, analysing techniques and computer-assisted analysis. However, postmodern debates can also be beneficial by facilitating their understanding of contemporary research issues so that they can critically integrate such reflexive thinking into their own research practices and go on to explore new ways to undertake research.