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Crossroads in European Union Studies

Lynggaard, Kennet ; Löfgren, Karl and Manners, Ian LU orcid (2015) p.3-17
Abstract
EU studies is at a crossroads where the many disciplinary interests in Europe meet, as well as temporally where the past weaknesses of methodology meet the future challenges of a new research agenda on Europe. These weaknesses emanate from a number of traditional research design dichotomies in EU studies:
Research ontology. Do we approach our research through rationalist or constructivist assumptions about EU affairs?

Research epistemology. Is our ultimate knowledge ambition to formulate explanatory theories capturing EU affairs? Or is our research a process of conceptual (re)constructions aimed at understanding EU affairs?

Research methodology. Do we best capture EU affairs through positivist and deductive research... (More)
EU studies is at a crossroads where the many disciplinary interests in Europe meet, as well as temporally where the past weaknesses of methodology meet the future challenges of a new research agenda on Europe. These weaknesses emanate from a number of traditional research design dichotomies in EU studies:
Research ontology. Do we approach our research through rationalist or constructivist assumptions about EU affairs?

Research epistemology. Is our ultimate knowledge ambition to formulate explanatory theories capturing EU affairs? Or is our research a process of conceptual (re)constructions aimed at understanding EU affairs?

Research methodology. Do we best capture EU affairs through positivist and deductive research strategies, or through interpretative and inductive processes?

Research methods. Do we prefer quantitative or qualitative research methods and data?

We need to deal with, and seek to overcome, such traditional dichotomies to meet the future challenges of a new research agenda on Europe. Scholars within EU studies have thus become increasingly preoccupied with epistemological issues when conducting research on EU affairs (for discussions, see Manners, 2003; Jupille, 2006). (Less)
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author
; and
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
European integration, research strategy, research methods, European Union
host publication
Research Methods in European Union Studies
editor
Lynggaard, Kennet ; Manners, Ian and Löfgren, Karl
pages
15 pages
publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN
978-0-230-36305-2
978-1-137-31696-7
DOI
10.1057/9781137316967_1
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
aa3d7f7f-ff80-44e4-9418-8694821e12f2
date added to LUP
2021-02-22 11:46:25
date last changed
2021-10-08 02:22:20
@inbook{aa3d7f7f-ff80-44e4-9418-8694821e12f2,
  abstract     = {{EU studies is at a crossroads where the many disciplinary interests in Europe meet, as well as temporally where the past weaknesses of methodology meet the future challenges of a new research agenda on Europe. These weaknesses emanate from a number of traditional research design dichotomies in EU studies:<br/>Research ontology. Do we approach our research through rationalist or constructivist assumptions about EU affairs?<br/><br/>Research epistemology. Is our ultimate knowledge ambition to formulate explanatory theories capturing EU affairs? Or is our research a process of conceptual (re)constructions aimed at understanding EU affairs?<br/><br/>Research methodology. Do we best capture EU affairs through positivist and deductive research strategies, or through interpretative and inductive processes?<br/><br/>Research methods. Do we prefer quantitative or qualitative research methods and data?<br/><br/>We need to deal with, and seek to overcome, such traditional dichotomies to meet the future challenges of a new research agenda on Europe. Scholars within EU studies have thus become increasingly preoccupied with epistemological issues when conducting research on EU affairs (for discussions, see Manners, 2003; Jupille, 2006).}},
  author       = {{Lynggaard, Kennet and Löfgren, Karl and Manners, Ian}},
  booktitle    = {{Research Methods in European Union Studies}},
  editor       = {{Lynggaard, Kennet and Manners, Ian and Löfgren, Karl}},
  isbn         = {{978-0-230-36305-2}},
  keywords     = {{European integration; research strategy; research methods; European Union}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  pages        = {{3--17}},
  publisher    = {{Palgrave Macmillan}},
  title        = {{Crossroads in European Union Studies}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137316967_1}},
  doi          = {{10.1057/9781137316967_1}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}