John Paley was formerly senior lecturer at the University of Stirling and is currently Honorary Fellow at the University of Worcester. He is the author of two previous books for Routledge: Phenomenology as Qualitative Research: A Critical Analysis of Meaning Attribution and Concept Analysis in Nursing: A New Approach.

"Provocative and persuasive. Its uniqueness and importance leap from the page. Anyone interested in qualitative research, and its relation to ontology and epistemology, should read this outstanding book." -- Martin Lipscomb, University of Worcester, UK"Thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable. Qualitative researchers of all methodological stripes will be challenged to think again by this excellent book." -- Peter Allmark, University of Sheffield, UK."This is a wonderful book! I wish more authors in the qualitative space wrote with such clarity, deliberateness, and honesty." -- James Salvo, Wayne State University, USA

• 1. Introduction: Terms and Conditions Apply; Part I: The Key Players 2. Lincoln and Guba’s Paradigms 3. Wittgenstein’s Metaphilosophy 4. Carnap’s Metametaphysics; Part II: The Key Concepts 5. ‘There Is’, ‘There Exist’ 6. ‘Single Reality’, ‘Multiple Realities’ 7. ‘Constructed’, ‘Socially Constructed’ 8. ‘The Knower’ and ‘The Known’ 9. ‘Objective’ 10. ‘Cause’ and Causal Language 11. ‘True’ and ‘Truth’ 12. ‘Experience’; Epilogue

John Paley was formerly senior lecturer at the University of Stirling and is currently Honorary Fellow at the University of Worcester. He is the author of two previous books for Routledge: Phenomenology as Qualitative Research: A Critical Analysis of Meaning Attribution and Concept Analysis in Nursing: A New Approach.

"Provocative and persuasive. Its uniqueness and importance leap from the page. Anyone interested in qualitative research, and its relation to ontology and epistemology, should read this outstanding book." -- Martin Lipscomb, University of Worcester, UK"Thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable. Qualitative researchers of all methodological stripes will be challenged to think again by this excellent book." -- Peter Allmark, University of Sheffield, UK."This is a wonderful book! I wish more authors in the qualitative space wrote with such clarity, deliberateness, and honesty." -- James Salvo, Wayne State University, USA

• 1. Introduction: Terms and Conditions Apply; Part I: The Key Players 2. Lincoln and Guba’s Paradigms 3. Wittgenstein’s Metaphilosophy 4. Carnap’s Metametaphysics; Part II: The Key Concepts 5. ‘There Is’, ‘There Exist’ 6. ‘Single Reality’, ‘Multiple Realities’ 7. ‘Constructed’, ‘Socially Constructed’ 8. ‘The Knower’ and ‘The Known’ 9. ‘Objective’ 10. ‘Cause’ and Causal Language 11. ‘True’ and ‘Truth’ 12. ‘Experience’; Epilogue