Fig. 1: Changing understandings of research methods.

A It illustrates the view that different research methods each provide their own ‘puzzle pieces,’ which can all be fitted together to provide a clearer picture of reality. B It adds complexity to this view, by highlighting the presence of different methodological traditions with differing and sometimes incommensurable assumptions. C It adds further complexity still by suggesting that these differing traditions do not simply describe different realities but also inevitably participate in and help to create the realities they describe. Illustration by Elsa Wikander/Azote.