Brajdić Vuković, Marija and Tranfić, Ivan and Gregorić, Pavel (2026) Methods and Values Revisited: Responsibility and Methodological Orientations in the Social Sciences. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Philosophical debates on science and values increasingly emphasize that methods and concepts are not only shaped by values but also promote them through routine scientific practice. Building on Ratti and Russo’s bidirectional model, and on recent discussions of responsibility in science, we examine how methodological orientations function as practices that bear values within the social sciences. Drawing on qualitative data from an online research protocol with Croatian social scientists, we identify three patterned epistemic orientations and analyse how researchers reason about normative dilemmas across vignette scenarios. The findings show that methodological orientations are experienced not as neutral tools but as frameworks intertwined with responsibility, legitimacy, and professional identity. We argue that these orientations have a dual normative role: they are value-expressive, articulating researchers’ commitments, and value-generative, reinforcing institutional logics and social consequences beyond individual intention. By grounding the value-promotion thesis in empirical material, the paper proposes that reflexive awareness of both dimensions is a key component of responsible social scientific practice and highlights the epistemic and democratic significance of methodological pluralism.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Brajdić Vuković, Marija marija@idi.hr 0000-0002-3619-9520 Tranfić, Ivan ivan@idi.hr 0000-0002-9973-9272 Gregorić, Pavel gregoric@ifzg.hr 0000-0001-7567-2643
Additional Information:	This is the accepted manuscript of an article forthcoming in the European Journal for Philosophy of Science. The final authenticated version will be available via the publisher.
Keywords:	Values in science; Scientific responsibility; Methodological orientations; Methodological pluralism; Epistemic cultures; Value promotion; Reflexivity
Subjects:	General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Values In Science
Depositing User:	Dr Marija Brajdic Vukovic
Date Deposited:	17 Apr 2026 13:08
Last Modified:	17 Apr 2026 13:08
Item ID:	29137
Subjects:	General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Values In Science
Date:	13 April 2026
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/29137

Available Versions of this Item

• Methods and Values Revisited: Responsibility and Methodological Orientations in the Social Sciences. (deposited 17 Apr 2026 13:08) [Currently Displayed]
  • Methods and Values Revisited: Responsibility and Methodological Orientations in the Social Sciences. (deposited 08 May 2026 11:41)

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