Mahbubeh Rezaeian - Department of English Language Teaching, Aliabad Katoul Branch, Islamic Azad University, Aliabad Katoul, Iran

How do you know what you know From historical perspective, this question has bothered the minds of numerous scientists, researchers and scholars for more than hundred years. The question of the nature and principles of scientific enquiry has been a huge subject area in itself, and one that has been addressed and contested from many standpoints. This review paper is a humble attempt to shed some light on scientific school of thought as the basis for a reflection on the ways in which researchers ground their investigations. It also demonstrates the necessity for researchers to ensure that their own ontological perceptions, epistemological stances and methods for data gathering and interpretation are closely bound to each other. The fundamental purposes of the current work are to discuss and clarify the philosophy and nature of scientific approach in the world of research and help novice researchers to become familiar with the concept of scientific approach, its methodologies as well as methods as seen compatible with the positivist paradigms

Epistemology, Paradigm, Positivism, Ontology, Scientific Approach