Issues, debates, other methodologies

But is it scholarly and academic?! This question has probably been presented to most who are at the forefront of their field developing new epistemologies, research paradigms, methodologies and methods. You might find the responses of others in various contexts, fields, and countries useful to explore. These are a few (google them to find further publications by them):

Humberto Maturana - Chilean biologist, philosopher and much more. These are just a couple of references to get you going:

Maturana, H. and Bunnell, P. (1999) The Biology of Business: Love Expands Intelligence. Reflections, Vol. 1, No. 2. pp.58-66

Humberto R. Maturana and Francisco J. Varel on Science and the Humanities: The Poerksen Interviews. Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 40, No. 1 (Spring, 2006), pp. 22-53

Paulo Friere A Brazilian educationalist. Paulo Freire: dialogue, praxis and education is a good introduction which is freely accessible on http://infed.org/mobi/paulo-freire-dialogue-praxis-and-education/ His best known text must be:

Freire, P. (1972) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Peter Medawar A British Nobel prize winning biologist. A brilliant challenge to the 'scientific method' by an eminent scientist. 

'... scientific ’papers’ in the form in which they are communicated to learned journals are notorious for misrepresenting the processes of thought that led to whatever discoveries they describe.' (p. 8) 

Medawar, P. (1969) Induction and Intuition in Scientific Thought. London: Methuen & Co.

Four Arrows (also known as Don Trent Jacobs) is an American educationalist, writer and activist. Check out his website for work on values. His book offers other ways of creating a thesis.

Four Arrows (Don Trent Jacobs) (2008) The Authentic Dissertation: Alternative Ways of Knowing, Research, and Representation. Abingdon: Routledge.

These are useful references when faced with challenges from the traditional social scientist.

Lakotos, I and Musgrave, A. (Eds) (1970) Criticism and the Growth of Educational Knowledge. Cambridge: Cambridge Education Press.

Hamilton, D., Jenkins, D., King, C., MacDonald, B., Parlett, M. (Eds) (1997) Beyond the numbers game: A reader in educational evaluation. Londong: MacMillan Education Ltd.