Paradigmave

Paradigmave is a neologism used in discussions of scientific methodology to denote a framework that synthesizes multiple competing paradigms into a single, operational approach. It aims to capture the strengths of distinct theoretical perspectives by averaging their assumptions, methods, and evaluative criteria to guide research design and interpretation.

The term blends paradigm and average, signaling the idea of averaging across models. It has appeared in theoretical discussions and experimental design literature as a possible way to address incommensurability between paradigms.

Core components include model averaging across paradigms, methodological pluralism, and criteria-based integration. Practitioners propose procedures such as parallel modeling followed by ensemble aggregation, cross-paradigm validation, and decision rules for prioritizing predictions.

Applications span social sciences, education research, design and engineering, and data integration tasks that involve heterogeneous evidence. It is presented as a heuristic for pursuing robust inference when no single paradigm dominates.

Reception is mixed. Proponents hail it as a pragmatic bridge for interdisciplinary work; critics warn that averaging incompatible assumptions can obscure theoretical commitments and weaken explanatory power.

Related concepts include paradigm shift, model averaging, methodological pluralism, and interdisciplinarity.