Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature, sources, scope, and validity of knowledge. It addresses fundamental questions such as what knowledge is, how it is acquired, how it can be justified, and what distinguishes true knowledge from belief or opinion. In social science research, epistemology provides the foundation for understanding how researchers know and interpret social reality. It influences the choice of research methods, the relationship between the researcher and the subject of study, and the standards used to evaluate research findings. Different epistemological positions lead researchers to adopt different approaches to collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. One of the major epistemological issues in social science research is the debate between positivism and interpretivism. Positivism argues that social phenomena can be studied objectively using methods similar to those employed in the natural sciences. It assumes that reality exists independently of the researcher and that knowledge can be obtained through observation, measurement, and empirical verification. Positivist researchers rely on quantitative methods, hypothesis testing, and statistical analysis to identify patterns and establish causal relationships. Interpretivism, in contrast, argues that social reality is socially constructed and cannot be understood without considering the meanings individuals attach to their actions and experiences. According to this perspective, human behavior is influenced by culture, beliefs, values, and social interactions. Therefore, researchers should seek to