The ontological, epistemological, and methodological dimensions in academic legal research

Abstract

This article examines the ontological, epistemological, and methodological dimensions of academic legal research, i.e., the process that legal scholars follow in order to analyze legal norms, theories, and principles.

The article examines the concept and main characteristics of academic legal research and differentiates it from professional legal research, which predominates in professional practice and US Law Schools, and from empirical research, which predominates in Social Science research about law. The article also stresses the importance for the academic legal researcher to make these reflections explicit and transparent in their research products.

Keywords: academic legal research, ontology, epistemology, methodology