Dualism: In Memory of Professor Hsieh’s Wisdom

It has been four years since Professor Hsieh left us. Today, in remembrance, I invoke Dualism—his most cherished and quintessential contribution to research methodology.

Many doctoral students, and even some professors, have often raised the question: Why must the qualifying examination include research methodology? What, in fact, should be examined? For a long time, research methodology has too often been narrowly understood as “analysis design,” that is, the choice of statistical tools and analytical methods.

Yet Professor Hsieh consistently reminded us that the methodology of doctoral research must reach further and deeper. The first dimension is not only the unfolding of theoretical reasoning, but must also extend into methodology, ontology, and epistemology, forming the ultimate foundation of scholarly pursuit.

The methodological Dualism was one of Professor Hsieh’s proudest lectures. Now, in remembrance, we can better appreciate its enduring value. It is not merely the transmission of knowledge, but the inheritance of thought. Research methodology should never be reduced to a synonym for statistical techniques; rather, it must stand as the essential wisdom required of doctoral research.