Qualitative Research - Airy Fairy or Fundamental?

Authors

Adri Labuschagne, South African Medical Research CouncilFollow

Abstract

For many scientists used to doing quantitative studies the whole concept of qualitative research is unclear, almost foreign, or 'airy fairy' - not ' real' research. Clinical scientists sometimes find it difficult to accept this research method where the generation of hypotheses often replaces the testing thereof, explanation replaces measurement, and understanding replaces generalisability. Since qualitative research is becoming a prominent tool in medical research, it will be worthwhile to have a closer look at what it is and how it works.

Keywords

Quantitative, Qualitative, Phenomena, Open-Ended, Observations, Descriptive, Themes, and Categories

Publication Date

6-1-2003

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2003.1901

Recommended APA Citation

Labuschagne, A. (2003). Qualitative Research - Airy Fairy or Fundamental?. The Qualitative Report, 8(1), 100-103. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2003.1901