Qualitative Research: Some Methodological Considerations

Abstract

This article studies the two major research approaches in the field of research approaches. It emphasizes their epistemological foundations and their differences. Along these lines, the inadequacies of quantitative research leading to its failure in human science research are discussed. This article pays special attention to the fold four internal conflicts including version, holography, multivocality and skepticism in qualitative researches based on phenomenology put forward by Harley, Hardy and Alison, and mentions the failure of qualitative research in overcoming the obstacles created by methodology. Then, the emergence of mixed research as an insufficient substitute for the quantitative and qualitative methods is criticized. Finally, given the fallacies made by Scott regarding quantitative, qualitative and mixed research, the authors introduce para-quantitative method as an alternative for overcoming the inadequacy of existing methods

Keywords