| Abstract: | In this paper, some of the key epistemological issues in qualitative research are discussed in order to show that qualitative research is more than a label for all non-quantitative studies. Although qualitative techniques are used in many studies, including those in the quantitative tradition, we maintain that all qualitative research should adhere to the tenets of the qualitative paradigm. These tenets are discussed according to two key theoretical perspectives which underpin the qualitative approach. Both traditions of qualitative and quantitative research are valuable and complement each other because they provide different perspectives to an issue, and they also lead to the generation of different types of data which can contribute to better understanding of the issues under study. |
