Deconstructing Myths in Qualitative Research

Abstract

From the perspective of the qualitative researcher, there are certainly myths regarding qualitative inquiry, such as qualitative research is not scientific; qualitative research is totally subjective; qualitative research is merely descriptive; and qualitative is simply not reliable. While responses have been provided that seek to confront these external myths, qualitative researchers must also ask themselves: Could there also be myths within qualitative research? Might there be false beliefs that distort our view of reality, and that cause us to create misconceptions of regarding the qualitative approach and its methodologies? In this article, we consider four of these internal myths and endeavor to set the record straight.