That God May Know My Integrity

Abstract

Qualitative research has long struggled for universal acceptability and specific equitable value with quantitative research. Although its acceptance and value have increased over time there remain concerns and outright rejections that demand the researcher’s attention and care. This article, through a cursory review of the literature, considers historical developments in the on-going debate between the quantitative and qualitative worlds of research as they pertain to ethics and integrity in research. It offers reflections on the challenges to qualitative research reliability, validity, and generalizability and provides guidance on ways qualitative researchers increase the credibility of their inquiry and scholarship.