Limitations
As with all forms of research, qualitative research has its limitations. One of the
questions most often asked is, ‘Will different observers get the same results?’ We
all know that there is always more than one valid view of any social situation.
People might agree on the facts of the situation but not on what they mean. The
qualitative researchers’ defense is that the work they do is much more systematic
and focused than that of teachers, artists or journalists. It involves rigorous recordkeeping
and they have no personal stake in the results.
The reliability of informants’ information can be another source of concern.
The informant’s social position in the group, his or her particular personality and
the relationship of the informant to the researcher all tend to color the
interpretation of data. In practice, researchers triangulate their data, develop levels
of confidence in their informants, and treat their information accordingly.
The quality of the research is highly contingent on the skills of the individual
researcher and his or her ability to understand, record, gain insight and interpret
the dearth of data collected. The researcher is the data collection instrument, and
the quality of the product is directly related to the researcher’s skill. This form of
inquiry is both expensive and time-consuming, a shortage of either vital resource
could render a study of lower quality or of limited value, through no fault of the
researcher.