(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch Business School, 2005) Le Roux, L.
This working paper is an attempt to provide a broad-strokes overview of qualitative research (QR): what it is, its purpose, the methods and techniques it uses, its units of analysis and the handling of data, how validity and reliability are defined and the new frontiers brought about by the growth in IT, the Intemet and the use of computers - the method in the madness. Rather than to get embroiled in the competing paradigms within qualitative research itself (amongst others modemism, postmodemism, critical theory and feminism), the purpose of the paper is to out/ine the most commonly held views of the elements of qualitative research and to provide guidelines for and about the use of qualitative research as is popularly practiced. Also, the paper wiff not involve itself in the quantitative-qualitative debate and no comparisons betweon the two methods and their underlying paradigms and methods are discussed.