Quality of research findings is one of the basic issues in the field of methodology. In the paper concepts of quality in quantitative and qualitative research are presented and critically evaluated, with a greater emphasis on the latter. Among other findings, the author claims that recent efforts withinqualitative research strive toward clearer and more systematic standardsof quality of research and that stereotypical definition of quantitative research as more reliable and of qualitative research as more valid is oversimplified. There has also been a visible trend of overcoming strict separation of these two approaches and applying the approach (or combining approaches) that is the most appropriate for a certain research problem. Regardless of which approach is used, it is necessary to apply clear standards of quality of research findings.
|
