Ten Standard Responses to Qualitative Research Interviews.

Qualitative research evokes rather stereotyped responses from the mainstream of social science. The following 10 standardized responses to the stimulus "qualitative research interview" (QRI) are discussed: (1) it is not scientific, only common sense; (2) it is not objective, but subjective; (3) it is not trustworthy, but biased; (4) it is not reliable, but rests on leading questions; (5) it is not intersubjective, as different interpreters find different meanings; (6) it is not quantitative, only qualitative; (7) it is not generalizable, as there are too few subjects; (8) it is not hypothesis testing, it is only explorative; (9) it is not a formalized method as it is too person-dependent; and (10) it is not valid, but rests on subjective impressions. QRIs gather descriptions of the interviewee's life-world with respect to interpreting the meaning of the described phenomena. Since responses to QRIs are highly predictable, they may be taken into account when designing, reporting, and defending a QRI study. Issues, concepts, and arguments involved in QRIs are outlined. The relevancy of the standard critical objections to this methodology is discussed. Alternative conceptions of qualitative research from phenomenological and hermeneutic traditions are suggested. The QRI based on conversation and interaction appears as a privileged access to a linguistically constituted social world. A 40-item list of references is included. (RLC)