Considers, in a special issue on the topic, criteria for the admissibility of evidence in communication research and how methodology affects what is considered to be evidence. Suggests four principles of rigor which should be used to judge the admissibility of "textual" (i.e., qualitative) evidence. (SR)

Discusses (in a special issue on the topic of criteria for the admissibility of evidence) conversation analysis (CA): its basic concerns and commitments, its impatience with discussions about evidence rather than inspecting actual data, and selected notable impacts and debatable issues engendered by CA. (SR)

Introduces the basic concepts of chaos theory and chaos modeling. Relates chaos theory to qualitative research and factor analysis. Describes some current research in education and psychology using chaos theory. Claims that the philosophical implications of chaos theory have been misapplied in practical terms. (KS)

A qualitative study which examined the effects on their families of children with an intellectual disability identified the following core themes: source of joy and happiness, increased sense of purpose and priorities, expanded personal and social networks and community involvement, increased spirituality, source of family unity and closeness,…

Examines the paradox of case studies' abilities to understand the complexity in particular contexts while not being generalizable. Argues that the pressure for quantification and multisite case study design in policy research has weakened the original utility of the case study method for understanding complex educational phenomena. (DSK)

Investigates lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) doctoral students' mentoring relationships with faculty in counseling psychology. Data from interviews with 14 LGB participants were analyzed. Results show two contextual-specific LGB themes that helped shape three themes regarding LGB students' experience of mentoring relationships. Presents seven…

Consensual qualitative research examines the impact of chance events on career choices and the contextual factors surrounding them. Results suggest that chance events affected career choices most often by changing women's paths altogether or by altering their self-concepts. Internal characteristics and external factors helped women take advantage…

Critically analyzes some of the ways in which human subjectivity and agency are constructed in the contemporary discourse of environmental-education research. Suggests that methods of constructivist science-education research are not applicable to either subjects or subject matters of environmental education, and poststructuralist methodologies…

Studied variables meaningfully associated with mainstreaming success in elementary school science classes across grade levels and across categories of disability in three classes. Identified seven variables common to all settings and independent of grade level or disability category. Discusses implications for mainstreaming and science education.…

The authors, five junior scholars at the University of North Texas' College of Education, describe their collaborative efforts to develop their skills in one method of qualitative research: in-depth, oral history interviewing. Outcomes included understanding the importance of rapport between interviewer and interviewee, of ensuring that the…

Questions traditional ways of conducting research among American Indians, discussing the researcher's dual position of insider/outsider and cultural ramifications of these relationships; examining the influence of the researcher's embeddedness, Indianness, and marginal or outsider position; and discussing challenges to building relationships,…

Attempts to measure the culture of a business studies department in a British university in order to assess how supportive it is to equal opportunities for women. Utilizes Johnson and Scholes' cultural web as a measurement tool that consists of six categories (organizational structure, power, control, paradigm, symbols, stories, and…

The narratives of more than 300 qualitative researchers about problems and solutions attempted during research were collected and analyzed to develop three successive descriptive-interpretive frameworks for understanding researchers' lived experiences during the shift from single to multiple research paradigms. The need for more reflective…

Qualitative studies of young people's attitudes toward a unified Europe demonstrate the conceptual complexity of national or European identity and highlight epistemological and methodological problems of attitude research. Dutch adolescents' writings and discussions show that children can reflect on stereotyping mechanisms and that real or…

A qualitative study of faculty, distance education program administrators, and chief academic officers at four research universities found that distance education has marginal status, is not highly valued or well rewarded, and is not highly related to promotion and tenure. The study concluded that institutional commitment to distance education…