ABSTRACT
Qualitative research is a form of inquiry that explores phenomena in their natural settings and uses multi-methods to interpret, understand, explain and bring meaning to them. Like the mountain lake, qualitative research has many sources that contribute to its shape and substance. Just as the rain, snow and small mountain streams blend together uniting into one body of water, the multiple perspectives, differing theoretical positions, diverse methods of collecting, analyzing and interpreting data blend together to reveal a deep and rich form of research. Qualitative research is an inductive form of inquiry whose results are a blend of research skill, luck and a particular perspective. Like the fisherman on uncharted waters, you may have an idea of what lies beneath the surface, but you cannot always be sure. As the fisherman knows, where you happen to anchor your boat, the particular lure you choose and the skill you demonstrate in fishing has a great deal to do with what you catch. Similarly, the qualitative researcher soon learns that being in the right place at the right time is all important. Moreover, the researcher’s perspective also influences what might be found. A researcher with an avowed feminist perspective will not view a situation through the same lens as a phenomenologist, ethnographer or constructivist, yet their methodological approaches and techniques may be similar. They might all be extraordinarily skilled, yet they could end up with differing interpretations.
