ABSTRACT
Why is qualitative research and not quantitative research in the minority status? Why is it necessary to present a philosophic perspective on qualitative research and not on quantitative research? While this is not the place to present an extended history of research, let us just say that when experimental methods were first introduced as a challenge to the scholastic methods, a rigorous and philosophic defense of the experimental methods were required. Qualitative methods still face that challenge, because the philosophic underpinnings are not widely understood. If the underlying philosophy is not understood, the new orientation, in this case qualitative research, is seen as a less rigorous and less valued way of doing inquiry.
