ABSTRACT
As the chapters in this book demonstrate, qualitative research has for some time now been a valuable addition to the field of communication disorders, yet, as a discipline, it is given less scientific status than quantitative or experimental research. Indeed, it is often difficult to obtain external funding for clinical research projects that propose qualitative methods. As Packer (2011) has pointed out, it is the randomized blind trial that has set the gold standard for health and medical research. Studies that use experimental paradigms are typically preferred in the more prestigious journals within the field of communication disorders, and given that obtaining external grants and publishing in highly ranked journals are requirements for faculty seeking tenure, it is not surprising that pursuing qualitative research may seem a less appealing career choice for new researchers.
