ABSTRACT
Following on from Chapter 1, in this, the second chapter, the authors explore in-depth several tenets of qualitative research they believe provide a foundation for robust, rigorous, research. They begin with a brief discussion of paradigms as they overarch the four key tenets that the authors espouse as being foundational to qualitative research; the four tenets being: (1) articulating epistemology, ontology, and axiology; (2) differentiating between methodology and methods; (3) making explicit researcher positioning and reflexivity; and (4) appreciating the complexity of the interplay between researcher and context. The first three key points were chosen based upon the authors’ experiences in researching, teaching, reviewing, and editing qualitative studies. The fourth key point arises from their philosophical values and ethics as researchers and as occupational scientists that fuel their desire for a considered approach to qualitative research. Within this chapter the authors also position themselves in relation to qualitative research and how they came to edit the book. The authors suggest that readers begin with this chapter before exploring the proceeding chapters that deal with specific methodologies.
