In qualitative research, data saturation is one of the most cited yet misunderstood concepts. Too often, researchers treat saturation as a “magic number” — usually 12 or 15 interviews — without considering research design or analytical depth. At Research & Report, we regularly review manuscripts and supervise doctoral work where saturation is misapplied. This article … Read more
In an academic world increasingly pushing for “interdisciplinary” work, many researchers have begun to frame their studies as such — often without realizing what true interdisciplinarity actually demands. At Research & Report, we frequently encounter manuscripts that use keywords like climate + finance, AI + governance, or health + education, only to find that the … Read more
Despite the growing acceptance and institutionalization of qualitative research in academia, many studies still fall into a critical trap — they lack a solid theoretical foundation. While qualitative methods are celebrated for exploring complexity, meaning, and lived experience, they are increasingly being used in ways that are conceptually shallow, methodologically misaligned, and analytically weak. This … Read more
In today’s publish-or-perish academic environment, research gaps are a staple of literature reviews. However, many so-called “gaps” are superficial. Weakly framed gaps lead to weak contributions, making manuscripts less likely to survive peer review or gain traction in global journals. This article explains why most research gaps lack depth and how to construct meaningful, impactful … Read more
