Qualitative research is rich. But richness alone doesn’t guarantee validity. In fact, many qualitative studies fail validation due to subtle, often overlooked flaws. At Research & Report Consulting, we’ve audited hundreds of studies and identified recurring critical issues that most researchers don’t realize. Fixing these can elevate your findings from “interesting” to trustworthy. Key Issues … Read more
Grounded Theory (GT) is one of the most respected qualitative methodologies, designed to move beyond description into theory generation. Yet, many researchers misapply GT as if it were merely a version of thematic analysis. This error weakens contributions, misleads readers, and leads to journal rejection. Grounded Theory is not about “coding until themes appear.” Instead, … Read more
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 quantitative research, justifying sample size is a fundamental requirement. Yet, one of the most misused tools in this process is G*Power — a free and powerful program that helps estimate sample sizes based on power analysis.While G*Power is valuable, it’s often misapplied or overly relied upon, leading to flawed research designs, underpowered studies, and … 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
