In qualitative research, what is a common challenge faced by researchers?

In qualitative research, one of the primary challenges researchers face is the generalizability of their findings. Qualitative methods often involve smaller, more focused samples that provide deep insights into specific contexts, experiences, or phenomena. Because of this, the findings may not be easily transferrable to larger populations or different settings. The subjective nature of qualitative data also means that individual interpretations can be influential, which further complicates the ability to generalize results to broader groups.

In contrast, the other options present typical characteristics of qualitative research. For instance, the field is not typically associated with collecting large amounts of data in a quantitative sense, as it focuses on depth rather than breadth. Similarly, qualitative research often has limited numeric data available, since it prioritizes verbal or visual data gathered from interviews, observations, and texts. Rapid data analysis is also less common in qualitative research, where data interpretation can be time-consuming and requires thoughtful consideration of themes, patterns, and meanings. Thus, generalizability stands out as a key challenge unique to this approach.