How Do I Know What I’m Going to Find Before I Get into the Field? Hypotheses, Variables, Measurement and Other Philosophical Issues.

The claim that interpretive research is neither rigorous nor objective is problematic, for several reasons. Definitionally, such arguments about the lack of rigor treat that term narrowly and, hence, miss the fact that in an analytic sense, interpretive work is, in principle, as rigorous as quantitative research. Philosophically, arguments about the lack of objectivity are based on ontological and epistemological claims that interpretive research denies obtain for human practices. Procedurally, both charges ignore or misconstrue how interpretive research is actually done. These arguments and debates matter because their rhetorical power has implications for the practice of social science, including the material and professional lives of its practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]