Should We Discard the “Qualitative” versus “Quantitative” Distinction?

The author presents various commentaries from political scientists on the issue of the legitimacy of qualitative methods as used in the field of political science. Samuel Barkin argues that the term qualitative poses both substantive and disciplinary problems. Matthew Hoffmann believes that discussions of method often conflate data gathering and data analysis. Nina Tannenwold cites the benefits of organizing through the Qualitative Methods Section and other initiatives of the American Political Science Association (APSA).