Ups and Downs: The Deployment and Reception of Qualitative Research Methods Over Time

In this chapter, we review the historical trajectory of qualitative methods in organizational research, focusing on the various ways that qualitative data has been collected, analyzed, interpreted, and presented over time. Our review charts a history that follows a sequential but rarely linear path, reflecting different epochs that supported distinct opportunities, agendas, and technologies. While the continued development of these technologies has made qualitative research more rigorous, it has also devalued contextual richness in favor of scientific reproducibility. We argue that these and other changes have played a critical role in shaping how qualitative researchers conduct their work and articulate their identities.