Qualitative Inquiry and Evaluation in the Beginning of a Third Decade

Abstract

In this appreciative comment on Michael Quinn Patton’s article ‘Two Decades of Developments in Qualitative Inquiry’, two main issues are addressed. The first is whether the quantitative-qualitative conflict in social research really is over. There are signs that quantitative methods still are more accepted, especially in the intersection area between academic research and practice-based evaluations. The other issue is the risk, possibly attached to Patton’s suggestions, of being too pragmatic in evaluation research. For the evaluator it is important to be able to account for the kind of knowledge that has been produced and on which grounds.