Within academic communities such as those of educational research, scholars have a long history of disagreeing and challenging one another about how to ensure the quality of research – not least in qualitative research. Part of this ongoing discussion relates to the issue of general criteria for research quality. Some require general quality criteria for qualitative, empirical research, while others claim that it is neither desirable nor possible to reach consensus about or prescribe standards of quality in this diverse field.
The aim of this conference is to have an open and genuine discussion on quality in qualitative educational research and to address some of the current issues as seen from a diverse range of positions. How can quality and trustworthiness of qualitative, empirical research be addressed? Is it possible and/or desirable to make a distinction between research knowledge and other forms of knowledge? What are the challenges, limits and alternatives for evaluating qualitative research? What are the implications of formulating quality criteria or of not doing so, both within an internal research context and in relation to the role of research in society?
