Ten markers of quality in designing and publishing qualitative tourism research

Abstract

The use of qualitative research methodologies in tourism is growing; however there are concerns over the quality and rigour of some studies and the way they have been written up and justified to audiences. This research note presents ten common problems with qualitative research that the authors have encountered while reviewing journal articles and examining theses, with the aim of stimulating discussion as to what constitutes good qualitative research and how best to present qualitative findings in a tourism context. Issues covered include the consideration of philosophical underpinnings, detail about the methodological approach, reflexivity, sampling, the use of thick description, the importance of creating a narrative and demonstrating the trustworthiness of the study.