Counting in Qualitative Research: Why to Conduct it, When to Avoid it, and When to Closet it

In this essay we discuss the issue of counting: the process of assigning numbers to data that are in nonnumerical form. We review why counting is a controversial issue in qualitative research, and explain how this controversy creates what we call the “multiple audience problem” for qualitative resea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of management inquiry 2011-03, Vol.20 (1), p.14-22
Main Authors: Hannah, David R., Lautsch, Brenda A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Qualitative research
Research methodology
Studies
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Summary:In this essay we discuss the issue of counting: the process of assigning numbers to data that are in nonnumerical form. We review why counting is a controversial issue in qualitative research, and explain how this controversy creates what we call the “multiple audience problem” for qualitative researchers. We then identify the purposes that can be served by four different types of counting, explore when counting should be avoided entirely, and discuss when the results of counting should be concealed, or as Sutton put it, kept in the closet.
ISSN:1056-4926
1552-6542
DOI:10.1177/1056492610375988