What can be seen as a limitation of qualitative research?

Qualitative research is inherently focused on understanding complex human experiences and social phenomena through in-depth exploration rather than numerical data. This approach often involves smaller, more specific samples, which can provide detailed insights into a particular context or group. However, one limitation of this method is its difficulty in generalizing findings to a larger population. Since qualitative research often studies specific cases or settings, the results may reflect the particularities of those circumstances and may not be applicable to broader or different populations. This limitation is significant because while the depth of understanding gained from qualitative research is valuable, it does not lend itself to the same level of generalizability as quantitative methods, which rely on larger sample sizes and statistical analysis. Therefore, acknowledging this limitation helps researchers and practitioners understand the scope and applicability of qualitative findings in their work.