Final answer:
Qualitative research has weaknesses such as being time-consuming, difficulties in organizing data, the challenge of capturing real-life behaviors, and the subjective nature of evidence that can be hard to control and replicate.
Step-by-step explanation:
Four weaknesses of qualitative research include:
It can be very time consuming to collect and analyze qualitative data due to its depth and complexity.
Qualitative data often captures internal thought processes and beliefs, but might not reflect how individuals behave in real life, making it difficult to assess truthfulness.
Organizing qualitative data is challenging because it tends to be non-numerical and involves a wide range of responses, which can be difficult to systematize and compare.
Qualitative research relies on subjective evidence and interpretations, meaning that results can be hard to replicate, control, and confirm as they depend on the researcher's observations and participants' self-reporting.
Case studies, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and content analysis as sources for qualitative data acknowledge the value of detailed, descriptive results, but these methods come with the noted limitations.