Qualitative Research Methods in Children Related Research

This article highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the qualitative research methods with reference to my experience, researching child rights in the context of abuse and protection of homeless/street children in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. The strengths include coverage of multiple epistemological, theoretical and methodological positions, contribution to identifying issues and building theory, coverage of issues across cultures and groups, ability to explain causal processes and accuracy of information among others, while weaknesses include inability to generalize, issues related to use of certain techniques and instruments, data analysis issues such as multiple meanings of words and power dynamics among others. Considering these strengths and weaknesses, it is argued that mixed methods approach in social sciences research may help studying complex social phenomena better.