STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF QUALITATIVE FIELD RESEARCH
    Validity
    Reliability
 

    In contrast to, say, survey research, qualitative field research seems particularly strong in terms of validity.  Being being on the scene of the action, perhaps even participating in it, offers a greater depth of understanding than are possible via a few standardized questions on a questionnaire.  Thus, when the field researcher pronounces a person as being "conservative" or "religious," for example, we know such judgments are based on many aspects of those concepts, making similar characteristics from a survey seem more superficial.

    On the other hand, again in comparison with survey research, qualitative field research depends on subjective assessments that undercut the reliability of measurements.  There is a greater danger that two field researchers might disagree in characterizing events or subjects in the field than that two survey researchers would disagree as to which boxes were checked in a questionnaire.