Coping with the dual crises of legitimation and representation in research

Abstract

The dual crises of representation and legitimation pose significant dilemmas for researchers, as they cast doubt over the value of the research process. However, critical examination of these crises can encourage researchers to reflect on questions of philosophical and pragmatic importance, such as: "What does truth mean?" and "What makes for good research?" The crises are therefore worthy of investigation. In this paper I introduce and critically examine the dual crises by asking: "If these crises are 'real', how, as interpretive researchers should we cope with them?"