ABSTRACT
Based on the author’s personal experience as a producer, editor, and reviewer of qualitative research, this chapter examines some blind alleys and untold stories that are not always revealed and discussed because studies that “did not quite work” do not see the light of day in top journals. The chapter reviews problematic issues surrounding the qualities of data (unsaturated interview surveys, mixed methods chimera), problematic forms of coupling between data and theory (loose coupling, circular coupling) and unsatisfactory theoretical outputs (anti-theorizing, pattern theorizing, and patchwork theories), considering how they come about. The chapter concludes by offering some ways to prevent these issues or turn them around when they emerge.
