1 Methodological Challenges In Qualitative And Quantitative Inquiries Cynthia Borromeo-Correo Assistant Professor, Ateneo de Naga University Research has been instrumental to an in-depth understanding of any academic phenomena, oftentimes resulting in the implementation of curriculum innovations all aiming to effect quality performance in the educational setting. To attain this end, educators have explored the utilization of varied research methodologies polarized into two general categories, quantitative and qualitative methods. This paper synthesizes the first chapter of Richards’s (2003) book, on the nature of qualitative inquiry (QI) and proceeds to argue that while QI offers significant contributions to the refinement of research results through its application of a set of fine-tune research traditions, that is, ethnography, grounded theory, phenomenology, case study, life history, action research, conversational analysis among other widely used traditions, researchers face surmountable challenges to eliminate biases and inaccuracies in the resulting theories and claims, just like in quantitative traditions. The chapter begins with the essential features of any research and highlights the distinctive characteristics of QI as opposed to the quantitative inquiry (QANI) mode, drawing out the dubitable assumptions associated with the latter, which eventually lead to the distorted perception that QI produces soft data and thus, is less powerful than QANI. Then, it presents the seven core traditions and philosophical foundations of QI underscoring the three paradigmatic positions of (post) positivism, constructivism, and critical perspectives. Richards (2003) contends that all research intends to make claims based on the evidence gathered and thus researchers try to delineate typical or exceptional cases among the data to confirm or debunk a proposition by conducting repeated observations and other strategies designed carefully to elicit information needed for justifiable inferences. He argues that QI is “anything but a soft option” (p.6) for it “demands rigour, precision, systematicity, and careful attention to detail.” He adds that the misconception that QI fails to comply with scientific demands is more likely caused