MAY I SEE YOUR WARRANT, PLEASE - JUSTIFYING OUTCOMES IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Despite both resistance from the dominant orthodoxy and complications caused by the competing claims of new paradigm diversity, there is a p ressing need for TESOL researchers to engage productively with the ric hness of intellectual opportunity currently available in the human sci ences. There are three possible avenues of growth: to extend conventio nal research parameters; to align one's work with a recognized radical alternative; to develop an individual stance. Any effective response must address questions of position (the research tradition in terms of which one wishes to be evaluated), voice (in terms of who is given sp ace to speak) and representation (the farm of discourse chosen). Taken together, these form the basis of legitimization tin terms of disputa ble argument) and authentication tin terms of contextualized credibili ty). They are, therefore, fundamental to the provision of adequate war rant for the research in which TESOL needs to be involved. This questi on of what constitutes a warrant is the central issue.