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Qualitative research findings have increasingly informed Policy and practice decisions by various policymakers. From the reading, however, one of the limitations associated with qualitative research is that it cannot be used to reliably measure of the extent to which behavior, opinions, and attitude are held by a given population. Due to this nature of qualitative research, it is often criticized as small scale and lacking rigor. Although the term reliability traditionally has been linked to quantitative research, increasingly it is being seen as important concepts in qualitative research as well. Examining the data for reliability assesses both the objectivity and credibility of the research.

Reliability relates to the stability and reproducibility of the data. However, when it is carried out properly, it is in-depth, reliable, rigorous and credible. Therefore, there is need to implement various measures to enhance the reliability of the research methodology given that qualitative research is a necessary part of the public relations profession. In qualitative research, there are different ways that the researcher can determine the extent to which claims are supported by convincing evidence. Reliability can be enhanced using a number of techniques including respondent validation, triangulation use of contradictory evidence and constant comparison. Qualitative research can, therefore, be termed as unreliable if the researcher fails to carry out the necessary measures to ensure its reliability.

The mass media image of the society reflects the stereotypes and the realities of render tracking, often distinguishing males from females and perpetuating specific caricatures. The roles created by the media, and the images created are engraved in the society’s mind through entertainment, advertisement, production and films. Media is one of the most pervasive and powerful source of information and entertainment has a great potential of shaping our attitudes, values and perceptions. Women stereotypes persist in the media including movies, commercials, and televisions. In order to investigate stereotypes perpetuated by these media channels, an analysis of popular music video, television, and commercial advertisements was conducted. In addition, a literature such was conducted to identify what scholars have documented concerning female stereotypes in the media.

Television is the most common mass media globally. The television tends to portray different people such as race and gender in different manner. In most instances, these groups are stereotyped in negative ways. Consumers of television content may actualize these stereotypes and start to view them negatively in real life. The television is a strong opinion-shaper and affects consumers in a great way.

Television commercials are a major source of gender stereotypes because they are often adapted to a particular target (male or female) and are often a reflection of the commercial "recipient." Most modern commercial aims at satisfying customer need for creating needs and demand. Women are often presented in television commercials due to the huge role in making daily purchases at the household level. According to Signorelli, Douglas and Eliane (2004), most commercials in prime times and weekend daytime children’s play programs rarely use women’s voice-over. In addition, men are often portrayed as authoritative. Although men and women are equally represented in prime-time commercials, women are often misrepresented in commercials. However, some television programs explore the complexities of the working lives of strong, interesting women.

Additionally, besides the three limitations of qualitative research, several others stand out from the reading. Qualitative researchers often have overused interviews and focus groups at the expense of other methods such as observation, ethnography, case studies, documentary analysis, and conversational analysis. This makes the research quality to be more easily influenced by the researcher's personal biases and heavily dependent on the individual skills of the researcher.

Carolyn Morgan is the author of this paper. A senior editor at Melda Research in

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