Most, though not all, qualitative research is naturalistic in that the researcher enters the world of the participants as it exists and obtains data without any deliberate intervention to alter the setting. The resulting accounts of what people say and do form the basis for inductive rather than deductive analysis--theory is created to explain the data rather than data being collected to test pre-established theory. Some graduate students and their professorial advisors have been drawn to this form of inquiry. Novices in qualitative research encounter problems which are familiar in any form of inquiry, but which often require responses different from those used in quantitative designs. This paper discusses, within the framework of research in physical education, external and internal problems and issues faced by the researcher using the qualitative design. The paper concludes with three pages of selected references for the novice. (Author/JD)