Although the importance of validity has long been accepted among quantitative researchers, this concept has been an issue of contention among qualitative researchers. Thus, the first purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive discussion of the different ways that validity has been defined. Second, an argument is provided that in order for qualitative research to be taken seriously, the onus is on qualitative researchers to be accountable fully for their data collection, analysis, and interpretive methodologies. Moreover, it is argued that rigor in research is needed, and that qualitative researchers need to assess the truth value of their findings. This can be accomplished by reframing the concept of validity in qualitative research, for example, by treating validity as an issue of choosing among rival interpretations and of examining and providing arguments for the relative credibility of competing knowledge claims, or by redefining validity as having multifaceted criteria. Finally, the Qualitative Legitimation Model is introduced, a model that attempts to integrate many of the types of validity identified by qualitative researchers. (Contains 2 figures and 41 references.) (Author/SLD)