diff --git a/rest_framework_json_api/parsers.py b/rest_framework_json_api/parsers.py
index 86a61e74..a9091d0e 100644
--- a/rest_framework_json_api/parsers.py
+++ b/rest_framework_json_api/parsers.py
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 from rest_framework import parsers
 from rest_framework.exceptions import ParseError
 
-from . import exceptions, renderers, serializers, utils
+from . import exceptions, renderers, utils
+from .serializers import PolymorphicModelSerializer, ResourceIdentifierObjectSerializer
 
 
 class JSONParser(parsers.JSONParser):
@@ -74,6 +75,29 @@ def parse_metadata(result):
     def parse(self, stream, media_type=None, parser_context=None):
         """
         Parses the incoming bytestream as JSON and returns the resulting data
+
+        There are two basic object types in JSON-API.
+
+        1. Resource Identifier Object
+
+        They only have 'id' and 'type' keys (optionally also 'meta'). The 'type'
+        should be passed to the views for processing. These objects are used in
+        'relationships' keys and also as the actual 'data' in Relationship URLs.
+
+        2. Resource Objects
+
+        They use the keys as above plus optional 'attributes' and
+        'relationships'. Attributes and relationships should be flattened before
+        sending to views and the 'type' key should be removed.
+
+        We support requests with list data. In JSON-API list data can be found
+        in Relationship URLs where we would expect Resource Identifier Objects,
+        but we will also allow lists of Resource Objects as the users might want
+        to implement bulk operations in their custom views.
+
+        In addition True, False and None will be accepted as data and passed to
+        views. In JSON-API None is a valid data for 1-to-1 Relationship URLs and
+        indicates that the relationship should be cleared.
         """
         result = super(JSONParser, self).parse(
             stream, media_type=media_type, parser_context=parser_context
@@ -84,32 +108,39 @@ def parse(self, stream, media_type=None, parser_context=None):
 
         data = result.get('data')
         view = parser_context['view']
-
-        from rest_framework_json_api.views import RelationshipView
-        if isinstance(view, RelationshipView):
-            # We skip parsing the object as JSONAPI Resource Identifier Object and not a regular
-            # Resource Object
-            if isinstance(data, list):
-                for resource_identifier_object in data:
-                    if not (
-                        resource_identifier_object.get('id') and
-                        resource_identifier_object.get('type')
-                    ):
-                        raise ParseError(
-                            'Received data contains one or more malformed JSONAPI '
-                            'Resource Identifier Object(s)'
-                        )
-            elif not (data.get('id') and data.get('type')):
-                raise ParseError('Received data is not a valid JSONAPI Resource Identifier Object')
-
+        resource_name = utils.get_resource_name(parser_context, expand_polymorphic_types=True)
+        method = parser_context.get('request').method
+        serializer_class = getattr(view, 'serializer_class', None)
+        in_relationship_view = serializer_class == ResourceIdentifierObjectSerializer
+
+        if isinstance(data, list):
+            for item in data:
+                if not isinstance(item, dict):
+                    err = "Items in data array must be objects with 'id' and 'type' members."
+                    raise ParseError(err)
+
+            if in_relationship_view:
+                for identifier in data:
+                    self.verify_resource_identifier(identifier)
+                return data
+            else:
+                return list(
+                    self.parse_resource(d, d, resource_name, method, serializer_class)
+                    for d in data
+                )
+        elif isinstance(data, dict):
+            if in_relationship_view:
+                self.verify_resource_identifier(data)
+                return data
+            else:
+                return self.parse_resource(data, result, resource_name, method, serializer_class)
+        else:
+            # None, True, False, numbers and strings
             return data
 
-        request = parser_context.get('request')
-
+    def parse_resource(self, data, meta_source, resource_name, method, serializer_class):
         # Check for inconsistencies
-        if request.method in ('PUT', 'POST', 'PATCH'):
-            resource_name = utils.get_resource_name(
-                parser_context, expand_polymorphic_types=True)
+        if method in ('PUT', 'POST', 'PATCH'):
             if isinstance(resource_name, six.string_types):
                 if data.get('type') != resource_name:
                     raise exceptions.Conflict(
@@ -126,17 +157,20 @@ def parse(self, stream, media_type=None, parser_context=None):
                         "(one of [{resource_types}]).".format(
                             data_type=data.get('type'),
                             resource_types=", ".join(resource_name)))
-        if not data.get('id') and request.method in ('PATCH', 'PUT'):
-            raise ParseError("The resource identifier object must contain an 'id' member")
+        if not data.get('id') and method in ('PATCH', 'PUT'):
+            raise ParseError("The resource object must contain an 'id' member.")
 
         # Construct the return data
-        serializer_class = getattr(view, 'serializer_class', None)
         parsed_data = {'id': data.get('id')} if 'id' in data else {}
         # `type` field needs to be allowed in none polymorphic serializers
         if serializer_class is not None:
-            if issubclass(serializer_class, serializers.PolymorphicModelSerializer):
+            if issubclass(serializer_class, PolymorphicModelSerializer):
                 parsed_data['type'] = data.get('type')
         parsed_data.update(self.parse_attributes(data))
         parsed_data.update(self.parse_relationships(data))
-        parsed_data.update(self.parse_metadata(result))
+        parsed_data.update(self.parse_metadata(meta_source))
         return parsed_data
+
+    def verify_resource_identifier(self, data):
+        if not data.get('id') or not data.get('type'):
+            raise ParseError('Received data is not a valid JSONAPI Resource Identifier Object(s).')