Qualitative Research Methods

This entry describes some of the common features of qualitative research, including a range of data collection techniques and approaches to data analysis, and provides several examples of studies that employed qualitative methods to highlight their potential use in formative or evaluation research, or in primary or secondary data analysis.

Abstract

Abstract The use of qualitative methods in public health inquiry can be traced to some of the earliest civilizations, and has continued through the centuries. And although qualitative methods have not historically comprised the vanguard of public health research, they have gained increasing acceptance, particularly over the past four decades. Qualitative research is now commonly used and accepted within most fields of public health. In this entry we describe some of the common features of qualitative research, including a range of data collection techniques and approaches to data analysis. We then briefly discuss criteria for assessing the quality of qualitative research studies and their findings. Finally, we provide several examples of studies that employed qualitative methods in order to highlight their potential use in formative or evaluation research, or in primary or secondary data analysis.