Evaluating qualitative research

SummaryAs part of our occasional series on how to do research, this article provides an introduction to the varieties of research methods that are collectively known as qualitative methods. These methods are frequently used in nursing research, and are characterised by the use of narrative accounts rather than numerical analyses. The article explores the nature of qualitative research before considering issues in planning qualitative studies and the collection and analysis of such data. Some of the main qualitative methodologies (ethnography, grounded theory and phenomenology) are outlined before consideration is given to the question of how to reach a decision about whether or not the findings of qualitative studies should be applied to practice.