Qualitative Research in Health: An Introduction

Qualitative Research in Health offers a comprehensive and practical introduction to the main theories and methods of qualitative research in health sciences.

It covers the full range of conventional and new qualitative methods including ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, biography, memory work, action research, historical research, discourse analysis, postmodern, post-structuralist and feminist approaches to research. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed in an even-handed way, as are the broad differences between qualitative and quantitative methods. Examples are drawn from various health fields.

Grbich shows that qualitative methods need to be followed just as rigorously as quantitative methods, and she provides guidelines for interpreting and presenting research results. She also outlines key ethical issues, and discusses the implications of using qualitative computing packages.

Qualitative Research in Health is an ideal introduction for new researchers and a handy reference for professionals across the health sciences.