Qualitative Research

Abstract

or health education and promotion specialists who want to contribute to evidence-based research and practice, using quantitative methods is impor-tant. However, when quantitative methods are used alone, or used to acquire more depth about a topic, they are not sufficient. To get the complete picture, it is important to understand and be able to conduct qualita-tive research—research that traditionally does not include numbers and statistical figures, or “count” data.The purpose of this tool is to provide an overview of what health education and promotion specialists need to know—mainly, what qualitative health research is and how to conduct it. Competence in qualitative research is particularly important because much of what we do is grounded in the social and behavioral sciences—areas that benefit greatly from qualitative research insight. As we work to change not only life-styles but also systems, built environments, and policies, the “deeper data” that we can tap into using qualitative methods become increasingly valuable.Competent health education and promotion specialists must be knowledgeable about both quantitative and qual-itative research approaches. While the debate continues about the relative value of each approach, the best option may be to understand both methods well, know the most appropriate conditions for using each method, and con-sider integrating them as a gold standard for rigorous health education and promotion research and practice.The impetus for writing this tool stems from my teach-ing and mentoring experiences used to empower and educate health and social service professionals about the importance of using qualitative research to accomplish their project goals. This tool also presents information on how to initiate and follow through on rigorous health research that may include qualitative or mixed methods.

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