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 Vol. 21 No. 6, June 2009
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AAP Grand Rounds 21:64 (2009)
© 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics

WEIGHING THE EVIDENCE

Is Qualitative Research High Quality Research?

Harshita Saxena, MD and Bernhard L. Wiedermann, MD, MA, FAAP Drs. Saxena and Wiedermann have disclosed no financial relationship relevant to this commentary. This commentary does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device.

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

Because qualitative methodologies increasingly are utilized in medicine, it is important to understand these research tools. Although often viewed as less rigorous than quantitative studies, qualitative research represents a no less rigorous approach to health science. In general, where quantitative approaches seek to prove or disprove hypotheses through the analysis of measurable variables, qualitative methodologies seek to develop theories through the analysis of individual experiences. Stated differently, the goal shifts from answering "what?" "how much?" and "why?" through statistical analysis or survey-based data, to "how?" and "why?" through observations, interviews, focus groups, . . . [Full Text of this Article]


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