TY - JOUR
T1 - Qualitative research and its uses in health care
AU - Al-Busaidi, Zakiya Q.
N1 - Funding Information:
I would like to thank Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, for granting me a scholarship to do my PhD at the University of Nottingham, UK. I am also grateful to my PhD supervisor, Dr Margaret Oates, for her guidance and support.
Publisher Copyright:
© Sultan Qaboos University.
PY - 2008/3
Y1 - 2008/3
N2 - Although relatively uncommon in health care research, qualitative research is now receiving recognition and is increasingly used in health care research with social and cultural dimensions. Unlike quantitative research, which is deductive and tends to analyze phenomena in terms of trends and frequencies, qualitative research seeks to determine the meaning of a phenomenon through description. It aims to develop concepts that aid in the understanding of natural phenomena with emphasis on the meaning, experiences and views of the participants. Differences among qualitative researchers exist on matters of ontology, epistemology, data collection methods and methods of evaluation. The aim of this article is not to act as a practical guide on how to conduct qualitative research, but is an attempt to give an introduction to qualitative research methods and their use in health-related research.
AB - Although relatively uncommon in health care research, qualitative research is now receiving recognition and is increasingly used in health care research with social and cultural dimensions. Unlike quantitative research, which is deductive and tends to analyze phenomena in terms of trends and frequencies, qualitative research seeks to determine the meaning of a phenomenon through description. It aims to develop concepts that aid in the understanding of natural phenomena with emphasis on the meaning, experiences and views of the participants. Differences among qualitative researchers exist on matters of ontology, epistemology, data collection methods and methods of evaluation. The aim of this article is not to act as a practical guide on how to conduct qualitative research, but is an attempt to give an introduction to qualitative research methods and their use in health-related research.
KW - Ethnography
KW - Focus groups
KW - Health care
KW - Interviews
KW - Phenomenology
KW - Qualitative research
KW - Semi-structured
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M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:84875013299
SN - 2075-051X
VL - 8
SP - 11
EP - 19
JO - Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
JF - Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
IS - 1
ER -