Critical reflections on the rise of qualitative research

摘要

In 1993 the BMJ/published an unusual article about qualitative research in which we reported a fictitious encounter in the corridors of health services research.1 The article was a socratic dialogue between a quantitatively trained director of a health services research unit and a more junior qualitative sociologist. The dialogue was designed to stimulate debate about the dominance of quantitative research and, in particular, the randomised controlled trial in health related research. It went on to suggest that qualitative methods should be taken more seriously. Since then qualitative research methods have become far more widely accepted in health services research and many areas of medical and nursing research.Although it seems that qualitative research is established in healthcare settings, we are not convinced that it is always conducted appropriately. This article critically evaluates how far qualitative research has come and asks some searching questions about whether researchers are using its iull potential to inform and improve health service organisation and the delivery of care.