Qualitative allows access to areas that quantative research may not reach, for example in heatlhcare how do we get into the nitty gritty and true investigation of an organisation and it’s culture. Behind the data lies stories and experiences that requires appropriate investigation. As a novice to qualitative research, and coming from a critical care background which commonly leans towards the quantative I have been surprised by the methodolgy, rigor, breadth, importance, and complexity. This article is an old one but the Glossary of terms (Box 1) and the comparison (Box 2) really helped me understand the language and terms used. I felt terminology both crossed over with one another, and similar to education terms, which I find can be both challenging and exclusionary. I would be very interested to hear other nurses opinions and resources on delving into the world of qualitative research.

Resource: Pope, C., & Mays, N. (1995). Qualitative research: reaching the parts other methods cannot reach: an introduction to qualitative methods in health and health services research. BMJ, 311(6996), 42-45.