The Tools of the Qualitative Research Trade.
References: 1. Chen C, Teherani A. Common qualitative methodologies and research designs in health professions education. Acad Med. 2016;91. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000001392. 2. Green J, Thorogood N. Qualitative Research Methods for Health Research. 3rd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE; 2014. 3. Brinkmann S, Kvale S. InterViews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE; 2015. 4. Stalmeijer RE, McNaughton N, Van Mook WN. Using focus groups in medical education research: AMEE guide no. 91. Med Teach. 2014;36:923 939. 5. Mays N, Pope C. Observational methods in health care settings. BMJ. 1995;311:182 184. 6. Kuper A, Whitehead C, Hodges BD. Looking back to move forward: Using history, discourse and text in medical education research: AMEE guide no. 73. Med Teach. 2013;35:e849 e860. Author contact: elise.paradis@utoronto.ca Choosing the right qualitative research method is like choosing the right tool: When trying to cut a plank, a hammer is mostly useless. A key question to ask when attempting to choose the right qualitative research method is thus, What are you trying to do? Identifying your goal should help you choose the right method. Remember, however, that (1) your tools will be more useful if carried in the right toolbox (i.e. methodology or approach),1 (2) your research will be more impactful if you join a scholarly conversation by using theory and relating your work to that of others, and (3) each method has pros and cons.
Academic medicine journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges