This book is about qualitative research and how to do it. It documents the practice of qualitative research, both for those who are embarking on studies for the first time and for those who want to gain further understanding of its methodological principles. It is intended for those working in applied policy fields as well as those concerned with the development of social theory more generally The book has been written by a team of practising researchers from the current and past staff of the Qualitative Research Unit at the National Centre for Social Research. The National Centre is an independent social research institute which is dedicated to research for the development and evaluation of public policy. The Qualitative Research Unit specialises in the conduct of in-depth research, primarily involving individual interviews and focus groups, for explanatory, evaluative or strategic purposes. The authors who have contributed to the book have drawn on experience of designing, conducting, analysing and reporting on qualitative studies as a central part of their everyday work. The methods described have been developed over several decades. They have been refined and enhanced in response to an ever widening repertoire of applications. There is particular emphasis on data generated through in-depth interviews and focus groups, two data collection methods widely used in more applied qualitative inquiry. This focus means that less attention is given to the study of naturally occurring data, such as observation, documentary analysis, discourse and conversation analysis, although the origins and uses of these methods are discussed. There are also a number of excellent texts on the use and conduct of such methods and key references to these are given throughout the chapters. It should also be noted that many of the principles described in relation to working with interviews and focus groups have relevance for the full repertoire of qualitative methods. There are many forms of qualitative research, each shaped by different epistemological origins, philosophies about the nature of scientific inquiry and its outcomes and varying prescriptions for methodological rigour. A brief overview of these is given in Chapter 1 by way of a context to the subsequent chapters. This review also helps to locate our particular approach to qualitative research which is based on three central tenets.

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