Qualitative Research in Health Care

Professor Immy Holloway specialises in the area of qualitative research. Although retired from full-time work, she still works part-time in the Institute of Health and Community Studies, Bournemouth University. Having written extensively in the field of qualitative inquiry, she is author and co-author of several books, some of which have been translated into languages other than English.

• Introduction: Aim and readershipPart 1: Starting outIs there an epistemology for qualitative research?Ethical issues in qualitative health researchPart 2: Collecting dataInterviewing Focus group research: using group dynamics to explore perceptions, experiences and understandingsObserving method: recognizing the significance of belief, discipline, position and documentation in observational studiesPart 3: Choosing an approachThe status of method: flexibility, consistency and coherence Clarifying the life-world: descriptive phenomenologyHermeneutic phenomenology: the science of interpretation of textsGrounded theory: the methodologyEthnographic exploration: participation and meaning in everyday lifeNarrative analysis: exploring the whats And hows of personal storiesAction research for changing and improving practiceNavigating a qualitative course in programme evaluation Engaging feminist thought in research: a participatory approach Qualitative writingConclusion: after completionGlossary of main termsIndex