QUALITATIVE RESEARCH .4. QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS IN MEDICAL-RESEARCH

Much qualitative research is interview based, and this paper provides an outline of qualitative interview techniques and their application i n medical settings. It explains the rationale for these techniques and shows how they can be used to research kinds of questions that are di fferent from those dealt with by quantitative methods. Different types of qualitative interviews are described, and the way in which they di ffer from clinical consultations is emphasised. Practical guidance for conducting such interviews is given.