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Article: Qualitative research: a source of evidence to inform nursing practice?(Research Series)
- Article from:
- Journal of Diabetes Nursing
- Article date:
- October 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 S.B. Communications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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INTRODUCTION
The fifth paper in this series focuses on qualitative approaches to research. Compared with quantitative research, qualitative research is less widely valued as a source of evidence. However, in nursing, qualitative research may often be the most suitable approach, owing to the nature of the research question being addressed. This paper outlines the main characteristics of qualitative research, considers its application and potential to inform nursing practice, and discusses the principles underlying qualitative interviews as a means of gathering data. The application of qualitative research will be illustrated by the work of Hunt et al (1998), who ...