Conclusion

Jonathan has now completed Maxine’s introduction to the fundamental characteristics of qualitative research. He compared and contrasted qualitative and quantitative research, reviewed the major approaches of qualitative research in public health, and examined common qualitative data collection methods.

Jonathan understands that qualitative data can come in several forms and from a variety of sources. After completing his lessons, he decides to propose the following methods to the team to collect data on the “The Better Bottle” Program:

• In-depth interviews with women who are currently participating in program activities to gain an understanding of why they decided to enroll in the program and in particular activities
• Focus groups with pregnant women who are not currently participating in program activities to gain an understanding as to why they have not enrolled in the program
• Observation of face-to-face training and educational classes to see exactly how the curriculum is being taught to participants
• Analysis of promotional materials to assess the literacy level and determine its appropriateness for the target audience

Maxine’s lessons served as a basic overview for Jonathan to become familiar with qualitative research. To read more about any of the topics Maxine addressed, see the “Further Reading” list.