Qualitative research methods: a data collectors field guide.

Qualitative research methods are gaining in popularity outside the traditional academic social sciences particularly in public health and international development research. Whereas quantitative research methods once dominated these fields researchers have now begun drawing from a more diverse repertoire of methodologies as they tackle international public health problems. Qualitative methods have become important tools within this broader approach to applied research in large part because they provide valuable insights into the local perspectives of study populations. The great contribution of qualitative research is the culturally specific and contextually rich data it produces. Such data are proving…