Includes bibliographical references and index.

The main features and uses of qualitative research -- The paradigm debate : the place of qualitative research -- Initial steps in the research process -- Ethical issues -- Supervision of qualitative research -- Interviewing -- Participant observation and documents as sources of data -- Focus groups as qualitative research -- Sampling strategies -- Ethnography -- Grounded theory -- Narrative inquiry -- Phenomenology -- Action research -- Additional approaches -- Mixing methods -- Data analysis: procedures, practices and the use of computers -- Establishing quality : trustworthiness and validity -- Writing up qualitative research.