Qualitative Methods: Key Principles

This chapter explores the underlying logic, and practical application, of a range of qualitative methods that are based on using interviews to enable participants to report on the meaning of relationships, experiences, and activities. The items in this section of the Online Resource expand on key themes introduced in the chapter.

Papers on key issues in qualitative data collection and analysis

Finlay, L. (2013). Unfolding the phenomenological research process: iterative stages of “seeing afresh”. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 53, 172201. 

Excellent discussion of the core meaning of a phenomenological approach to research

Finlay, L. (2002). “Outing” the researcher: The provenance, process, and practice of reflexivity. Qualitative Health Research, 12(4), 531545. 

Essential reading on researcher reflexivity – one of the most challenging aspects of this type of research

Larsen, D., Flesaker, K. & Stege, R. (2008). Qualitative interviewing using Interpersonal Process Recall: investigating internal experiences during professional-client conversationInternational Journal of Qualitative Methods, 7, 18–37. 

Introduction to the theory and practice of IPR – a valuable technique for exploring the process of therapy

McGrath, C., Palmgre, P. & Liljedahl, M. (2019). Twelve tips for conducting qualitative research interviews. Medical Teacher, 41(9), 10021006.

Short paper that summarises principles for conducting effective interviews as part of qualitative data collection

Davies, A. & Morris, M. (2018). A Collaborative Inquiry into the Positioning of Gender Practice within Systemic Psychotherapy. SAGE Research Methods Cases in Psychology. DOI: 

Explores the value of a collaborative approach when conducting qualitative research

Cloutier, C., & Ravasi, D. (2021). Using tables to enhance trustworthiness in qualitative research. Strategic Organization, 19(1), 113133. 

Looks at various ways of using tables to add clarity to qualitative research articles

Tufford, L., & Newman, P. (2012). Bracketing in qualitative research. Qualitative Social Work, 11(1), 8096. 

Influential and extremely useful discussion of this essential aspect of qualitative analysis

Rennie, D. L. & Fergus, K. D. (2006).  Embodied categorizing in the grounded theory method:  Methodical hermeneutics in action.  Theory and Psychology, 16, 483–503. 

Discussion of the importance of embodied knowing in qualitative analysis

Articles that discuss issues involved in writing qualitative articles are available in the Chapter 15 section of this Online Resource.