This book is a comprehensive guide to selecting approaches and carrying out qualitative research. Rather than being prescriptive, it provides information on various data collection procedures and how to make decisions about specific qualitative approaches. Its aim is to extend researchers' understanding of the participants in research, be they patients, peers or students, and to improve clinical practice on the basis of evidence from qualitative studies. Each chapter is illustrated with examples of research projects. Topics discussed include: * The nature of qualitative research * The selection of a specific qualitative research approach * The collection and analysis of qualitative data * Writing up qualitative research