Qualitative inquiry: an overview for pediatric psychology.
OBJECTIVE
To provide a framework for critically evaluating qualitative research to professionals interested in pediatric psychology. Qualitative methods emphasize the phenomenological experience of participants and may be pertinent to studying contextual factors that contribute to child health and well-being.


METHODS
A basic overview of the types of qualitative research, methodological procedures, and ethical considerations is provided. Examples are drawn from qualitative studies that focus on child and family health.


RESULTS
The article concludes with guidelines for examining qualitative research and recommendations for use in pediatric psychology.


CONCLUSIONS
Qualitative methods have the potential to address important issues in pediatric psychology.
Fiese
B H
BH
Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, New York 13244-2340, USA. bhfiese@psych.syr.edu
Bickham
N L
NL
D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D004995:Ethics, Professional; D005192:Family Health; D006801:Humans; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012107:Research Design