title: Dying to know: qualitative research with terminally ill persons and their families.
abstract: This article illustrates the use of qualitative research methods in the field of thanatology. The authors--a former doctoral candidate and her dissertation chair--describe their ongoing naturalistic inquiry of terminally ill persons and their family members. By describing the reasoning and decision-making informing their study, the authors provide an instructive "how to" on the following topics: finding a research question and a method; assessing risks and benefits; sampling; gaining entry/access to research informants; participant observation; interviewing; analyzing data, and establishing "relational integrity." In a final section, the first author offers reflections on the personal challenges she faced while conducting her research.
authors.affiliation: St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Flemons
mesh_terms: D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology; D013795:Thanatology