title: Using circular questions as a tool in qualitative research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Circular questions are used within systematic family therapy as a tool to generate multiple explanations and stories from a family situation and as a means to stimulate the curiosity of the therapist while avoiding their temptation to seek a one definitive explanation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To consider the potential for using this approach in qualitative research, with researchers using carefully crafted questions to invite respondents to provide information about the meanings behind a phenomenon or consider how relationships between people contribute to it.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Drawing on examples from a study into children's mental health services, this paper discusses the application of the technique of circular questioning from systemic family therapy to qualitative research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of circular questions is a technique that qualitative researchers could employ in the field when conducting interviews with individuals or groups, or when engaged in participant observation as a means to obtain rich sources of data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circular questioning can help to promote curiosity in the researcher and invite responses that illuminate relational issues between participants in a study.
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whitcombe
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D035844:Researcher-Subject Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: child and adolescent mental health; circular questions; family therapy interviews; interviews; qualitative research; research methods