Popular in its first edition for its clear delineation of the issues and the way it prepared readers for Doing Qualitative Research, particularly in health settings, this new second edition will show readers new ways of knowing, how to ask questions at multiple system levels (from global to family to the cell) and the incursive interaction between these levels, and ways to expand existing research approaches.

New to this edition is more on various collection methods as well as more detail on the interpretive process. Chapters are written by a gifted researchers, many of whom are also clinicians, who define their topic, reveal themselves and the context of their discussion, define the key themes and processes, provide interesting descriptive examples, explore theory, recognize the importance of culture, and share their excitement of discovery.

Organized to follow the structure of the qualitative research process, the book begins with an overview of how to decide what methods to use based on aims, objectives, questions, and paradigms of knowing. New, sampling issues and options are highlighted followed by comprehensive coverage of such topics as participant observation, key information interviewing, depth interviews, focus groups, the interpretive process, detailed descriptions of actual analyses using different analysis organizing styles, and the use of computer software for qualitative data management that includes a detailed demonstration of two particular programs, NUD*IST and FolioViews.

The last sections of the book covers specific qualitative designs that are relevant to primary care research, a summary of our present understandings concerning standards in qualitative research, and the role of qualitative research in the future of primary care research.