Qualitative research in the social sciences: setting the scene

This chapter sets the scene of this book. It discusses the nature of qualitative research, its essence and use in the social sciences. Qualitative inquiry refers to "a broad approach" that qualitative researchers adopt as a means to examine social phenomena. The inquiry is based on an assumption which posits that people use "what they see, hear, and feel" to make sense of social experiences. Fundamentally, it is interpretive. The meanings and interpretation of the participants are the essence of the qualitative inquiry. Qualitative researchers look for meanings that people have constructed. It is valuable in many ways. It offers researchers to hear silenced voices, work with marginalised and vulnerable people, and address social justice issues. In this chapter, I first discuss the nature of the qualitative inquiry, and this is followed by the need for the inquiry in the social sciences. The chapter then moves on to discuss the traditional qualitative research approaches and innovative/emerging research methods in the social sciences. The last part of the chapter provides details of chapters included in this book.