ABSTRACT
Recent years have seen a significant change in the methodologies used to study social phenomena, a change that has been called “welcome,” “bewildering,” and “profound” at the same time. While quantitative methods continue to play an important role, there has been an enormous increase in the use of, and reliance on qualitative methods. Researchers have come to accept the fact that no one method can answer all questions. Fieldwork and qualitative methods were in common use in the past in disciplines such as anthropology and sociology. Today, these methods have spread into, and become acceptable by, other disciplines, including education, adult education, mass communication, police and criminal justice, among others. 1 Qualitative methods also became an important tool in the evaluation of public policies and programs, and particularly their impacts and outcomes. 2
