ABSTRACT
The social sciences proceed in a substantially different manner from the biomedical disciplines. The danger is that a too-narrow focus on meeting medical standards of scientific design may obscure ethical considerations which emerge in the process of conducting health research—considerations which the social sciences are well placed to address. The health social sciences cover a broad and sometimes confusing range of approaches. The criticism of sociology is directed at research into the family where sociology and social psychology may be seen as dominating what counts as 'scientific truth'. Given the common task of social scientists and clinicians in interpreting the experience of illness, there is the need to tread a common path. Qualitative research can be seen as the collection of 'slices of life' which are then dissected and analysed using categories and themes which emerge from the data and from social science theory.
