ABSTRACT
This discussion arose from a very practical research problem - how to do a systematic analysis of interview data gathered from a sample of counsellors in training. In order to find a solution, we turned to colleagues in the School of Psychology and Counselling at the Roehampton Institute, London. Some of those who contributed to this discussion are counselling psychologists, some are not. But the ensuing debate (which is ongoing) raised issues which go far beyond the immediate problems of one research project. We found that we were inevitably drawn into the debate about the relative merits of quantitative and qualitative research methods, and the appropriateness or otherwise of different research paradigms for the study of personal experiences and meanings.
