ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces qualitative research methods and covers how this non-statistical approach is used to describe a set of inquiry techniques and processes used to gather data about social phenomena. Qualitative data refers to some collection of words, symbols, pictures or other non-numeric records, materials or artifacts that are collected by a researcher, and are data that have relevance to the social group under study. The uses for these data go beyond simple description of events and phenomena; rather, they are used for creating understanding, for subjective interpretation and for critical analysis. Qualitative research differs from quantitative research in the fundamental ways described in this chapter.
