Introduction
ἆρ᾽ οὖν οὐχ ὑπάρχειν δεῖ τοῖς εὖ γε καὶ καλῶς ῥηθησομένοις τὴν τοῦ λέγοντος διάνοιαν εἰδυῖαν τὸ ἀληθὲς ὧν ἂν ἐρεῖν πέρι μέλλῃ;
If a speech is to be good, must not the mind of the speaker know the truth about the matters of which he is to speak?
— Socrates, Phaedo (260a)
Science is not a single set of instructions on how to understand the world around us. It is a set of basic ideas implemented through numerous evolving methodologies. Part of thinking critically about science involves understanding the different ways scientists collect and analyse information. This chapter will introduce you to descriptive or qualitative research methods. We will begin by understanding the definition of qualitative research and then go on to explore different types of qualitative research.
