KUMJ | VOL. 9 | NO. 4 | ISSUE 36 | OCT-DEC, 2011

Qualitative Research and Its Place in Health Research in Nepal
van Teijlingen E, Simkhada B, Porter M, Simkhada P, Pitchforth E, Bhatta P

There has been a steady growth in recent decades in Nepal in health and health

services research, much of it based on quantitative research methods. Over the

same period international medical journals such as The Lancet, the British Medical

Journal (BMJ), The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the

Journal of Family Planning & Reproductive Health Care and many more have

published methods papers outlining and promoting qualitative methods.

This paper argues in favour of more high-quality qualitative research in Nepal,

either on its own or as part of a mixed-methods approach, to help strengthen

the country’s research capacity. After outlining the reasons for using qualitative

methods, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the three main approaches:

(a) observation; (b) in-depth interviews; and (c) focus groups. We also discuss

issues around sampling, analysis, presentation of findings, reflexivity of the

qualitative researcher and theory building, and highlight some misconceptions

about qualitative research and mistakes commonly made.