Content area
Full text
As an analytic paradigm, qualitative research offers much to clinical speech-language pathology. This paradigm has a long history of use in the social sciences, and it is well suited to address the complex issues of speech, language, and communication. As an introduction to this forum on qualitative research, this article provides an operational definition of qualitative research, discusses the primary distinguishing traits of this research paradigm, and describes six viable traditions of inquiry for our application. Additionally, numerous qualitative studies within our field are considered, and five potential reasons for the increased use of qualitative research studies in our discipline are discussed.
Key Words: qualitative research, communication, language disorders, development, research
The objective in this clinical forum is to provide the practicing clinician with a greater understanding of and appreciation for qualitative research and how it can be effectively employed in speech-language pathology. This forum consists of five articles. As the lead article, we will present an operational definition of qualitative research, a discussion of some of the more relevant traits of this expansive research paradigm, and a description of various qualitative research traditions. Woven throughout this article will be illustrations and discussions of various qualitative studies from clinical speech-language pathology. The other articles in this forum will provide further understanding and support for qualitative research based on what this research paradigm has contributed or what it may contribute to our discipline. In the second article, Simmons-Mackie and Damico (2003) discuss how important qualitative research has been to our understanding of normal communication development and the various processes of speech and language. In the third article, Tetnowski and Franklin (2003) provide some examples of how qualitative research has informed and enhanced various aspects of communication assessment, and in the fourth article, Brinton and Fujiki (2003) show some applications of qualitative research to language intervention. Finally, Culatta, Kovarsky, Theadore, Franklin, and Timler (2003) employ both qualitative and quantitative procedures to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an instructional approach. Taken together, these articles are intended to show past applications, present uses, and the future potential of qualitative research in the field of human communication sciences and disorders.
Toward an Operational Definition of Qualitative Research
To appreciate this research paradigm in our discipline, we must understand...