Qualitative Research Methods in Medical Education

Abstract

Qualitative research was originally developed within the social sciences. Medical education is a field that comprises multiple disciplines, including the social sciences, and utilizes qualitative research to gain a broader understanding of key phenomena within the field. Many clinician educators are unfamiliar with qualitative research. This article provides a primer for clinician educators who want to appraise or conduct qualitative research in medical education. This article discusses a definition and the philosophical underpinnings for qualitative research. Using the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research as a guide, this article provides a step-wise approach for conducting and evaluating qualitative research in medical education. This review will enable the reader to understand when to utilize qualitative research in medical education and how to interpret reports using qualitative approaches.