While qualitative research has received greater acceptance in a great variety of disciplines, including health and medicine, the true potential of qualitative analysis seems not to have been realised in such areas. Hence, the critique for presenting anecdotal evidence is often quite fair. With the basis in two examples, this talk will demonstrate how the potential of qualitative analysis is developed by maintaining a strong inductive strategy of concept development. Rather than summarising endless amounts of nuanced data, the qualitative researcher may apply a detailed coding approach to hunt for empirical insight that triggers curiosity and development of novel ideas. On basis of two examples presented, we will develop what are good qualitative research questions and hence good qualitative research.

Aksel Tjora is Professor of Sociology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. His research interests include material-social interaction and communal processes in relation to organisation, culture, public and semi-public spaces, the Internet and personal technologies, as well as health and medicine.