Qualitative research in fertility and reproduction: Does it have any value?

Abstract

Quantitative researchers may argue that a finding or result is more likely to be accepted as a fact if it is quantified (expressed in numbers), than if it is not (Black, 1994). 'There is little or no scientific evidence, for example to support the well-known "fact" that one couple in 10 is infertile, yet most of us are happy to accept uncritically such simplified, reductionist, and blatantly incorrect statements, so long as they contain at least one number' (Greenhalgh & Taylor, 1997, p. 740). Interest in qualitative methods and their wider exposure in health care has led to necessary scrutiny of this type of research (Mays & Pope, 2000). This article compares the basic purpose and focus of quantitative and qualitative research, and draws attention to the relative lack of qualitative research in fertility and reproduction compared to quantitative methods. The authors highlight the strengths and weaknesses of both methods and promote qualitative methods as a valuable tool in fertility and reproduction related studies.