Qualitative Methods in Europe: The Variety of Social Research

Abstract

This paper serves as an introduction to the special issue of FQS on "Qualitative Methods in Europe". It outlines the particular situation of qual­itative research in this realm, which is charac­terised by diversity and unity. Diversity since the different intellectual traditions and institutional structures of the social sciences, which form the background of qualitative research differ signifi­cantly between the various countries. This variation indicates a number of traditional ways to do qual­itative research that complement and complete the well-known Anglo-Saxon development. Unity, since despite all the differences, the various ways of doing research are characterised by the inter­pretive paradigm, a way of "doing" social sciences that builds on meaning, understanding and context. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0503342

Keywords

• qualitative methods
• Europe
• interpretive social research