استفاده از رویکردهای کمی و کیفی در پژوهشهای علوم پزشکی

Many research articles in medical sciences, public health services and health behavior of the population are being published, yet, few of them are qualitative. About 3 to 4 per 1000 indexed medical articles during 1998 to 2001 are qualitative studies. This figure is 0.7 to 1 per 1000 for Iranian Journals. Qualitative approach in health research can produce deeper and unique knowledge concerning the socio-cultural aspects of health habits and health needs of the communities and completes the findings of the quantitative investigations. This article compares the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches.