Background: Those engaged in research might argue that we are involved in a process of explaining the world to others and to ourselves. The way in which we go about that process differs. The kind of questions we are concerned about answering will determine the approach we use, the information we gather and how we analyse the data. Some research questions are best answered using qualitative methods.
Aims: To explain the place of qualitative research methods within the context of different approaches to scientific enquiry. To describe qualitative research through an examination of the characteristics that differentiate it from quantitative approaches, to describe the types of strategies used, and the roles the researcher may adopt. To show how these methods have been applied to the study of stuttering.
Methods & procedures: Stuttering research was reviewed with the aim of finding studies using a range of qualitative methods. Work for discussion was selected based on historical importance, the methods used and the contribution the work has made to our understanding of stuttering and qualitative methods.
Main contribution: Papers using explorative qualitative research and mixed methodologies are described and their various contributions to our understanding of stuttering are discussed.
Conclusions: The qualitative research reviewed in this paper has added to our understanding of the experiences, thinking and views of people who stutter. The reports on people's experiences of therapy show that we still have much to learn and that we need to listen to our clients and involve them in therapy and in outcome planning.