Qualitative research is often dismissed by academics, but Sylvia Cavanagh and Elaine Gray believe it can offer unique insight

In a culture where randomised controlled trials are considered the ‘gold standard’, qualitative research suffers from the ‘stigma of the small n’. A small number of cases are studied, the cases are not statistically representative of the population and the data collected are unstructured and difficult to analyse. Consequently, some NHS staff may see the study as not worthwhile, and indeed as a waste of money and resources.