Ekologiya cheloveka (Human Ecology)Ekologiya cheloveka (Human Ecology)1728-08692949-1444Eco-Vector1685510.33396/1728-0869-2016-12-54-59Research ArticleQUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTHKharkovaO A-KholmatovaK K-KuznetsovV N-GrjibovskiA MAndrej.Grjibovski@gmail.comKrupchankaD ADepartment of Social Psychiatry; Institute of Global Health; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience-Arctic University of NorwayNorthern State Medical UniversityNorrlands University HospitalNorwegian Institute of Public HealthInternational Kazakh-Turkish UniversityNorth-Eastern Federal UniversityNational Institute of Mental Health, KlecanyUniversity of GenevaKing's College London151220162312545923102019Copyright © 2019, Human Ecology2019In this paper we present definition, classification and main characteristics of qualitative research as well as its advantages and disadvantages. We also compare the main features of qualitative and quantitative study designs. Examples are given to demonstrate practical steps in qualitative inquiry to demonstrate that qualitative research can sufficiently contribute to evidence generation in medicine and public health complementing quantitative research with answers on questions "why" and "how", which cannot be answered by quantitative research. The paper presents basic information on qualitative studies and does not substitute specialized literature.Qualitative researchclassificationpeculiaritiesadvantagesdisadvantagesкачественное исследованиеклассификацииотличительные характеристикипреимущества и недостаткикачественное исследованиеклассификацииотличительные характеристикипреимущества и недостатки[Природа эмпатии и ее роль в психотерапии. http://hpsy.ru/public/x728.htm (дата обращения: 09.2016)][Страусс А., Корбин Дж. Основы качественного исследования: обоснованная теория, процедуры и техники / пер. с англ. и послесловие Т.С. Васильевой. М.: Эдиториал УРСС, 2001. 256 с.][Улановский А.М. История и векторы развития качественных исследований в психологии // Методология и история психологии. 2008. № 2. С. 129-139.][Холматова К.К., Харькова О.А., Гржибовский А.М. Классификация научных исследований в здравоохранении // Экология человека. 2016. № 1. С. 57-64.][Штейнберг И., Шанин Т., Ковалев Е., Левинсон А. Качественные методы. Полевые социологические исследования. СПб.: Алетейя, 2009. 352 с.][Ягнюк К.В. Сессия К. Роджерса с Глорией: анализ вербальных вмешательств // Журнал практического психолога. 2001. № 1-2.][Creswell J.W. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA, 1998.][Dahlgren L., Emmelin M., Winkvist A. Qualitative methodology for international public health. Umeâ: Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences, Umeâ University, 2007.][Denzin N.K., Lincoln Y.S. Introduction: The discipline and practice of qualitative research // The handbook of qualitative research. Second edition / еd. by N.K. Denzin and Y. S. Lincoln. Thousand Oaks, CA, 2000. P. 1-28.][Hallberg L. R-M. Qualitative methods in Public health research. 2002. 231 р.][Holloway I., Wheeler S. Qualitative Research in nursing. 2002. 304 р.][Morgan D.L. Practical strategies for combining qualitative and quantitate methods: applications to health research // QHR. 1998. N 8. P. 362-376.][Research Methods: Qualitative Research and Quantitative Research. http://www.statisticshowto.com/ research-methods-qualitative-research-and-quantitative-research/. (дата обращения:10. 06.2016)][Smith J. Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA, 2003.]