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Aging Research - Methodological Issues pp 73–81Cite as

Qualitative Research in Gerontology and Geriatrics

Abstract

What makes qualitative research a unique approach is its ability to create in-depth knowledge about the topic under study. In this chapter, we first discuss qualitative research methods in general. Several approaches exist to conduct qualitative research and we examine how these methods can be used to study issues that affect older adults, highlighting the relative strengths and weaknesses of these methods. We present and discuss several data collection strategies: observation, in depth interviews, focal discussion groups, diaries and other registries. We also provide a few ideas on how to overcome typical challenges faced when using qualitative methods to study issues that affect older adults.

Keywords

  • Qualitative research
  • In-depth interviews
  • Sampling strategies in qualitative research

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Maryland School of Social Work, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Fernando A. Wagner & Chioma Nwakanma Wosu

  2. Morgan State University School of Social Work, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Laurens G. Van Sluytman & Halaevalu F. Ofahengaue Vakalahi

Authors
  1. Fernando A. Wagner
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  2. Laurens G. Van Sluytman
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  3. Halaevalu F. Ofahengaue Vakalahi
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  4. Chioma Nwakanma Wosu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fernando A. Wagner .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Geriatrics, Mexico City, Mexico

    Carmen García-Peña

  2. National Institute of Geriatrics, Mexico City, Mexico

    Luis Miguel Gutiérrez-Robledo

  3. National Institute of Geriatrics, Mexico City, Mexico

    Dr. Mario Ulises Pérez-Zepeda

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Wagner, F.A., Van Sluytman, L.G., Ofahengaue Vakalahi, H.F., Wosu, C.N. (2018). Qualitative Research in Gerontology and Geriatrics. In: García-Peña, C., Gutiérrez-Robledo, L., Pérez-Zepeda, M. (eds) Aging Research - Methodological Issues. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95387-8_6

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