Qualitative Analysis and Evidence-Based Practice (Essay Sample)

The Relationship between Qualitative Analysis and Evidence-Based Practice
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The Relationship between Qualitative Analysis and Evidence-Based Practice
There has been an increased emphasis on the use of evidence-based practice in various mental health disciplines and schools of psychology where there has been a tendency to equate the idea of evidence with qualitative data. This has increased qualitative evaluation studies, which are encapsulated in the social work literature, and an observation has been made that it paints an optimistic view of interventions used. Qualitative research advocates have also provided explicit guidelines that can be in the conduct of qualitative studies. Qualitative data developed in the context of well-controlled quasi-experimental research or experimental research has been equated with the evidence used in the evidence-based practice. There has been a growing body of published literature, which provides invaluable information regarding the importance of these techniques and strategies (Browne & Moloney, 2002). Therefore, this paper aims at establishing the relationship between qualitative and evidence-based practice as integral practices used in social work studies.
According to Shek, Tang and Han, (2005) qualitative evaluation employed in the context of social work have good qualities, which can be used to deduce meaningful conclusions regarding the interventions used in social work. This has led to a rise in the number of social researchers, seeking to identify the complementary role of qualitative research, in the development and implementation of an effective evidence based practice, which can be used in social work studies. Methods used in qualitative research can be useful in providing answers to questions, which are relevant to practice, but are difficult to answer using quantitative or experimental methods. For example, Browne and Moloney, (2002) used qualitative research in their methodology, using content analysis, which is acknowledged as an essential tool in qualitative research. Although the approach is quantitative, there are several ways quantification can facilitate qualitative work. In this study, social workers completed questionnaires, and they examined varying aspects of foster placements. In this context, listening to the words of a text by a respondent can enhance better understanding of what is being expressed. In such a case, qualitative research plays an essential role because some of the information and understanding of the text cannot be quantified. The qualitative methods adopted in the study was reductive, where the written data were condensed into units, which reflected the patterns in an attempt to deduce the patterns and explanations of what happens during foster placement.
These qualitative approaches provide a social validity, from the perspective of the participant, which is an important aspect of evidence based studies. There are numerous contributions of qualitative research towards an evidence-based practice. For example, qualitative research enhances the generation of hypothesis t...