Qualitative Research SIG

The Qualitative Research Special Interest Group (SIG) is made up of researchers interested in advancing qualitative research as a means to further inform physical therapy practice. We are a cohesive group, with varied research interests that span clinical practice, wellness, teaching and learning, and administration, intent on capturing the perspectives of the multiple stakeholders physical therapists encounter including patients, caregivers, students, educators and rehab team members. Additionally, the SIG is interested in fostering the growth of mixed method design as a means to enrich chiefly quantitative research. As reported in the Physical Therapy Journal (Phys Ther. 2009;89:91-100), “mixed methods research provides physical therapists with opportunities to broaden their scope and depth of understanding patients’ illness, injury, and rehabilitation.” Thus, we as qualitative researchers in this SIG also welcome the quantitative researchers as partners to more fully answer clinically relevant questions by capitalizing on the added value of mixed methods research.