Qualitative research in the social
sciences has risen to prominence
in recent years. Although
there may be an
impression that qualitative research
is new to special education, its history can
be traced back almost two centuries. Certainly, at
present, the qualitative studies genre is broad,
complex, and growing; hence, settling on one
definition is difficult. A definition that we believe
is flexible enough to be inclusive is that qualitative
research is a systematic approach to understanding
qualities, or the essential nature, of a phenomenon
within a particular context. We begin
with the assertion that qualitative designs do produce
science-based evidence that can inform policy
and practice in special education, and we
further claim that, similar to the other research
genres covered in this special issue of Exceptional
Children, qualitative research involves