New methods for qualitative data collection and analysis: vignettes and pre‐structured cases

Abstract

Qualitative researchers need to shaxe methodological inventions so they can be critically tested by others. The vignette is a vivid account of a professional's practice written according to a pre‐specified outline, iterated through interaction with a researcher. It can be used for program evaluation, in‐service training, explanatory research, problem‐solving, and policy planning. The pre‐structured case involves a conceptually‐based, elaborated oudine with associated displays, filled in and iterated to final form during successive site visits. It is cost‐effective and practical for experienced researchers and is useful in both evaluative and explanatory studies. The article reviews the risks and costs of use (for example, bias, researcher load, premature or shallow conclusion‐drawing) and suggests tactics to minimize them.