1 Evidence-based decision-making and practice is increasingly important in dental hygiene. Dental hygienists, along with other health professions, should be making clinical decisions based on evidence from sound research. 1,2 Many cli- nicians are challenged, however, when searching for evidence for the types of questions that traditional quantitative research methods have not been able to investigate. There is a growing demand for qualitative methodology in health services research. 3,4 Yet not all health professionals are comfortable with qualitative methods or how to use the knowl- edge derived from qualitative research. 5 Much has been written on qualitative research and methodology, 6,7 and entire scholarly journals are dedicated just to the research methods. However, few dental hygienists read this literature. This obviously limits the range of evidence they can use to help improve health outcomes. 8 Knowledge produced by qualitative studies can play a significant role in a practice that is evidence-based, particularly as social issues affecting health care are becoming increasingly com- plex. 9,10 Yet, some researchers and clinicians call qualitative research “unscientific” either because they are not acquainted with its principles and research methods or because they do not realize its scientific value. 11,12 Part of the problem is that the whole idea of science itself is never really challenged in the biomedical disciplines. Added to this is the fact that the research traditions used in the biomedical disciplines have only a weak relationship with the traditions used in the social sciences. 13,14 As a result, some researchers and clinicians have a limited understanding of the social factors that influence health care. In this paper, we provide a brief background on the basic differences between qualitative and quantitative approach- es to research. Our aim is to challenge readers to examine common assumptions about science and research. We trace the historical development of the idea of science, followed by an overview of the basic tenets of qualitative research. We also provide examples from recent studies to highlight the type of evidence that qualitative research can produce. CHALLENGING TRADITIONAL IDEAS OF SCIENCE We give our own meanings to the words “knowledge,” “science,” and “research” and our interpretations are based on the assumptions that we make. 15 The words “research” and “science” do not appear to be a problem, particularly if one is looking at them from a quantitative, empirical viewpoint—they relate to truth or facts that arise from what can be observed and measured. From this viewpoint, the word “science” conjures up images of laboratory experiments designed to discover universal truths about the world. Here, scientists attempt to test theories and cause-and-effect relationships through controlled experi- ments in controlled environments. This, however, is quite a stereotypical and historically dominant view of science. 16 It has dictated what science is, and what it can and cannot mean. As a result, we seldom, if ever, question the whole idea of science or how we develop our ideas of knowledge. We take for granted what we think we know about science and what it stands for. Using Qualitative Research for Evidence-Based Dental Hygiene Practice by Shafik Dharamsi,* BEd, BSDH, MSc (DESc), PhD; Sandra J. Cobban,† RDH, MDE; and Sharon Compton,‡ DipDH, BSc, MA(Ed), PhD * Clinical Assistant Professor, Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia † Assistant Professor, Dental Hygiene Program, University of Alberta ‡ Associate Professor and Director, Dental Hygiene Program, University of Alberta E VIDENCE FOR PRACTICE But, take a moment to reflect on the following questions: • Where does the idea of science come from and why do we do it? • What makes a scientific project valid? • What meaning can a scientist give to a phenomenon that those who are not scientists cannot give? • What qualifies as knowledge in society? • How do we know something? • How is knowledge developed, transmitted, and maintained in social settings? • What is the relationship between knowledge and the person who “knows” it? • How do scholars and scientists identify knowledge? • What might stand for the evidence that produces knowledge? • How should this evidence be gathered and present- ed? • Who decides what is true and what is false? Who decides what is real and what is fact or fiction? Who decides what is subjective and what is objective? Scholars have argued about the “true” definition of sci- ence for a long time. Different camps have different philosophies of science: there are empiricists, positivists, functionalists, structuralists, feminists, relativists, interpre- tivists, constructivists, phenomenologists, realists, materi- Citation for article: Dharamsi S, Cobban S, Compton S. Using qualitative research for evidence-based dental hygiene practice. CJDH. 2004;38(5):220-25.