International Journal of Social Research Methodology Vol. 12, No. 1, February 2009, 19–31 ISSN 1364-5579 print/ISSN 1464-5300 online © 2009 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/13645570701804292 http://www.informaworld.com Inside qualitative, cross-national research: making methods transparent in a EU housing study Deborah Quilgars a *, Marja Elsinga a , Anwen Jones b , Janneke Toussaint b , Hannu Ruonavaara c and Päivi Naumanen c a Centre for Housing Policy, University of York, York, UK; b Research Institute for Housing Urban and Mobility Studies, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands; c Department of Sociology, University of Turku, Finland Taylor and Francis TSRM_A_280482.sgm (Received 1 December 2005; final version received 18 May 2007) 10.1080/13645570701804292 International Journal of Social Research Methodology 1364-5579 (print)/1464-5300 (online) Original Article 2008 Taylor & Francis 00 0000002008 DQuilgars djq1@york.ac.uk Over the last decade there has been a significant growth in comparative, cross- national research and recognition of its potential significance in responding to globalisation pressures. A range of methodological approaches have been documented. However, whilst a growing literature exists on undertaking comparative research generally, less has been published on the experiences of undertaking qualitative research in a cross-national context, particularly in social and housing policy. Qualitative research provides opportunities to gain more detailed understandings of behaviour, attitudes and experiences across countries, but it also raises some of the greatest challenges with respect to interpreting data. This article utilises an eight nation study on housing security and insecurity to make transparent some of the key issues raised in qualitative, cross-national work, including the selection of locations and interviewees, interviewing and analysing material within an institutional context. It argues that further critical sharing of research accounts is required in this important area. Keywords: qualitative methods; comparative; cross-national; housing; Europe Comparative, cross-national social research has a long history, particularly within political science and sociology, but it has developed at a fast pace in the last 15 years in recognition of what might be learnt from policies in other countries in a context of increasing globalisation processes. Whilst all social science is comparative (Doling, 1997), and international comparisons can be made at many levels (including across localities, institutions, regions and even continents), the main focus of comparative analysis has been on explaining the differences and/or similarities between nation states (Hantrais, 1999). In line with broader social science, a range of approaches have dominated comparative housing policy, most particularly Universalist/Macro perspec- tives that stress convergence between countries and Culturalist/Middle-range perspec- tives that have highlighted diversity and divergence, with an acknowledgment that studies often combine elements of both (Doling, 1997; Kemeny & Lowe, 1998; Lowe, 2004). Within both approaches, but particularly the former, quantitative research has dominated research, with this balance not being redressed with the emergence of ‘micro-scale’ comparative housing studies (focussing on cities or regions) utilising *Corresponding author. Email: djq1@york.ac.uk