Understanding some naturalistic research methodologies.

This article aims to redress the confusion surrounding the meaning of research terms. While most textbooks outline the meanings of different research terms in a way that is very abstract for many readers, this article has taken the opposite approach. It outlines a fictitious scenario and uses it to explain some of the more common research terms from the naturalistic paradigm - research data collected within the natural setting such as an outpatients clinic or health centre, as opposed to a controlled laboratory setting. This type of research is often referred to as qualitative research.