Dr Melanie Farlie is a Senior Lecturer in Monash University's Department of Physiotherapy. Mel is an educator, physiotherapy researcher and developer of the Balance Intensity Scale.

In this four-part series, Mel introduces qualitative research, provides examples of how you can read and understand qualitative research, explains how you can search for, and evaluate the quality of, qualitative research, and discusses how qualitative research can influence your clinical practice.

Part 1 of this four-part series is an introduction to qualitative research for students and clinicians.

In this episode:

• 0:00 Introduction to Mel and the four-part series
• 2:00 What is qualitative research and why is it important in physiotherapy?
• 3:25 How is qualitative research different from qualitative research?
• 5:35 What are some barriers for clinicians to engage with qualitative research?
• 7:35 Key terminology you need to be familiar with, e.g. reflexivity – being aware of your influence on the research process. Transferability – can the findings be transferred to other similar contexts?
• 13:45 How can clinicians get started with using qualitative research? Don't just read the abstract, read the methods. Look for systematic reviews of qualitative research
• 16:50 Summary – qualitative research can be very useful when it is transferable to your clinical practice. Jump in and start reading

In part 2 we will explore a recently published qualitative study and how this research's findings may apply to clinical practice.

Read more about Dr Melanie Farlie here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/melanie-farlie

We discussed the Balance Intensity Scale: https://rb.gy/cwcfmz

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This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.