Qualitative Methods in Field Research: An Indonesian Experience in Community Based Practice

Occupational therapy is increasing its focus on community based practice, a focus that necessitates innovative approaches to evaluating rehabilitation programs. The appropriate match of methodology to research question is important, but conducting rigorous research in a community setting has numerous practical and academic difficulties, particularly in the cross-cultural context. A lack of cultural and religious sensitivity may compromise the quality of data collected, while thorough reliability procedures are required to enhance the credibility of study findings. The purpose of this article is to illustrate how a qualitative, multimethod approach to research (questionnaires, key informant interviews, and focus group interviews) was used in a cross-cultural evaluation study of volunteer community based rehabilitation cadres in Indonesia. The strengths and limitations of each method are examined in the context of their application to this experience in the field.