What is qualitative research?

Qualitative research is not alien to information work. Rather, it is something that every information professional does instinctively almost every working day. In the case of one author, this approach to problem solving started as soon as I began my career. When I finished my librarianship course at University College London, I went to work as an assistant librarian in a research library. Although this library employed about six professionals and more than a dozen para-professional and clerical staff, it was managed along very traditional lines, with the chief librarian assuming responsibility for almost everything.

From the first day I noticed that the librarian actually opened all the post himself. This was no mean feat, given our usual delivery of three very full postal bags each morning and a further bag or two in the afternoon. This librarian would spend up to two hours each morning opening envelopes and book packs, sorting items into appropriate piles. Meanwhile, the serials librarian would wait patiently for her morning's work, the secretary would wait impatiently for the corres - pondence, and the rest of us would get on with such important professional tasks as shelving books, sharpening pencils and making cups of tea.