REACTION TO SPECIAL SECTION ON QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN COUNSELING PROCESS AND OUTCOME

The publication of a special section of 8 qualitative studies in the Journal of Counseling Psychology marks a growing recognition of the contribution that qualitative research can make to the discipline. The researchers of the 8 studies used an adaptation of the grounded theory method as their design. The theories generated by the studies are positively evaluated with constructivist criteria. Reactions to the data collection include suggestions that intensive interviews, triangulation, and theoretical sampling may have strengthened the data sets. Response to the data analyses include recognition of the creative and rigorous manner in which the analyses were carried out.