The Value of Qualitative Inquiry for Public Policy

This article focuses on public policies and programs as a major component of the “public sphere,” and argues that qualitative inquiry can make uniquely valuable contributions to their development and evaluation. These contributions include understanding (a) how people interpret and respond to such policies, (b) contextual variability and its effects on the implementation and consequences of these policies, and (c) the processes through which policies achieve their results. The movement for “evidence-based” policy and practice has largely ignored these issues, but they are critical for developing policies that actually achieve their goals and avoid unintended and damaging consequences.