Mapping Qualitative Research in Psychology across Europe: Contemporary Trends

ABSTRACT

In this special issue, we aim to introduce a mapping of qualitative research in psychology across European settings. Qualitative research in psychology constitutes a complex terrain, with a multiplicity of epistemological and methodological perspectives anchored to a diversity of historical, political, and socio-cultural settings. Despite recent progress toward the institutionalisation of qualitative research in certain countries, the landscape of qualitative research in psychology in Europe remains largely unexplored. Following a brief overview of qualitative research in psychology, we proceed with narrating the story of the “birth” of this special issue. We then briefly introduce the constellation of articles included in this special issue. We conclude with wider implications concerning the venture of establishing qualitative research in psychology in Europe.

KEYWORDS:

• Qualitative research
• qualitative research in psychology
• qualitative research in Europe
• qualitative research in psychology in Europe

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maria del Rio Carral

María del Río Carral, PhD, works as a Lecturer in Health Psychology at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. She teaches qualitative research methodology in psychology at Bachelor and Master levels. Her research interests include: psychosocial implications of digital healthcare; co-construction of health and well-being in different life contexts among different groups (e.g. women senior managers, early-career researchers, professional dancers). She publishes in international journals such as Journal of Health Psychology and Qualitative Research in Psychology. In 2017, she co-edited the second handbook in French of Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology and Social and Human Sciences with Marie Santiago-Delefosse. She co-founded the European Association for Qualitative Researchers in Psychology (EQuiP), and has been elected its first president. This association is aimed at creating bridges among researchers across different cultural, historical, and societal backgrounds.

Eleftheria Tseliou

Eleftheria Tseliou, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Research Methodology and Qualitative Methods at the University of Thessaly, Greece. She holds an MSc in Family Therapy and a Ph.D in Psychology from King’s College, University of London, UK. She teaches research methodology, qualitative methods, and family psychology. Her research interests include the development of discursive research methodologies, like discursive psychology, and the study of psychotherapeutic and educational processes by discourse analysis methodology. She is author of articles in international journals (e.g., Family Process, Journal of Marital Therapy, Journal of Family Therapy) and book chapters on methodological aspects of discursive research methodologies and on family psychotherapy process studies. She is co-editor (with Maria Borcsa) of a special section on discursive methodologies for couple and family therapy research (Journal of Marital and Family Therapy).