针灸临床研究与质性研究——针灸临床研究方法的思考

鉴于对量性研究在针灸临床研究应用中产生的质疑,本文对质的研究发展背景、研究方法及与针灸临床研究可能的未来结合趋势进行了探讨,希望能够为针灸临床研究方法提供一个可能的模式,让针灸临床研究者能够了解并可能在其临床工作中实践使用质的研究方法,以推动针灸临床研究,提高针灸理论水平,提供真实的针灸临床证据。

Clinical and Qualitative Research on Acu-moxibustion:Considerations on Acupuncture Clinical Trail Methods

Qualitative research refers to a generic name of research methods corresponding to the quantitative research. It is different from quantitative research not only in methods, properties of the collected data, but also and particularly in philosophy, ideology and epistemology. In the present paper, the authors make a brief introduction about the background and methodology of qualitative research, and forecast the future possible tendency of the combined clinical trails of acu-moxibustion. Hopefully, it may provide a possible model for acupuncture clinical research methods and make the acupuncture researchers understand the qualitative research methods in clinical practice so as to promote the further development of acupuncture clinical trails, improve the level of acupuncture theory and provide substantial acupuncture clinical evidence.