Interconnected pathways forming a brain with data streams, representing critical qualitative research in public health.

Beyond the Bare Bones: How Critical Qualitative Research Can Transform Public Health

Soraya Malik in Health & Wellness June 2025 • 4 min read.

"Uncover the power of theoretically engaged qualitative research to drive meaningful change and address complex issues in public health."

For years, qualitative research has played a role in the Canadian Journal of Public Health (CJPH), but the journal seeks to be recognized as a hub for critical research that incorporates social theory and innovative methodologies. The goal is to foster deeper insights into multifaceted health issues and drive meaningful change.

This article will explore the meaning of critical, theoretically engaged qualitative research and advocate for its importance in public health research and practice. It will also present modifications made to the CJPH's manuscript submission process and highlight contributions to public health scholarship. The intent is to encourage the public health community to support this vision by enhancing informed qualitative research to transform public health.

Qualitative research delves into the 'why' behind health issues, providing context and depth that quantitative data alone cannot capture. By integrating critical perspectives and social theories, researchers can uncover root causes of health inequities and develop more effective, socially just interventions.

What is Critical, Theoretically Engaged Qualitative Research?

Interconnected pathways forming a brain with data streams, representing critical qualitative research in public health.

Qualitative research dives into the quality and essence of social phenomena through language and visual data, sidestepping numerical transformations for statistical representations. It's about deeply understanding the complexities of human experiences and social contexts, not just counting them. Researchers immerse themselves in real-world settings, using naturalistic inquiry to capture the nuances of daily life and social interactions.

This approach is particularly useful for exploring questions that traditional quantitative methods might overlook. It acknowledges the active role of the researcher in interpreting the phenomenon of interest, emphasizing context and complexity.

Commitment to Social Justice: Critical research actively promotes social justice and equity, challenging the status quo and seeking to address power imbalances.
Questioning Assumptions: It rigorously examines and challenges assumptions that are often taken for granted in public health practice and research.
Epistemological Awareness: It navigates the tensions between social science and public health, recognizing these as opportunities for deeper understanding and innovation.

The integration of social theory is crucial. Rather than merely using theories as labels, critical qualitative research genuinely engages with foundational social theories to interpret social phenomena. This goes beyond surface-level analysis, providing a richer, more nuanced understanding of the issues at hand.

The Future of Qualitative Research in Public Health

This special section of CJPH marks a pivotal step toward embedding critical, theoretically engaged qualitative inquiry into the core of public health scholarship. By embracing these approaches, public health researchers and practitioners can unlock new insights, challenge existing paradigms, and ultimately contribute to more equitable and effective health outcomes for all.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.17269/s41997-018-0154-2, Alternate LINK

Title: Beyond Bare Bones: Critical, Theoretically Engaged Qualitative Research In Public Health

Subject: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Journal: Canadian Journal of Public Health

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Eric Mykhalovskiy, Joan Eakin, Brenda Beagan, Natalie Beausoleil, Barbara E. Gibson, Mary Ellen Macdonald, Melanie J. Rock

Published: 2018-11-21

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly is critical, theoretically engaged qualitative research?

Critical, theoretically engaged qualitative research delves into the quality and essence of social phenomena, focusing on language and visual data rather than numerical representations. It aims to deeply understand human experiences and social contexts. This approach is significant because it allows researchers to explore 'why' behind health issues, providing context and depth that quantitative data alone cannot capture, leading to a richer understanding of complex issues in public health.

What are the main goals of critical qualitative research?

The main goals are to promote social justice, challenge existing assumptions, and foster epistemological awareness. Critical research actively promotes social justice and equity, by challenging the status quo and addressing power imbalances. Questioning Assumptions: It rigorously examines and challenges assumptions that are often taken for granted in public health practice and research. Epistemological Awareness: It navigates the tensions between social science and public health, recognizing these as opportunities for deeper understanding and innovation. By focusing on these, public health can uncover root causes of health inequities and develop more effective, socially just interventions.

Why is social theory so important in critical qualitative research?

Social theory is crucial because critical qualitative research genuinely engages with foundational social theories to interpret social phenomena. This goes beyond surface-level analysis, providing a richer, more nuanced understanding of the issues at hand. Using theories as labels is not enough. The integration allows researchers to interpret social phenomena in greater detail, which is significant because it moves beyond a shallow understanding, leading to a deeper comprehension of the multifaceted nature of health issues and their social implications. Without this deep dive, the root causes of inequities may be missed.

How is the Canadian Journal of Public Health (CJPH) contributing to this type of research?

The modifications made to the *CJPH*'s manuscript submission process and the contributions to public health scholarship are aimed at encouraging the public health community to support the vision of enhancing informed qualitative research. The *Canadian Journal of Public Health (CJPH)* seeks to be recognized as a hub for critical research that incorporates social theory and innovative methodologies. This approach is important to encourage the public health community to support this vision by enhancing informed qualitative research to transform public health. This enhances the journal's role in shaping the future of public health scholarship, which can inform more effective interventions. These contributions are not explicitly detailed but serve as evidence of the journal's commitment to these methods.

What are the implications of using critical, theoretically engaged qualitative research?

By embracing critical, theoretically engaged qualitative inquiry, public health researchers and practitioners can unlock new insights and challenge existing paradigms. This approach contributes to more equitable and effective health outcomes for all. The implication of embracing these approaches is significant because it leads to a deeper understanding of health issues and their social context, leading to development of more effective interventions. This marks a pivotal step toward embedding critical, theoretically engaged qualitative inquiry into the core of public health scholarship, leading to positive outcomes.