CDA Essentials 2018 • Volume 5 • Issue 2

31 Issue 2 | 2018 | I ssues and P eople Why did you feel the need to develop a forum for qualitative research? We originally created the MQHRG as a support group for qualitative health researchers at McGill working in clinical and biomedical environments; fields whose research primarily favours a quantitative approach. There was actually a certain animosity towards qualitative approaches to research and we needed a “safe place” to get together, talk amongst ourselves, share ideas, methodologies and tips of the trade. How many members are in the group? Currently, we have an email listserv of 250 people who are interested in the group, and we have about 400 followers on Twitter (@mqhrg). But at our face-to-face meetings at McGill University, we range anywhere between 10 and 40 people, depending on the topic. People are coming and going all the time, especially with graduate students. It’s a very fluid membership. What are some of the MQHRG’s goals and topics that you address? We are trying to create a space where we can talk about qualitative research amongst colleagues and peers who understand the specific challenges we all face. It’s about advancing the conversation on some of the political and technical issues. As new methodologies come forward in the literature, we debate them, think about them, and imagine how we could apply them to our current work at McGill. For example, at a recent workshop, we discussed the social contract and the obligations that dentists have towards the Canadian public; we essentially posed the question “ What makes a ‘good dentist’? ” We also make sure that we have specific sessions for graduate students to come and present their ideas, and get feedback from senior researchers. Ultimately, we are member-driven so we plan our sessions according to our current members’ interests and skills. Why don’t we see much qualitative research in dentistry? First of all, I believe that’s changing and I’m happy about that! Dentistry classically comes from a quite conventional biomedical health field, and has been heavily oriented towards technology. Advocating for the Qualitative Approach At McGill University Qualitative methodologies, such as ethnography, phenomenolog y and discourse analysis, are increasingly included and appreciated in oral health research. For a long time, the qualitative approach was considered too subjective, and thus less rigorous, by some in the academic community—but the tide is shifting. Qualitative designs provide a complementary perspective to quantitative research, as they aim to understand experiences and attitudes and ask the “ how ” and “ why ” questions that can’t always be answered by numeric data. The McGill Qualitative Health Research Group (MQHRG) w as founded by Dr. Mary Ellen Macdonald in 2003 to address issues in advanced qualitative health research. We spoke to Dr. Macdonald, associate professor in the division of oral health and society research in the faculty of dentistry at McGill, to learn more about the group. This interviewhasbeencondensedandedited. Theviewsexpressedarethoseoftheauthorand donotnecessarilyreflecttheopinionsorofficial policiesoftheCanadianDentalAssociation. Dr.Mary Ellen Macdonald mary.macdonald@ mcgill.ca