This chapter discusses qualitative studies, which explore meanings, experiences, and processes underlying health and illness. It contrasts qualitative and quantitative paradigms, emphasising the depth and richness of qualitative insights. Common methods such as interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and document analysis are explained, alongside analytic approaches including thematic analysis, grounded theory, and phenomenology. Strengths of qualitative research include its ability to capture lived experience, uncover context-specific factors, and generate hypotheses for further study. Limitations include smaller sample sizes, issues of generalisability, and the need for reflexivity in interpretation. The chapter highlights criteria for rigour in qualitative research, including credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability. Examples illustrate applications in exploring patient experiences of chronic illness, barriers to healthcare access, and the implementation of interventions. Ethical considerations, including informed consent, confidentiality, and sensitivity to participant vulnerability, are also discussed. The chapter concludes by emphasising the complementary role of qualitative studies within health research. This chapter maps to syllabus section 3.4, which covers qualitative methodologies, strengths, limitations, and appraisal criteria.