Qualitative Inquiry in Social Work

Qualitative Inquiry in Social Work is a global publication that bridges gaps between oral transmission and journal articles. The writing is informal, personal, and interesting and matches our experiences as qualitative inquirers. We chose the word "inquiry" over "research" because the term "in-quiry" has a broad sweep that includes research and goes beyond it. Jim Drisko wrote about the nature of inquiry in his article for this issue. He said inquiry involves fun, creativity, wonder, and speculation. The articles in QISW have these qualities. Such writing makes ideas accessible to a wide audience. Think about what's in your fieldnotes, the kinds of things you say about your research in relaxed settings, and what you think about but don't write down or even talk about. That's what we want for QISW. QISW is a publication of the Qualitative Social Work Global Network that arose from Social Work Day, the great qualitative social work get-together that happens each May at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, in Urbana, Illinois, USA. Norman Denzin is the originator and director of ICQI. Qualitative inquiry includes reflections, speculations, theorizing, and creating accounts not only of human phenomena but also how our efforts might bring about positive social change.