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Preferred term

thick description  

Definition

  • Thick description is a term used to characterize the process of paying attention to contextual detail in observing and interpreting social meaning when conducting qualitative research. A thick description of a social event or action takes into account not only the immediate behaviors in which people are engaged but also the contextual and experiential understandings of those behaviors that render the event or action meaningful. [Source: Encyclopedia of Case Study Research; Thick Description]

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URI

https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/thick_description

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