When conducted with sufficient attention to academic rigor, quali¬tative research can be useful in allowing researchers to gain under¬standing of why, how, and under what conditions programs, policies, or interventions are or are not effective. Qualitative research has great utility when the research context is not sufficiently understood and when the perspectives of receivers of service are of interest as well as those of the deciders, planners, and implementers of services. In-depth analysis can provide helpful insights into the experience of intervention program recipients and this is particularly useful in the search for unintended consequences of intervention. In other words, qualitative research is typically descriptive or exploratory research.