A Qualitative Exploration of the Spatial Needs of...

With homelessness levels rapidly increasing in the UK (Fitzpatrick et al., 2012), the necessity for a study analysing the spatial needs of homeless individuals who suffer from drug abuse and are housed in hostels/night shelters was paramount. The task of the critical appraisal is to firstly, summarise the research article A Qualitative Exploration of the Spatial Needs of Homeless Drug Users Living in Hostels and Night Shelters (2013), discuss the methodology presented throughout it and further examine if whether it was appropriate for the topic. Towards the end, the research findings will be discussed and an assessment of whether the article is beneficial for the housing sector or not, will be provided, along with any possible†¦show more content†¦The study appears to follow the patterns of a qualitative research in which the predominant feature seems to be the semi-structured interview within a cross-sectional design (Bryman, 2006). Individuals were purposively chosen using maximum variation sampling that helps researchers investigate a certain category based on a certain experience (e.g. accommodation in hostels/night shelters) and search for similarities that would respond to their issue (Given, 2008). It can be argued that the chosen sampling method proved to be suitable since it produced twenty-nine male participants and eleven female ones, all from various backgrounds and ages, as a result of interviews conducted in six different geographical, social and economic areas. They all adhered to the chosen criteria, homeless drug users that have used hostels or night shelters as accommodation, which resulted in mixed experiences and provisions. The researchers have made the method explicit by presenting the layout of the interviews and its duration and indicating the topic guide. Methods were altered during the study in order to insert further data in regard to spatial needs. Although the form of data appears to be clear - the study has used audio files that have been ulterior processed and indexed, no mention of