C H A P T E R 2 Research Methodology As highlighted in the previous chapter, there are significant gaps in knowledge about the experiences of homeless women generally and their experiences of service provision, in particular. The current research aimed to advance a more detailed and nuanced understanding of women’s experiences of, and interactions with, support services in the Irish context. The specific objectives of the research were to: 1. Examine women’s interactions with, and patterns of movement through, homeless and other (domestic violence, drug treatment, psychiatric, criminal justice) service systems over time; 2. Examine women’s perspectives on the services they have accessed and on their perceived service needs; and 3. Examine service providers’ experiences of working with homeless women, with particular attention to women’s needs as well as perceived gaps in service provision. The research, which integrates the views and experiences of homeless women and service providers, was designed to yield a detailed analysis of homeless women’s encounters and interactions with services, the manner in which they navigate homeless (and other) service systems and participants’ views on women’s service needs. Research Design The research has three interrelated components: 1. A secondary analysis of selected data from a biographical study of sixty homeless women in Ireland; 2. Case studies (based on semi-structured interviews) of three women who were currently homeless or had recently experienced homelessness and; 3. The conduct of focus groups with staff members from the homeless service sector with experience of working with homeless women. The three components of the research were designed to complement each other and to capture different dimensions of the same phenomenon. This use of more than one approach to the investigation of a research question – frequently referred to as triangulation – has the advantage of enhancing confidence in the ensuing findings (Bryman, 2012).
Women, Homelessness and Service Provision
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