[Clinical and qualitative research on acu-moxibustion: considerations on acupuncture clinical trail methods]

Qualitative research refers to a generic name of research methods corresponding to the quantitative research. It is different from quantitative research not only in methods, properties of the collected data, but also and particularly in philosophy, ideology and epistemology. In the present paper, the authors make a brief introduction about the background and methodology of qualitative research, and forecast the future possible tendency of the combined clinical trails of acu-moxibustion. Hopefully, it may provide a possible model for acupuncture clinical research methods and make the acupuncture researchers understand the qualitative research methods in clinical practice so as to promote the further development of acupuncture clinical trails, improve the level of acupuncture theory and provide substantial acupuncture clinical evidence.