Includes bibliographical references and index.

This case study outlines the planning and implementation of a study examining language choice in medical visits. In this case study, I describe the three types of methods used in data collection: audio recordings of medical visits between nurse practitioners and patients, interviews with patients following their visit, and ethnographic observations of the clinics and the providers roles and responsibilities. I then explain why these methods were chosen and the additional decisions that had to be made in order to implement the research. I also present some of the confounding issues that arose when undertaking qualitative research in health-care settings including logistical issues of access and approval, procedural decisions, and the adjustments I had to make even after the study had been approved. I also discuss the ways in which questioning and interviewing practices can create distance between the researcher and the participants, which may influence the data that are ultimately collected.

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