Much research on family violence rests on the positivistic paradigm, which regards reality as a single entity that can be divided into components and which regards the researcher as completely independent of the research. In contrast, the naturalistic approach views reality as multiple, researchers and research as interactive, and all inquiry as value-laden. Domestic violence is particularly amendable to the naturalistic approach, because it is a subjective, interpretive, process-oriented, and emotional phenomenon. Although the ever-changing questions and unpredictable findings of naturalistic research may appear to conflict with the needs of policymakers for planning and controlling events, qualitative research can be useful in making clear the people and problems they are considering and can suggest a wide variety of options for action. Finally, clinicians may find that qualitative research is more accessible than positive research and helps close the gap between research and practice.