Qualitative methods are well suited to advance the understanding of the role of social contextinthe development of maladaptation and psychopathology. However, they have not been widelyused by developmental psychopathologists, despite being utilized in related fields, particularly inthe sociological study of crime and delinquency. This article assesses the potential for theincreased use of qualitative methods in developmental psychopathology and addresses thechallenges involved in integrating them with quantitative research strategies. The interplay ofqualitative and quantitative methods in the study of juvenile delinquency is reviewed for relevantlessons about both the utility and the difficulties of integrating the two types of methods. Theproblem of assessing continuities and discontinuities over the life course in patterns of antisocialbehavior is discussed as an example of the challenge of integrating methodological paradigms.Schools of thought about qualitative methods and their relationship to quantitative researchparadigms are identified and compared. Examples are discussed of narrative life historyinterviewing and qualitative observational techniques and of recent research endeavorsintegrating these qualitative techniques with quantitative data analyses.