Understanding Qualitative Research: With Examples

Qualitative research is the application of strategies with the aim of understanding how human beings understand, experience, and interpret the social world. Its approaches are applied in various disciplines to evaluate and explain social phenomena, how people adapt to certain events and situations, how people act in a natural setting, and how individuals interact. In case you are looking for qualitative research experts, our professionals evaluate complex phenomena by collecting and analyzing non-numerical data using methods such as content, thematic, and grounded theory analysis to provide meaningful insights into human behavior and societal problems. In addition, this article is a guide to qualitative research highlighting its key characteristics, types, advantages, limitations, data analysis and collection methods, examples, how to write the report and a comparison between qualitative and quantitative research.

What is Qualitative Research?

Qualitative research is the process of collecting and analyzing non-numerical data to gain a deep understanding of an individual's beliefs and experiences. It is a method that emphasizes the use of words rather than numerals in data collection and analysis. In this section, we give a comprehensive overview of some of the basics of qualitative research, such as its characteristics, designs, benefits, limitations, and the differences between qualitative and quantitative research.

Characteristics of Qualitative Research

(1). The setting

A major characteristic of qualitative research is that information is gathered by directly interacting with the participants in a natural setting. The researcher collects information at the site where individuals experience the research problem under study.

(2). Multiple Sources of Data

Qualitative researchers use multiple sources of data, such as observations and interviews, rather than relying on a single data source. They also analyze the information, interpret it, and organize it into categories and themes. Collecting data from multiple sources allows for triangulation, hence increasing the credibility and reliability of the results.

(3). Combining Inductive and deductive data analysis

Researchers build up the patterns and categories by organizing the data into more units of information. The inductive process involves alternating between the themes and the database until the researcher develops a set of themes. The deductive process involves the researcher re-evaluating the data from the themes to determine if more evidence can support each theme.

(4). Role of the Researcher

In qualitative research, the researcher fully participates in data collection using methods such as interviews and observation instead of relying on other sources.

(5). Emergent design

Qualitative research being "emergent" means that it does not have a fixed research design. Some or all of the phases of the process may shift after the researcher begins the process of data collection. For example, the methods of data collection may change, participants or sites may be adjusted, or the research questions may be altered.

(6). Reflexivity

The researcher considers their role in the research and how their culture, background, and experiences can influence how they interpret the findings. This method is not only done to reduce bias while conducting the study but also to identify how the background of the research may influence the study.

Types of Qualitative Research Methods

(1). Phenomenological

In the phenomenological design, the human experience is examined through the description given by the participants. Information is usually obtained through interviews. The goal of this design is to explain the meaning of an experience for each participant. To understand the experience of the participant, the researcher does bracketing.

(2). Grounded theory design

The grounded theory design uses the inductive and deductive approaches to develop theories. In this design, data is collected and analyzed and a theory is developed from the data. Data collection is mainly done through interviews and observation and is conducted simultaneously with analysis. The researcher applies a method called constant comparison where the data collected is compared to the one already gathered.

(3). Ethnography

The ethnographic design involves the systematic process of observing, describing, documenting, and analyzing the ways or particular patterns of a specific culture to understand the behaviors and mannerisms of the people in an environment. Data is generally collected through interviews and observation, where the researcher interviews the key informants.

(4). Case studies

The case study involves an in-depth analysis of a person or groups of people. Data may be collected using various methods, such as interviews or observations.

(5). Historical study

The historical study of qualitative design involves the identification, evaluation, and synthesis of data from the past. It aims to relate the findings of existing research to the ones of modern studies. The main methods of data collection are such as oral histories, eyewitnesses, and physical evidence.

Data collected undergoes two types of evaluation, which are; external criticism and internal criticism. Whereas external criticism establishes data validity, internal criticism establishes data reliability.

Advantages of Qualitative Research

• Qualitative research is flexible in that it uses multiple forms of data collection, such as open-ended questionnaires, interviews, and observation. The use of multiple forms translates to having an opportunity to acquire more clarification on data as the researcher is not limited to sources.
• Qualitative research enables the researcher to collect more data and information, enabling them to gain more details about the research problem and achieve data adequacy, hence effectively answering the research question.
• A key characteristic of qualitative research is that it uses multiple data collection tools. The use of multiple methods makes the data more credible since the strength of one tool amplifies the weaknesses of the other.
• Qualitative research minimizes the chances of missing data due to the use of small sample size and a two-way communication method. The researcher aims for data saturation, where more data collection does not give more insights.
• In qualitative research, in case the participant fails to understand a particular question then the researcher has the chance to make clarifications.
• Qualitative research procedures are cost-effective due to the use of a smaller sample size (sample size depends on the design; phenomenological-1-50, grounded theory and ethnography-30-50, and ethnological studies-100-200).

Limitations of Qualitative Research

• In qualitative research, the researcher has direct contact with the respondent and this may affect the results. They may be tempted to report what did not happen or exaggerate the situation and report false information, so results may be influenced by bias. Confirmability in qualitative research can address this by ensuring the researcher is transparent with the reporting of findings.
• Qualitative data collection methods such as interviews, document analysis, focus groups, and observation tend to leave the researcher with massive amounts of data and its analysis may be complex since the researcher has to retain only the relevant information.
• Qualitative research studies are flexible in that researchers have to apply different procedures to collect data. An important aspect of research is that the results should deliver similar results, and this can be challenging because people have different feelings.
• The limited number of samples used in qualitative research makes it difficult for researchers to generalize the findings.

What is the Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research?

Quantitative research is a method of collecting and analyzing data to test hypotheses and understand the relationships between variables. A major difference between qualitative and quantitative research is in the type of data where; in the former, it is non-numerical, while in the latter, it is numerical. There are also other major differences between the two methods, which are described in the table below:

A Table Highlighting the Key Differences Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research

The table below shows the key differences between qualitative and quantitative research.

Qualitative Research Methods

Qualitative research methods are a way of collecting non-numerical data to understand human experiences and behavior. These methods usually involve a one-on-one interaction with the researcher. This section gives a detailed explanation of each method, explains the process of data analysis, demonstrates how to do report writing in qualitative research, and gives examples for reference.

(1). Observation

Participant observation is a qualitative method associated with the ethnography research design whose aim is to help the researchers understand the perspectives held by the population under research. It takes place in a communal setting whose location is believed to have relevance to the research question. It helps the researcher gain an understanding of the physical, social, and economic contexts, relationships among people, and their behavior and activities.

Strengths of Participant Observation

• Developing a familiarity with the participants under study gives the researcher an improved understanding of the context that can only be obtained from personal experience.
• Through observation, the researcher can reveal factors important for a thorough understanding of the research problem that were unknown when the study design was made.
• Participant observation allows the researcher to gain insights into the population relationships, behavior, and context.

Weaknesses of Participant Observation

• Observing is a time-consuming process, and this is impractical for most applied research studies, which require a short period of data collection.
• It is difficult to document the data because the researcher has to write down everything while at the same time keeping track of events.

(2). Interviews

In interviews, the researcher engages with the participant by asking questions, listening attentively to the participant's answers, and asking follow-up queries based on the responses. The interview can be done either face-to-face or on the phone, depending on a variety of factors, such as location. It is useful for understanding the perspective of the individual.

Strengths of Interviews

• Interviews are an opportunity for the researcher to gain insights into how people interpret the world.
• Enables the researcher to understand the connection and relationship between a person and particular events and beliefs.

Weaknesses of interviews

• The interview process has a lot of stages that demand time; hence, it is time-consuming. Even after data collection, transcription and data analysis is equally a lengthy process.
• The lack of anonymity in some interview methods, such as face-to-face interviews, may affect the quality of answers from the respondent.

(3). Focus Groups

A focus group is a method where one or multiple researchers and participants meet as a group and discuss a research topic. A major advantage is that they produce a large amount of information over a short period. The method is also effective in acquiring a wide range of views about a specific topic.

Advantages

• The type and range of data generated from the social interaction of the group are deeper and richer, ensuring accurate decision-making.
• Focus groups show a higher possibility to explore topics and generate more information due to the availability of a large audience compared to other qualitative methods such as interviews.

Disadvantages

• There is a possibility of bias and manipulation by the researcher through dominating participants.
• The difficulty in generalizing findings from the focus group to a larger population as it is difficult to have an accurate representative sample.

Data Analysis Methods in Qualitative Research

Data analysis in qualitative research is the process of transforming raw data collected into evidence-based interpretations. It entails classifying, comparing, weighing, and synthesizing data to extract the meaning to reveal patterns or describe a series of events in a coherent narrative. Different approaches can be used to make sense of the data, some of which are discussed below:

(1). Content Analysis

Content analysis is an analytic method that aims to quantify data in terms of categories in a systematic manner. It can be used to evaluate textual data to check for patterns and trends in the words used. This approach is commonly used in document analysis and interview transcripts.

(2). Thematic Analysis

Thematic analysis is a method for identifying, analyzing, and reporting themes within the data. There are two main steps involved when conducting this analytic approach; reading through the transcript to understand the data and re-examining it to make sense of what is being said by the respondents as a group.

(3). Narrative Analysis

In narrative analysis, the respondent's stories are analyzed, and s retold in a framework that will be understandable to the readers. In the first process of data collection, the information is not given in chronological order, so when the qualitative researcher is conducting the narrative analysis, they highlight key elements such as time, place, and setting.

(4). Semiotic Analysis

Semiotic analysis is an approach that aims to uncover the hidden meanings in a data set. The researcher goes beyond the ordinariness of everyday activities to gain a deeper understanding of the data. Its main aim is to identify any themes that have been suppressed by others.

(5). Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDA)

CAQDAs software are computer-assisted programs that assist researchers with the process of qualitative data analysis. Common software used in this process uses the code-and-retrieve theme, which allows the researcher to code text while using the computer and get the coded text. Additionally, the software handles the process of writing marginal codes and making photocopies of transcripts.

Common examples of qualitative software are Nvivo, ATLAS.ti, MAXQDA Miner, and Dedoose.

Report Writing in Qualitative Research

After conducting qualitative research, one needs to write to distribute the research findings so that other people can read and apply them in future studies. Writing in qualitative research must be a convincing argument systematically presenting data to support the researcher's case and disapprove of alternate explanations. Qualitative reports do not follow the format of a scientific one, but instead, they have their own, which consists of:

• Title
• Table of contents
• Executive summary
• Introduction
• Theoretical framework
• Setting and characteristics of respondents.
• Research design and methodology
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion and a detailed explanation for implementation, interventions, and ideas for future research.

Examples of Qualitative Research

Qualitative idea for a food company

A food industry company wants to introduce a new product in the market and wants to evaluate its selling rate. They hired an expert qualitative researcher who held a focus group of 10 people in 25 different regions to evaluate customer experience and satisfaction with the product. They then conducted a content analysis to identify patterns and trends in the data set on the effectiveness of the product. They developed an analysis report and presented them to the relevant stakeholders for evaluation and decision-making.

Qualitative research in marketing example

A marketer wants to evaluate the buying trends of customers to identify which products are in the most demand. They used the document analysis method using sources such as company reports, previous marketing research studies, and sales figures from their company data and their field to identify which products are in high demand. Insights gathered from analyzing the data were used to introduce highly demanded goods and boost sales.

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Summary

Qualitative research is a method of learning about social reality to explore and explain the behavior of people in a specific setting. Unique elements that distinguish qualitative research from other methods are such as the setting, the role of the researcher, the multiple data sources, how it uses an inductive and deductive approach and reflexivity. The types of qualitative research methods include phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory, case studies, and historical designs. Various methods can be used to collect qualitative data depending on your research objective, and they are observation, focus groups, interviews, document analysis, and open-ended questionnaires.

After data collection, the qualitative researcher can use analysis methods such as thematic, content, narrative, and semiotic analysis or use analysis software such as NVivo or ATLAS.ti to help with the analysis process. After the analysis is done, the qualitative researcher compiles a report to disseminate the findings and present them to future researchers. Our qualitative research experts offer customized solutions depending on your research needs and provide meaningful insights. Are you looking for someone to conduct your qualitative research? Hire our experts today for comprehensive research and analysis. Contact us now for inquiries to get started!