Qualitative research focuses on understanding human experiences and behaviors through methods like interviews, observations and document analysis rather than statistical analysis. It seeks to understand phenomena in their natural settings from participants' perspectives. The key approaches to qualitative research include phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography and case studies. Qualitative data is typically in the form of words rather than numbers.

5. Qualitative Research
 ‘Qualitative Research…involves finding out
what people think, and how they feel - or at
any rate, what they say they think and how
they say they feel. This kind of information is
subjective
.
It involves feelings and
impressions, rather than numbers’
Bellenger, Bernhardt and Goldstucker, Qualitative Research in
Marketing, American Marketing Association

6. Qualitative Research
A form of social inquiry that focuses on
the way people interpret and make sense
of their experiences and the world in
which they live
Qualitative researchers aim to gather an
in-depth understanding of human
behavior and the reasons that govern such
behavior.

7. Qualitative Researchers study “things”
(people and their thoughts) in their
natural settings, attempting to make
sense of, or interpret, phenomena in
terms of the meanings people bring to
them.
The qualitative method investigates
the why and how of decision
making, not just what, where, when.

8. The Qualitative Perspective
want to understand the world from your point of
view. I want to know what you know in the way
you know it. I want to understand the meaning
of your experience, to walk in your shoes, to feel
things as you feel them, to explain things as you
explain them. Will you become my teacher and
help me understand?”
James P. Spradley (1979)

9. Bryon 1998 also mentioned the following:
major characteristic of qualitative
research is that it enables a
According to Mattered 2001,
researcher to understand the
phenomenon
social
The aim of qualitative
research is to identify the
meaning of a social
phenomenon the way the
participants experience it
and also perceive it
the meanings attributed to them
participants in the social setting
context in which they occur.
by
or

10. Peoples’own words.
social context
focus groups
behavior
 inductive rather than deductive
Qualitative research
 Any research that doesn’t involve numerical data
Instead uses words, pictures, photos, videos, audio recordings. Field notes.
 Seeks to describe how individuals perceive their own experiences within a
 Emphasizes in-depth understanding of human experience and interactions
 Methods include in-depth interviews, direct observations, examining documents,
 Data are often participants’own words and narrative summaries of observed
 Tends to start with a broad question rather than a specific hypothesis
Develop theory rather than start with one

12. Researcher uses tools (questionnaires or Researcher is the data gathering
Quantitative Qualitative
All aspects of the study are carefully The design emerges as the study unfolds
designed before data is collected.
equipment) to collect data. instrument.
Data is in the form of numbers and Data is in the form of words
statistics. (interviews), pictures (videos), or
objects (artifacts).

13. Qualitative data is, time
consuming, and less able
to be generalized.
Investigation aims to
create a novel theory
(Inductive Reasoning)
Qualitative data infers
complex statements
or opinions
Data collection therefore
permits ‘open’ responses
Quantitative data is
more efficient, able to
test hypotheses.
Investigation aims to
assess a pre-stated
theory (Deductive
Reasoning)
Quantitative data infers
statistics Data collection
therefore requires
closed’responses

14. Comparison

15. Qualitative Research Purpose
Describe Understand Explain
Identify Develop Generate

16. Approaches to Qualitative
Research
Phenomenological
Grounded Theory
Ethnography
biographical
case study

17. Phenomenology
Phenomenology is a school of thought that emphasizes a focus
on people’s subjective experiences and interpretations of the
world.

Describes the meaning of the lived experience about a concept
or a phenomenon for several individuals.

Phenomenological theorists argue that objectivity is virtually
impossible to ascertain, so to compensate, one must view all
research from the perspective of the researcher.

Phenomenologists attempt to understand those whom they
observe from the subjects’ perspective.

This outlook is especially pertinent in social work and research
where empathy and perspective become the keys to success.


18. Grounded Theory
 Grounded theory refers to an inductive process of
generating theory from data.
 This is considered ground-up or bottom-up processing.
 The intent of grounded theory is to generate or discover a
theory that relates to a particular situation. If little is known
about a topic, grounded theory is especially useful

19. Ethnography
 Ethnography emphasizes the observation of details of everyday life as
they naturally unfold in the real world. This is sometimes called
naturalistic research.
 Studying social life in its natural setting
 Ethnography is a method of describing a culture or society. This is
primarily used in anthropological research.
 Involves prolonged observation of the group, typically through
participant observation.
 The researcher examines the group’s observable and learned patterns
of behavior, customs, and ways of life.
 Many ethnographies may be written in a narrative or story telling
approach

20. Biographical Study
 The study of an individual and her or his
experiences as told to the researcher or found in
documents and archival material.

21. Case Studies
 The case study is important in qualitative research, especially in areas where
exceptions are being studied.
 Example: A patient may have a rare form of cancer that has a set of symptoms
and potential treatments that have never before been researched.
 Data collection strategies include direct observation,
interviews, documents, archival records, participant
observation, physical artifacts and audiovisual
materials.
 Analysis of themes, or issues and an interpretation of
the case by the researcher.

22. Designing a Qualitative Study
Problem Statement or Statement of Need for
Study
the

No hypothesis; Research questions which you
want to answer instead.
Opinions differ about the extent of literature
needed before a study begins.


Need to identify the gaps in knowledge
topic.
about the


24. 1. Interviews
 Open-ended questions and probes yield in-depth responses about people’s
experiences, opinions, perceptions, feelings and knowledge.
 Unstructured This method allows the researcher to ask open-ended questions
during an interview.
Details are more important here than a specific interview procedure.
Here lies the inductive framework through which theory can be generated.
e.g. ethnographic interviewing – researcher allows interview to proceed at
respondent’s pace and subjects to vary by interviewee (to an extent)
 Semi-structured – researcher uses an interview guide
 Structured – researcher adheres to interview schedule

26. Interviewing
 Sequencing questions
 Use words that make sense to the people
being interviewed.
 Ask truly open-ended questions
 Avoid questions which can be answered
a yes or no.
 One idea per question.
 Be careful with Why questions.
with

29. 3. Documents
 Written materials and other documents,
programs records; memoranda and
correspondence; official publications and reports;
personal diaries, letters, artistic works,
photographs, and memorabilia; and written
responses to open-ended surveys.
 Data consists of excerpts from documents
captured in a way that records and preserves
context.

31. Focus Groups
 Recruited to discuss particular topic
 One focus group is ONE unit of analysis
 Ideal size: 6 – 12 people and a moderator/note taker
 Running a focus group – fine line between leading too much and not getting people
to contribute
 Important to keep discussion on topic w/o shutting people down
 No right or wrong answers
 Establishing the Group
 Coordination Issues
 Paying your subjects
 Finding a place
 Need at least two research team members; facilitation and note-taking
 Purpose: RICH DATA not generalizability

34. WHAT QUALIATIVE
RESEARCHERS WORRY ABOUT
 Have I coded my data correctly?
 Have I managed to capture the situation in a
realistic manner?
 Have I described the context in sufficient detail?
 Have I managed to see the world through the
eyes of my participants?
 Is my approach flexible and able to change?

36. Qualitative Study Weaknesses
• Knowledge produced might not generalize to other people or other
settings
• It is difficult to make quantitative predictions
•Takes more time to collect and analyze the data when compared to
quantitative research
• The results are more easily influenced by the researcher’s personal
biases and
•it can’t always give you definite answers in the way that quantitative
research can
•it can be easier to carry out (or hide) ‘bad’(poor quality) qualitative
research than ‘bad’quantitative research
•Limitations of the observer
Weaknesses

38. Check Your Understanding:
Question
Which of the following is true about
qualitative research?
A.Categories are established for analysis
purposes.
B.Data are usually collected in a laboratory
setting.
C.Focus is on studying the “whole.”
D.Intuition and abstraction are
suppressed.

39. Check Your Understanding:
Answer
 ANSWER: C
 Qualitative research focuses on understanding the whole, which is
consistent with the holistic philosophy

40. Check Your Understanding:
Question
Data for qualitative studies are:
A. Based on
B. Easy and
C. Gathered
words rather than
straightforward to
quickly from large
numbers.
interpret.
numbers
of people.
D. Precisely analyzed on a computer.

41. Check Your Understanding:
Answer
 ANSWER: A
 In each approach to qualitative
research, the purpose is to examine
meaning, and the unit of analysis is a
word or phrase instead of a numerical
value.

49. http://www.researchpublish.com/journal/IJSSHR/Issue-1-January-2019-March-2019/15

51. Thanks