This document provides an introduction to qualitative research methodology. It discusses what qualitative research is, including that it aims to understand social life through words rather than numbers. It also covers developing qualitative research designs, comparing methodologies, generating data through methods like interviews and observations, managing and analyzing data, and issues of trustworthiness. The document provides details on these topics and gives examples to illustrate key points about qualitative research methodology.

1. Introduction to
Qualitative Research Methodology
BY: DR. M ISMAIL ZUBAIR MD, MSC

2. Objectives and Discussion Points:
• What is qualitative research?
• Why/How to develop qualitative research design?
• Comparison of different research methodologies
• How to generate data?
• Data Management and Analysis
2

3. What is qualitative research?
3

4. What is qualitative research?
• Qualitative research is characterized by
its aims, which relate to
understanding some aspects of social
life, and its methods which ( in general)
generate words, rather than numbers, as
data for analysis.
• What are people’s experiences of user fees?
• What other barriers exist to accessing health
care?
4

5. What can qualitative methods achieve?
• Generate comprehensive
description of processes,
mechanisms, or settings
• Characterize participant
perspective and experience
5

6. What is 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
• It is an ‘umbrella term’ and many approaches come under it (Atkinson et al.
2001)
• Systematic collection, organization and interpretation of textual
information (also images/video)
• It explores the behavior, perspectives, feelings and experiences of people
• Ethnographers focus on culture and customs
• Grounded theories investigate social process and interaction
• Phenomenologists consider the meaning of experience
• Inductive approach to generating novel insights into phenomena that are
difficult to quantify
6

7. Cont…
• The methodology centers on the way in which human beings make
sense of their subjective reality and attach meaning to it.
• Qualitative research claim that the experiences of people are essentially
context-bound, that is, they cannot be free from time and location.
7

8. Cont…
• Complete objectivity and neutrality are impossible to achieve; the
values of researchers and participants can become an integral part of
the research (Smith, 1983)
• Qualitative methodology is not completely specific, because human
beings do not always act logically or predictably.
• Qualitative research is famous in sociology, education and healthcare
fields.
• Although there are differences between qualitative approaches, It is
sometime difficult to find clear distinctions between them ( Creswell,
1998)
8

9. When to use qualitative methods?
9

10. When to use qualitative research?
What, how and why? (Meaning, not numbers)
• Qualitative methods generally aim to understand
the experience and attitudes of patients, the
community or health care worker.
• These methods aim to answer questions about the
‘what’, ‘how’ or ‘why’ of the phenomenon rather
than ‘how many’ or ‘how much’, which are
answered by quan methods.
10

11. Cont…
• Examples:
• People’s experiences of health needs, health care, accessing care and keeping
healthy.
• Understanding different perspective, such as those of professionals and patients
• How experiences, attitudes and life circumstances affect health needs and
behaviors.
11

12. Scenarios where qualitative research could help
• An NGO has distributed bed nets to villagers, but it appears that they
are not being used. Household interviews…
• You are planning a health promotion campaign about hand washing, to
reduce diarrheal disease…
• MoPH decided to improve EPI coverage among citizens….
12

13. Features of qualitative research
• Meaning, not numbers
• No single answer
• Context is important
• All sort of data
• Subjectivity and reflexivity
13

14. 14

15. The characteristics and aims of qualitative research
• The data have primacy; the theoretical framework is not
predetermined but derives directly from the data
• Qualitative research is context-bound, and researchers must be context
sensitive
• Researchers immerse themselves in the natural setting of the people
whose thoughts and feelings they wish to explore
15

16. Comparison of different research
methodologies
16

17. Differences between QUAL & QUAN methods
17

18. Differences between QUAL & QUAN methods
18

19. Data Collection Methods and Analysis
Qualitative Methods
• Purposive, snow ball, quota
sampling of participants
• Data collection tools: FGDs, IDIs
and KIIs,
• Analyzing: Content analysis;
manifest or latent ( what they
actually say and the underlying
meaning)
Quantitative Methods
• Random, systematic, stratified,
cluster, convenient sampling of
participants
• Data Collection tools:
Questionnaires, structured
interviews
• Analyzing: Bio-statistical
methods
19

20. Types of Study Design
20

21. Type of Study Design:
21

22. Study Designs in Mixed Methods Research
22

23. Cont…
23

24. 24

25. Ethical issues
Four Principles of Tom Beauchamp
and Jim Childress (1983)
• Autonomy; respect the rights of the
individuals
• Beneficence; doing good
• Non-maleficience; not doing harm
• Justice; particularly equity
Two key ethical issues should be
considered
• Consent
• Confidentiality
25

26. How to generate data?
26

27. Data Generation
Data collection methods
• Interview
• Observation
• Document review
Data collection tools
• In-depth Interview (IDI)
• Focus group discussion (FGD)
• Key-informants interview (KII)
27

28. Key issues for interview:
• Access
• Ethical Issue
• Setting
• Rapport
• Managing Expectation
28

29. Some things to bear in mind
• Is eye contact acceptable?
• Is sitting in certain positions
disrespectful
• Do not interrupt- allow silences
• Do not give your opinion or disagree.
• Check whether you have understood
respondents
Some things to avoid while
interviewing:
• Competing distractions
• Asking interviewee
embarrassing/awkward questions
• Asking leading questions
• Jumping too quickly from one subject to
another
• Having more than one idea per questions
• Teaching, giving medical advice
• Counselling,
• Presenting your own perspective
29

30. 30

31. Triangulation
• Triangulation is the process by which several methods ( data source, theories or
researchers) are used in the study of one phenomenon.
• The concept is an ancient Greek word and is a checking system
• Denzin (1989) differentiates between four types of triangulation;
1. Data Triangulation: data from different groups, locations, and times
2. Investigators triangulation: more than one researchers are involved
3. Theory Triangulation: the use of different theoretical perspectives in the study
4. Methodological Triangulation:
1. Within-method (stay in one paradigm, observation and open-ended interview)
2. Between-method (confirm findings, validity), (questionnaire and unstructured interview)
31

32. Cont…
• Data triangulation is different from mixing methods,
• In triangulation, the researcher approach the same problem in
different ways or from different angles
• In the mixed methods, they look at different problems in the same
research study using different approaches
32

33. Data Management and Analysis
33

34. Data Management: Some Practical Issues
• Confidentiality and
security issues
• Consider safety of
participants
• Think of stigmatization,
humiliation, additional
trauma, victimization
• Chose a good interpreter
• Appropriate interview setting
• Don’t leave transcripts lying
around
• Write Identification in code
• Use safe lockers
• Translation
• Translate yourself or choose
appropriate translator
• Brief the translator
• Insist to give you literal
sentence by sentence
translation
• S/he should not ask the
question himself
• Not have eye contact with
translator when asking
question but always with the
interviewee
34

35. Cont…
Recording/transcribing interviews
• Write note during interview or have a
transcriber do this or write notes
afterwards
• The best method is generally to ask a
transcriber to take notes and ask
him/her to go through the notes
afterwards and checking with the
recording
• If the an audiotape is going to be used,
the respondent’s prior permission must
be sought
35

36. Data Analysis:
• The analysis of qualitative data
is often seen as the most
difficult part of the exercise
• There are many different ways
to analyses qualitative data,
thematic, descriptive
approach, or more in-depth
methods
• For most applied projects,
thematic analysis is sufficient
36

37. Thematic Analysis of Data:
• It looks across all the data to
identify the common issues that
recur,
• Identify the main themes that
summaries all the views you have
collected
• This is the most common
method for descriptive qual
projects
The key stages in a thematic
analysis are:
1. Read and annotate transcripts
• Make preliminary observation about
the data
2. Identify themes
3. Developing a codding scheme
4. Coding the data
5. Categories and Sub-categories
37

38. 38

39. 39

40. Trustworthiness in qualitative Research:
40

41. References:
• Atkinson, P. (1995) Some perils of paradigms. Qualitative Health Research, 5 (1) 117-
124.
• Hutchinson, S. & Webb, R (1991) Teaching qualitative research: perennial problems
and possible solutions. In Qualitative Research for Health
• Hudelson, P.M. (1994) Qualitative Research for Health Programs. Geneva, World
Health Organization.
• Leininger, M. (19985) Qualitative Research Methods in Nursing. New York, Grune and
Stratton.
• Bowling A (2002) Research methods in health- Investigating health and health
services, Open University Press
• Green J and Thorogood N (2004) Qualitative Methods for Health Research, London:
Sage.
• Morse, J.M. (re,) (1994) Critical Issues in Qualitative Research, Thousand Oaks, Sage.
41

42. Resources:
• Overview of the Qualitative Research Methods:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsAUNs-IoSQ
• Types of Data Collection and its’ Advantages and Disadvantages:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsAUNs-IoSQ
42

43. 43