Qualitative Research Methods

Basics of Qualitative Research

Subjective worldview Naturalistic setting Inductive process Outcome: Description, explanation Design unfolds Researcher collects data observation, interviews, focus groups, documents, reflection All research ultimately has a qualitative grounding - Donald Campbell

Selected Types of Qualitative Research Methods

Case study Interviews Focus groups Surveys Observation

Case Study
Research focused on a particular situation or event or a small set of similar situations or events. Data is collected by multiple means. Research is conducted in a natural setting. Complexity is studied intensively. Suitable for hypothesis development rather than hypothesis testing. Focus is on contemporary events.

Interviews
Purposeful conversation in which one party elicits information from a second party through use of a schedule of questions.
Structured interview Predetermined questions asked in the same order and in the same way. Semistructured interview Interview guide with some freedom to adjust the order of questions and to add questions.

Unstructured interview Relies entirely on spontaneous questions that arise in the natural flow of interaction.

Focus Group
Group of individuals selected by researchers to discuss from personal experience the subject of the research. More than a group interview, combining elements of a meeting and a conversation. Yields consensus and disagreement. Allows for shifts in opinions. Generates new ideas.

Observation
Research to find out what people do in a given situation; focuses on the behavior of people in a particular setting. Formal observation Systematic application of procedures for observing behaviors and collecting data. Participant observation Observer participates in the setting being observed