QUALITATIVE

RESEARCH
DESIGN
I.G.A. Lokita Purnamika Utami
 What we do in qualitative
research?
• We rely on data collected from
interviews, observations, and content
analysis of newspapers, books, videos,
case records, and other already
developed documents.
• We may try to develop new theories
based on what happens in specific
situations.
 What we do in qualitative
research?
• We do not test hypothesis or previous
theories.
• We do not try to generalize our
findings.
• We do not know or try to develop
response categories prior to
conducting the study.
 What we do in qualitative
research?
• Creswell (2013):
• In qualitative research you are seeking to
discover, explore, identify or describe.
• You are not seeking to prove, influence,
relate or measure.
 What we do in qualitative
research?
Quantitative researchers apply general
theories to revolve problems
Qualitative researchers:
• examine what happens in specific
situations and try to
• develop new theories based on that
situation.
 What we do in qualitative
research?
• Answer research questions rather than
test a hypothesis.
• Seldom look at the effectiveness of an
intervention.
• Examine the perceptions, actions, and
feelings of participants.
• Obtained detailed information from
interviews, content analysis, or
observations.
The characteristics of
Qualitative Research
 The characteristics of qualitative
research designs
• It does not begin from a predetermined
starting point or proceed through a fixed
sequence of steps, but involves
interconnection and interaction among the
different design components
 The characteristics of qualitative
research designs
• In qualitative research, any component of the
design may need to be reconsidered or modified
during the study in response to new developments
or to changes in some other component.
• The designs are flexible rather than fixed (Robson,
2011), and inductive rather than following a strict
sequence or derived from an initial decision.
• The design should be a reflexive process
operating through every stage of a project”
(Hammersley & Atkinson, 1995, p. 24).
 The characteristics of qualitative
research designs
• The activities of collecting and analyzing
data, developing and modifying theory,
elaborating or refocusing the research
questions, and identifying and addressing
validity threats are usually all going on
more or less simultaneously, each
influencing all of the others
Is typological model of design good
for qualitative research?
• Typological or linear approaches is a model
of design in which arranged tasks such as in
planning or conducting a study have been
previously determined
• Neither typological nor sequential models of
design are a good fit for qualitative research,
because they attempt to establish in advance
the essential steps or features of the study.
(Maxwell & Loomis, 2002)
Types of
qualitative
design
 Types of qualitative research
design
Patton (1996), Denzin & Lincoln (1994) and
Merriam (1999):
• Grounded theory - historical
• Ethnography - Action research
• Phenomenology - content analysis
• Field research - generic qualitative
• Case study method
 Grounded theory
• Grounded theory is an inductive process
of generating theory from data or a
bottom-up processing
• It does not rely on priori assumption about
the world
• The research detect pattern in their
observation and then create working
hypothesis that lead the progression of
inquiry
 Ethnography
• Ethnography emphasizes the observation
of details of everyday life as they naturally
unfold in the real world. This is sometimes
called naturalistic research.
• Ethnography is a method of describing a
culture or society. This is primarily used in
anthropological research which focuses on
community.
 Field research
• Field researcher goes directly to the
social phenomenon under study and
observes it as completely as possible.
• The natural environment is the priority of
the field researcher. There are no
implemented controls or experimental
conditions to speak of.
• Such methodologies are especially useful
in observing social phenomena over time.
 Phenomenology
• Phenomenology is a school of thought that
emphasizes a focus on people’s subjective
experiences and interpretations of the world.
• 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.
 Case study
• Is a descriptive, exploratory or explanatory
analysis of a single case example of
phenomena
 historical
• Systematic collection and objective
evaluation of data related to past
occurrences in order to explain causes,
effects, or trends of these events in the
present and anticipate future events.
 Action research
• Action research is inquiry or research in
the context of focused efforts to improve
the quality of practice
• it is typically designed and conducted by
practitioners who analyse the data to
improve their own practice
 Content analysis
• Content analysis is used to analyse the
presence, meanings and relationships of
words and concepts in a text
• then make inferences about the
messages within the texts, the writer(s),
the audience, and even the culture and
time of which these are a part
 The generic qualitative method
• It does not have a guiding set of
philosophic assumptions in the form of one
of the established qualitative
methodologies.
General components of
Qualitative design
The goal of qualitative research
1. It seek the depth rather than the breadth:
instead of drawing from large, representative
sample of population, qualitative research
seek to acquire in depth and intimate
information about smaller group of person.
2. To learn about how and why people behave,
think and make meaning as they do rather
than focusing on what people do or believe
in a large scale.
3. The goal falls within the context of discovery
rather than verification
 What topic are good for
qualitative research?
• Exploratory research questions
• Topics and peoples in natural settings
• Data: written or spoken words and
observations
 Research question for qualitative
research
Maxwell (2005): 3 categories:
1. Question about meaning, how people
make sense of the world
2. Question that illuminate context
3. Question that investigate processes
 Research question for qualitative
research
Marshal & Rossman (2006)
1. Exploratory question: investigate
phenomenon that is little understood
2. Explanatory question: explain a
phenomenon
3. Descriptive questions: Describe a
phenomenon
4. Emancipatory question: which are meant to
engage in social action around a
phenomenon
 Sample
• In qualitative research, the sample is small
and not chosen randomly. Rather, the
choice of a sample is purposeful (Patton,
1996).
 Methods for Data collection
1. Open-ended questionnaire
2. Unstructured interview/ developmental
interview
3. informal conversational
4. focus group discussion
5. Participant observation
6. Diary accounts
7. Recording and transcribing
 instruments
• The researcher being the main instrument
of data collection responsive to the
situation and is able to adapt to the
changing conditions
• Interview guide
• Observation sheet
• Research diary
 Data analysis
• Qualitative research adopts the inductive
approach
• no hypotheses are put forward to guide
research.
• it begins by observing phenomena and
continues of find patterns in the form of
themes, categories, concepts and
typologies that emerge.
• Tentative hypothesis are introduced
The inductive approach
 The role of researcher
You must physically go to the people, location,
setting or site
You do not manipulate the situation, but rather
watch naturally occurring events and not
controlling them, i.e. qualitative research is
naturalistic (Guba, & Lincoln, 1994).
 validity
• Triangulation of sources,
• Trianguation of methods of data collection
(survey, interview, feedback verification)
• Triangulation of theories.
• Search for discrepant evidence.
• Comparison with other findings in the
previous research
 generalization
• In qualitative research, you are not as
concerned about generalisation of your
findings.
• Actually generalization is a cooperative
venture of researcher and reader.
• The researcher describes the context fully
and the reader decides if the context is
similar or is representative of his or her
situation.
 Strength and weaknesses
Strengths
- Depth of understanding
- Flexibility

Weaknesses
- Subjectivity
- Suggestive, not definitive
- Limited generalizability
End here