QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

A. What is Research?
Research is the most widely used tool to increase and brush-up the stock of knowledge about something and someone. To
search, to investigate or to study. Mostly in the field of marketing, business, sociology, science & technology, economics,
etc.
There are two (2) standard ways of conducting research: Qualitative Research and Quantitative Research.
B. What is Qualitative Research?
Qualitative research is expressed in words. It is used to understand concepts, thoughts or experiences. This type of
research enables you to gather in-depth insights on topics that are not well understood.
Common qualitative methods include interviews with open-ended questions, observations described in words, and
literature reviews that explore concepts and theories.
C. When do we use Qualitative Research?
We use qualitative research if we want to understand something (concepts, thoughts, experiences)

Let us take ourselves as an example, us in this room, and I will ask you some open-ended questions, such as:
- How satisfied are you with your studies?
- What is the most effective way to prepare for your exams?
- What can be done to improve the study program?
And based on the answers that you've gotten, you can ask some follow-up questions so that you can clarify things.
Other Qualitative research topics:
1. Why do people think organic and natural is the same thing?
2. Gender related issues in the workplace
3. Body image and food and how they affect people
4. Do females have healthier friendships than males?
5. How people dealt with change.
D. What are the Characteristics of Qualitative Research?
- Focuses on exploring ideas and formulating a theory and hypothesis.
- Analyzed by summarizing, categorizing and interpreting.
- Mainly expressed in words.
- Requires few respondents.
- Open-ended questions.
- Key terms: understanding, context, complexity, and subjectivity
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E. How do we use Qualitative Research?
1. Determine your research question: Your research question should guide your entire qualitative research process. It
should be open-ended and focused on exploring people's experiences, beliefs, and behaviors.
2. Choose your qualitative research design: There are different qualitative research designs to choose from, such as case
study, ethnography, grounded theory, and phenomenology. Your choice of design will depend on your research question
and the type of data you want to collect.
3. Develop your research protocol: Your research protocol should include details about your research participants, data
collection methods, data analysis procedures, and ethical considerations.
4. Collect data: Qualitative data can be collected through various methods such as interviews, focus groups, observations,
and document analysis. The goal is to collect rich, detailed data that can help you answer your research question.
5. Analyze data: Qualitative data analysis involves identifying themes, patterns, and relationships in the data. This can be
done using techniques such as content analysis, narrative analysis, or grounded theory.
Interpret results: Once you have analyzed your data, you should interpret your findings in light of your research question.
This involves identifying the implications of your findings and drawing conclusions about the phenomenon you are
studying.
6. Report findings: Qualitative research findings can be reported in various formats such as research articles, conference
presentations, or reports. The report should include a detailed description of your research question, methods, findings,
and implications

Qualitative Research are also useful in a wide range of fields, including:

1. Social sciences: in sociology, anthropology, psychology, and political science to explore human behavior, attitudes,
beliefs, and experiences.
2. Education: to study the learning process, student experiences, and teacher practices.
3. Health care: in health to explore patient experiences, healthcare provider perspectives, and healthcare systems.
4. Marketing: to understand consumer behavior, attitudes, and motivations.
5. Business: to study organizational culture, leadership, and employee experiences.
6. Environmental studies: to explore people's attitudes toward the environment, their behavior, and their experiences.

Qualitative data can be collected through various methods. However, here are some methods that are commonly used:
1. Interviews: by asking an open-ended question verbally to respondents.
2. Focus groups: the discussion among a group of people about a topic to gather opinions that can be used for further
research.
3. Ethnography: participating in a community or organization for an extended period to closely observe culture and
behavior.
4. Literature review: Survey of published works by other authors.