Overview of Qualitative Research Methods

welcome to this overview of qualitative research methods this tutorial will help give you the big picture of qualitative research and introduce key Concepts that will help you determine if qualitative methods are appropriate for your project study first let's review what research particularly educational research is designed to do research is an organized systematic disciplined approach to answering questions about our observations and experiences in the world it is a structured approach to Gathering and interpreting information that allows us to understand theorize about or explain experience what then is distinctive about qualitative research qualitative research focuses on generating

meaning and understanding through rich description it can be a particularly useful approach to studying educational problems that requires developing an understanding of complex social environments and the meaning that people within those environments bring to their experience qualitative research differs from quantitative research in several ways it typically addresses different problems arises from a different philosophical view of the world Works to achieve different goals and uses different methods and design this table illustrates some of the key differences Focus qualitative research focuses on the quality of experience trying to describe or understand the essence or nature of Human

Experience quantitative research on the other hand focuses on more measurable factors asking question questions such as how much how many or how frequently philosophical Roots qualitative research integrates more subjective Human Experience rather than purely objective external reality it belongs to the school of constructivism or interpretivism quantitative research is based on positivism that holds that physical and social phenomena are independent of the Observer are fairly stable over time and place and can be objectively observed and Quantified goals of Investigation the goals of qualitative research are to understand describe discover meaning or generate hypothesis or Theory quantitative

research aims to predict control confirm and test hypothesis design characteristics the designs used in these two types of research are suited to their goals qualitative research design is more flexible evolving and emergent while quantitative research design is structured and predetermined it should be emphasized that the flexible structure of qualitative research in no way suggests that it is less disciplined or easier to design or Implement quite the contrary well-designed valid scholarly qualitative research has flexible structure and is designed and implemented with the same care and attention to detail as any well-designed valid and scholarly quantitative study

data collection in qualitative research the researcher is the primary instrument bringing his or her own perspectives to the selection and meaning of data quantitative research depends upon external instruments such as tests surveys or other tools used to measure and quantify a particular phenomenon now that we have discussed the nature of qualitative research and the kinds and forms of qualitative data it is easier to understand how qualitative research pursues its research goals in its very earliest stages qualitative research aims to explore the goal is to identify patterns themes hunches and initial models that provide an initial

understanding of this phenomenon description is the heart of qualitative research the essential characteristics of description is that it conveys information with the detail and specificity necessary to accurately convey The Experience ultimately qualitative research strives to produce meaningful interpretations of events and phenomena with interpretation the goal is to make sense of what goes on to reach out for understanding or explanation through exploration description and interpretation the qualitative researcher arrives at a complete understanding of a phenomenon in a particular setting or context case studies explore a program an event an activity a process or one or more

individuals in depth grounded Theory derives a general abstract theory of a process action or interaction grounded in the views of participants ethnography studies an intact cultural group in a natural setting over a prolonged period of time phenomenology identifies the essence of human experiences narrative approaches study the stories that individuals provide about their lives and experiences methodologies come out of different social sciences for example ethnography has its roots in anthropology while grounded Theory got its start in sociological research phenomenology is rooted in the philosophy of phenomenology case study can combine any number of qualitative and quantitative

traditions and techniques in order to meet the specific needs of the research situation case study is perhaps the most flexible methodology able to bend several Traditions into a valid research design consequently it is among the most widely used research methodologies particularly for Applied research qualitative data are typically obtained from sources such as interviews focus groups observations of real life settings and existing documents one study may include data from one several or all of these sources for example a researcher studying a school environment might observe students as they work on daily tasks in the classro including

students reactions to the activities such as body language and facial expressions a researcher might interview the teacher and students individually or as part of a small group about what they were thinking or feeling during the lessons she may also examine documents such as student work samples and lesson plans to paint a holistic picture of the educational experience as you plan your research study you must create a justification for your data collection methods in order to explain why the methods you propose are the most appropriate and most effective way to understand the phenomenon or focus of

your study before you collect any data for your study you must receive approval from Walden's institutional review board or IRB visit Walden University's IRB website in order to make sure that you obtain the proper permissions to collect and use data qualitative data analysis is follows three basic steps first the researcher prepares and organizes the data this could include transcribing interview notes organizing field notes from observations or ensuring all documents to be included in the analysis are present and available second the researcher reduces the data by identifying themes coding data elements and creating categories finally just

as quantitative data must be presented in tables or figures qualitative data can be presented in narrative form tables or visual diagrams in qualitative research the data analysis process is flexible and designed to meet each study's needs but also follows an established protocol and relies on rigorous methodological approaches the processes of analysis and preparing results are not distinct steps but are interrelated and often occur simultaneously in qualitative research validity is the extent to which the data and the interpretation of the data are credible qualitative researchers use different terms to refer to validity Maxwell uses validity Lincoln

and gooa use trustworthiness and Creswell uses validation in addition these authors use other related subterms it is important for students to use one recognized author to Define all relevant terms for validity for instance Lincoln and goba use four additional terms to specify different aspects of trustworthiness credibility transferability dependability and confirmability as with any research approach the researcher must take steps to ensure the validity or accuracy of the research findings in qualitative research validity is the extent to which the data and the interpretation of the data are credible Creswell identifies eight different strategies used by qualitative

researchers to ensure the validity of their findings prolonged engagement and persistent data Gathering ensure that the researcher does not draw conclusions based upon an isolated idiosyncratic experience with the phenomenon using Rich thick description ensures that a sufficient level of detail about the phenomenon studied is included so that others might draw the same or similar conclusions triangulation refers to using multiple data sources in order to build up a complete picture of a phenomenon member checking allows the researcher to present the study's findings or conclusions to the original participants so they can comment on whether they believe

their perspectives are accurately portrayed presenting negative or discrepant information acknowledges observations or findings that run contrary to the study's key themes clarifying one's biases as a researcher similarly acknowledges those preconceptions or biases that will inevitably color the study's conclusions peer debriefing enlists the aid of a person other than the researcher to review the findings and ensure that they make sense finally an external auditor is someone not familiar with the researcher or the study who can review the study's overall logic coherence and consistency when considering whether equal qualitative approach is right for your study ask yourself

the following questions first what kind of phenomenon are you planning to study is it related to some aspect of human experience that cannot be counted or expressed in numbers does it relate to subjective experience cultural characteristics personal perspective idiosyncratic ideas or comparisons of intangibles second what do you want to know about the phenomenon can you find out what you want to know by immersing yourself in the environment in which you will study the phenomenon by observing or talking to people within that environment or by studying the materials they have created third why are you doing

the study are you interested in interpreting generating meaning and gaining a holistic view of a phenomenon rather than in comparing measuring or quantifying a phenomenon if you answered positively to these questions qualitative research may be the right choice for your study qualitative research is a powerful method of studying the implicit as well as the explicit it accomplishes this by focusing on personal perceptions of the world and the experiences of people as they construct the reality in which they live because of these characteristics qualitative research can be a powerful tool for social change as a Walden

student social change is a feature of every student Capstone qualitative methods may help you meet this requirement once you have decided to Embark upon the process of conducting a qualitative study you use the following steps to get started first review research studies that have been conducted on your topic to determine what methods and research Traditions were used consider the strengths and weaknesses of the various research Traditions data collection methods and data analysis methods next review the literature on qualitative research methods every aspect of your research has a body of literature associated with it just as

you would not confine yourself to your course textbooks for your review of research on your topic you should not limit yourself to your course texts for your review of methodological literature read broadly and deeply from the scholarly literature to gain expertise in qualitative research additional self-paced tutorials have been developed on different methodologies and techniques associated with qualitative research make sure you complete all of the self-paced tutorials and review them as often as needed you will then be prepared to complete a literature review of the specific methodologies and techniques you will use in your study e