Qualitative Methods

• Qualitative Research


  Measuring its quality rather than quantity
• Qualitative Research


  • An umbrella term for multiple methodologies and approaches
• Qualitative Research


  • Research questions tend to be about the "what" and "how"
  • Good when generating theories or new ideas
• Hallmarks of Qualitative Research

  • More emphasis on subjectivity rather than objectivity
  • Concerned with personal experience
  • Data is typically words, images, or objects
  • Analysis is usually interpretive
• Quantitative Research


  • Larging testing theories via hypotheses
  • Concerned with testing specific ideas: confirmatory
  • Concerned with causality
• Qualitative Research


  • Creating theories
  • Open to whatever they encounter: exploratory
  • Not concerned with causality
• Quantitative Research


  • Experiences tend to be pre-categorised: closed-ended
  • Meaning is fit: top-down
• Qualitative Research


  • Categories emerge from the data: open-ended
  • Meaning is created: bottom-up
• Quantitative Research


  • Not concerned with researchers' experiences
  • Researcher is distant
  • Researcher influence is controlled
  • Research is value-free?
• Qualitative Research


  • Also concerned with researchers' experiences
  • Researcher is involved
  • Researcher influence is accepted
  • Research is value-laden
• Philosophical Approaches


  • Phenomenological approach
  • Social constructivist approach
• Phenomenological approach


  Peoples' experiences differ, and you can understand those experiences through research
• Social constructivist approach


  Reality is totally situation-dependent; no one can ever observe the same thing
• Qualitative work can be considered science, but it depends on the approach
• Philosophical approach (some qualitative research) assumes that experiences are different from reality
• Scientific approach (both quantitative and qualitative) research assumes that experiences are part of reality
• Any type of research is good research if it gives you a way to make sense of the data and helps determine whether a belief is more likely true
• Sampling in Qualitative Research

  • Tends to be purposeful
  • Samples tend to be small
  • Samples do not need to be people
• Interview


  A purposeful conversation that involves sharing of ideas & insights between the researcher and participant
• Interview Types


  • Structured
  • Semi-structured
  • Unstructured
• Transcribing


  Converting spoken words into written information
• Chunking


  Breaking up written information into units of analysis
• Transcription Methods


  • Self-transcription
  • Professional transcription
• All data will likely need some processing, and non-interview data will probably need more
• There are quantitative-based methods for analysing qualitative data, such as sentiment analysis and imposing top-down codes
• Thematic Analysis


  A genuine qualitative approach that develops codes and themes from the data in a bottom-up way
• Software can be used to aid in qualitative data analysis, such as AI-generated transcripts, AI analysis, and software packages like NVivo
• There are more complex methods of qualitative data analysis that are best learned through an apprenticeship approach