Qualitative Research 
What do qualitative researchers do?  
Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Methods 
Why do qualitative research? 
Some types of qualitative research 

Qualitative Research 

Qualitative research is the research design of choice for those operating within the post-modern perspective (interpretivist, constructivist, emancipatory, naturalist, symbolic interactionist, critical theorist, feminist). 
 

What do qualitative researchers do? 

Observations 
 
They make careful observations writing extensive field notes which include surroundings, activities, dialogue, physical interactions, and reflections of the researcher. They may or may not actually become an active member of the community that they are studying. 
  

Interviews 
 

They conduct unstructured interviews taking notes and taping what is said. These interviews look more like conversations with the interviewee doing most, preferably all, of the talking. 
  

Sociograms 
 

They diagram the area (classroom, park, home) including the people and how the people position themselves relative to other people. 
  

Archival documents 
 

They collect archival materials of all sorts: pottery, clothing, tools, letters. 
 

Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Methods 

 

Component	Qualitative	Quantitative
Instrument	Researcher	Survey Test Protocol
Speaking for	The participant or small group	The group / population
Question & Design	Flexible	Pre-determined
Entry / Permission	More intrusive	Less intrusive
Data belongs to	Researcher and participants	Researcher

 

Why do qualitative research? 

1. Nature of the research question 

2. Researcher's philosophical base 

3. No quantitative methods may exist to study the question 

4. Can provide greater depth than most quantitative methods 

5. May be valuable to know insider's perspective 

6. May gain insight into cultural values / organizational dynamics 
 

1. Ethnography is used to describe and analyze practices and beliefs of cultures and communities. It primarily relies on observation and sociograms, but may include interviews and collecting archival documents. 

2. Case Study is used to describe in depth one person, one organization, one specific group, or one program. It primarily relies on observation and interviews, but may include collecting archival documents. 

3. Grounded Theory is used to develop a theory from the data (as opposed to deducing it from a review of the literature). It primarily relies on observation, but may include interviews, sociograms, and collecting archival documents. 

4. Participative Inquiry is used to involve all members (research team and participants) in identifying issues / questions , in creating the research design, and in the analysis, synthesis, and interpretation of the data. 

5. Historical Research is used to help people understand the present, as well as why events have taken place. Oral history is the study of a single person, event, group, or organization from an historical point of view. It relies on interviews and collecting archival documents.  

Analysis of Qualitative Data is recursive and occurs throughout the data collection process. It continues along with the data collection until no new information is discovered. It involves the researcher reading through all of the data gathered thus far and staying alert for patterns in the data. This is an inductive and intuitive process. The categories that emerge from the data are flexible. The final summary will include the researcher's reflections and may include participants' comments.

  Read Chapter 7 (all), Chapter 8 (all), and Chapter 12 (pgs. 348-355)