Published on 4 April 2022 by Pritha Bhandari. Revised on 10 October 2022. Qualitative research involves collecting and analysing non-numerical data (e.g., text, video, or audio) to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences. It can be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or
generate new ideas for research. Qualitative research is the opposite of quantitative research, which involves collecting and analysing numerical data for statistical analysis. Qualitative research is commonly used in the humanities and social sciences, in subjects such as anthropology, sociology, education, health sciences, and history. Qualitative
research is used to understand how people experience the world. While there are many approaches to qualitative research, they tend to be flexible and focus on retaining rich meaning when interpreting data. Common approaches include grounded theory, ethnography, action research, phenomenological research, and narrative research. They share some similarities, but emphasise different aims and perspectives. Each of the research approaches involve using one or more data collection methods. These are some of the most common qualitative methods:
Qualitative researchers often consider themselves ‘instruments’ in research because all observations, interpretations and analyses are filtered through their own personal lens. For this reason, when writing up your methodology for qualitative research, it’s important to reflect on your approach and to thoroughly explain the choices you made in collecting and analysing the data. Qualitative data analysisQualitative data can take the form of texts, photos, videos and audio. For example, you might be working with interview transcripts, survey responses, fieldnotes, or recordings from natural settings. Most types of qualitative data analysis share the same five steps:
There are several specific approaches to analysing qualitative data. Although these methods share similar processes, they emphasise different concepts. Qualitative data analysis
Advantages of qualitative researchQualitative research often tries to preserve the voice and perspective of participants and can be adjusted as new research questions arise. Qualitative research is good for:
The data collection and analysis process can be adapted as new ideas or patterns emerge. They are not rigidly decided beforehand.
Data collection occurs in real-world contexts or in naturalistic ways.
Detailed descriptions of people’s experiences, feelings and perceptions can be used in designing, testing or improving systems or products.
Open-ended responses mean that researchers can uncover novel problems or opportunities that they wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. Disadvantages of qualitative researchResearchers must consider practical and theoretical limitations in analysing and interpreting their data. Qualitative research suffers from:
The real-world setting often makes qualitative research unreliable because of uncontrolled factors that affect the data.
Due to the researcher’s primary role in analysing and interpreting data, qualitative research cannot be replicated. The researcher decides what is important and what is irrelevant in data analysis, so interpretations of the same data can vary greatly.
Small samples are often used to gather detailed data about specific contexts. Despite rigorous analysis procedures, it is difficult to draw generalisable conclusions because the data may be biased and unrepresentative of the wider population.
Although software can be used to manage and record large amounts of text, data analysis often has to be checked or performed manually. Frequently asked questions about qualitative researchWhat are the main qualitative research approaches? There are five common approaches to qualitative research:
What is data collection? Data collection is the systematic process by which observations or measurements are gathered in research. It is used in many different contexts by academics, governments, businesses, and other organisations. Cite this Scribbr articleIf you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.
Is this article helpful?You have already voted. Thanks :-) Your vote is saved :-) Processing your vote... What type of research describes a phenomenon?Descriptive research aims to accurately and systematically describe a population, situation or phenomenon.
What method of research that study a phenomenon such as event situation or experiences?Phenomenology is used to identify phenomena and focus on subjective experiences and understanding the structure of those lived experiences.
What descriptive type of research is used to describe the status of a phenomenon at a particular time?Descriptive Design
Descriptive research is used to obtain information concerning the current status of the phenomena and to describe "what exists" with respect to variables or conditions in a situation.
What is a phenomenon in research?A research phenomenon can be any problem, issue, or topic that is chosen as the subject of an investigation. The phenomenon may originate in either the practical world of affairs, a theoretical discipline, or a personal experience or insight.
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