QUALITATIVE RESEARCH GUIDE

CHAPTER 1: THE PROBLEM

- Introduction:
1. What is the study all about (1-2 paragraphs)
2. What other authors say about the topic? (2 or more paragraphs)
3. What is the gap in knowledge (missing link/unknown)? (1-2 paragraphs)
4. How do you plan to address the gap (state your main rationale or purpose in this
part)? (1-2 paragraphs)

- Atheoretical Stance:
➢ Qualitative researches start with “atheoretical stance”, hence, no theoretical
background is needed.
➢ Discuss that the study starts without a theory in order to suspend a priori and avoid
biases in the data collection.

- Philosophical Stance:
➢ Discuss how the five philosophical assumptions are applied in your study, namely:
o Ontology (nature of study)
o Epistemology (researcher’s knowledge)
o Axiology (values in research)
o Rhetory (language used)
o Methodology (processes and procedures)

- The Problem:
Statement of the problem:
❖ Make a general problem statement (major problem)
❖ Usually reiterates the title and includes four important parts:
1. P- Purpose (what do you plan to study)
2. L- Location (where will you get your data)
3. O- Object (who are involved in the study)
4. T- Time frame (what is the time scope of your study)
❖ This is stated in declarative form
Sub-problems (Research questions)
❖ These are the specific questions of the study
❖ Stated interrogatively and should be related to the main problem
❖ Categories (or sub-variables) should be numbered as 1.1, 2.1, etc.
 The sub-problems are stated in a way that will help facilitate the identification of a
research design/tradition. Such that questions in a phenomenological study are stated
differently from questions in ethnography and grounded theory.
Questions should be open-ended and those that will arouse elaborative responses.

- Significance of the Study:

Identify stakeholders who can benefit from the findings of the study (such as parents,
school heads, patients, administrators, nurses, etc)
Discuss how each of the identified stakeholder can benefit from the findings

- Definition of terms:
❖ Important terms in a qualitative research that have to be defined are given orientational
or conceptual definitions. Orientational definitions may vary from person to person
while those conceptual definitions come from dictionaries and other reference sources.

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Present an introductory paragraph for this chapter

-Design:
➢ This is method used in the study.
o For qualitative studies:
- Descriptive qualitative
- Phenomenology (analyzing lived-in experiences)
- Ethnography (exploring culture and culture-based practices/lifeways)
- Grounded theory (analyzing social structures and processes)
*may lead to theory development
- Case studies (specific patient or disease condition)
- Historical (exploring and analyzing events of the past)

❖ Discuss the research design or method of choice

❖ Discuss how the design will be applied in the current study

- Environment:
❖ Presents the setting where the study will be conducted and include a deeper description
of such setting
❖ Include discussion on mission-vision; history; practices; services; people among others
❖ May provide a schematic diagram to be appended at the back of the study
- Participants:
❖ Present who will be involved in the study from whom you will acquire your data
❖ Describe the participants
❖ How many participants are involved? How is the number computed or determined? And
how are they selected (discuss sampling technique that will be used)?

- Instrument:
❖ Discuss what research tool will be used
❖ For qualitative studies, use a scheduled interview guide.
❖ Discuss what are the bases for the questions in the interview guide
❖ Discuss how the questions in the interview guide will be asked for every participant
❖ NOTE: Please formulate your questionnaire before the design hearing and bring it to the
panel for evaluation and revision during the design hearing.

- Data Gathering Procedures:

❖ Discuss transmittals to target participants and location
❖ Discuss how the data will be collected (before, during, and after data collection)
❖ For interviews, discuss how the interview will be done and how the data will be
recorded.
❖ Discuss what will be done after the interview (transcriptions, coding, theme
formulation, among others)

-Data Analysis:
❖ This will depend on the types of data to be collected and the nature of the problem
❖ Qualitative Designs: (depending on the tradition)
o Phenomenology: Georgi, Colaizzi, Van Manen
o Ethnography: Spradley
o Grounded theory: Corbin, Strauss
o Thematic content analysis
o Metasynthesis
o Case studies (Single or Multiple)

- Ethical Considerations: I will send you a sample of this portion

CHAPTER 3: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

QUALITATIVE:
o Depending on the design but usually presented in themes (thematic)
o One chapter answer for every question in the problem statement
o There is no dogmatic or strict method of presenting qualitative data
o Recommendation:
▪ Theme identification
▪ Discuss theme
▪ Integrate transcriptions (verbalizations)
▪ Integrate related literature/studies
▪ Provide researcher’s reflection

CHAPTER 4 (OR 2ND TO THE LAST CHAPTER): REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES AND
STUDIES/THEORETICAL MODEL
Start with an introductory paragraph.
This chapter is omitted in qualitative studies (proceed right away to “research
methodology and procedures”)

-Related Literatures:
❖ These are taken from books, articles, encyclopedia, periodicals and other reference
materials (except research journals, thesis, and dissertations)
❖ Read the entire article then rewrite the review using your own words if possible. This
should not compromise the meaning of the original statements or article.
❖ Use references and citations within the last five years (most preferable) or those from
year 2000 and beyond (less preferable but still acceptable)
❖ Use both local and foreign reference articles.
❖ Take note of the following for your reference guide:
✓ Article title
✓ Author’s name
✓ Page number
✓ Name of the book
✓ Year the article was written
✓ Year the book was published (see cover)
✓ Edition number of the book
✓ Publishing press (with country)
✓ URL for internet references
 ✓ Date when internet references were retrieved
❖ Arrange related literatures by variable or topically. For every topical presentation,
arrange the articles in chronological order from the most current to the past.

-Related Studies:
❖ These are taken from research journals, theses and dissertations (either published or
unpublished)
❖ The reference should be related to the current study in terms of the:
✓ Study objectives
✓ Participants involved
✓ Methods (or designs) used
✓ General findings
✓ Conclusion
❖ Do not copy the whole study. Include only the five (5) important parts mentioned above
❖ Use both local and foreign reference articles
❖ Take note of the following:
✓ Name/s of the authors (enumerate even if they are too numerous)
✓ Title of the study
✓ Name of the journal or book (or any) where the study was published
✓ Year when the study was conducted
✓ Year when the study was published
✓ Publishing press and country of publisher
✓ Volume number; issue number; page number of reference
✓ URL for internet references
✓ Date when the internet references were retrieved
❖ Use references and citations within the last five years (most preferable) or those from
year 2000 and beyond (less preferable but still acceptable)
❖ Arrange related literatures by variable or topically. For every topical presentation,
arrange the articles in chronological order from the most current to the past.

General guidelines for citations:

For one author only:
a. Serad (2010) stated that…….----if the statement comes after the author
b. Research is a vital component…….(Serad, 2010)---if the author comes after the
statement. The period should be after the close parenthesis.
For two authors:
a. Serad and Tan (2010) stated that……
b. Research is a vital component of education and …….. (Serad & Tan, 2010).
 For 3-6 authors (first occurrence):
a. Serad, Tan, and Lim (2010) stated that …………..
b. Research is life and it is the …….. (Serad, Tan, ……., & Lim, 2010).
For 3-6 authors (subsequent occurrence)
a. Serad, et. al. (2010) further stated that….
b. It is strictly practiced in the country (Serad, et. al., 2010).
For 7 or more authors (first and subsequent occurrences)
a. Serad, et. al. (2010) stated that…..
b. Divorce is strictly prohibited (Serad, et. al., 2010)

- Overall summary of the related literatures and studies:

➢ Site similarities and differences of references and citations presented in the chapter
➢ Make at least 2 paragraphs for similarities and at least 2 paragraphs for differences
➢ This is to be placed at the end of the chapter after the last related study.

LAST CHAPTER: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary of Findings:
o Enumerate the general findings
o Refrain from explaining or giving specific numerical figures
o Do not repeat data presented in previous chapter, be concise and straight
Conclusion:
o Generalization of the findings
o Logical and encompasses the meaning of the entire findings
o Go back to the theory and relate if the findings were supportive or contradictory
o Conclusion implies applicability of the findings to other groups/settings
o In qualitative research, this is referred to as transferability.
Recommendation:
o Based on the salient findings, what can be recommended or proposed?
o Focus on the findings with low scores, or negative findings
o Make an output plan (usually in matrix)

REFERENCES
APPENDICES (Transmittals, Consent, Questionnaire, Interview guide, and Other attachments)
CURRICULUM VITAE

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

DR. JOEL B. SERAD, Faculty- Graduate School