A D VA N C E D T E C H N I C A L W R I T I N G

Qualitativ
2

e
Research
Its Importance in Daily Life
The Nature

Advanced Technical Writing 2

of
Qualitative
Research

Qualitative Research and Its

Importance in Daily Life
 • Data collected are
usually not numerical.
• It investigates the

What is a quality of
relationships,
qualitative activities, situations,
or materials.
research? • It is described by its
aims, methodology,
and the kind of data
collected to
understand the
diff erent facets of
 • It is an attempt to
make sense of and
interpret phenomena

What is a in terms of the

meaning of people
qualitative bring to them.
• Its intent is not to
research? generalize the
conclusion about an
entire group of people,
but to develop an in-
depth explanation of a
phenomenon.
 • A single reality is
Qualitative not observed.
approaches to • Reality is based
research are upon concepts that
are distinct for
universal and each person and
holistic. They that may change
follow these over time.
• What we perceive
beliefs: has meaning only
within a given
situation.
Characteristic

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s of
Qualitative
Research

Qualitative Research and Its

Importance in Daily Life
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
CHARACTERISTICS OF

The direct
source of data
is the natural
setting and the
researcher is
the key
instrument.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Data
CHARACTERISTICS OF

collected are
in the form of
words or
illustrations
rather than
number.
 • audio recordings
• diaries
The kinds of data

• field notes
collected may

• memorandums
include:

• official records
• personal comments
• photographs
• textbook passages
• interview transcripts
• videotapes
• anything that convey actual
words or actions of people
 It is concerned
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
with process as
CHARACTERISTICS OF

well as product.
Its primary
interest is on
how things
happen and on
people's
interaction with
one another.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

taken
data is
Analysis of

inductively.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
It deals
CHARACTERISTICS OF

with how
people
make sense
out of their
lives.
Uses of

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Qualitative
Research

Qualitative Research and Its

Importance in Daily Life
 • It aims to understand
the experiences and
attitudes of people and

Uses of the community.

• The methods employed

Qualitativ in this type of research

seeks to answer the
"what," "how," or "why"
e questions of a
phenomenon rather than

Research "how many" or "how

much," which are
addressed in
quantitative research.
 It draws
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
meaningful
information
USES OF

about beliefs,
feelings,
values, and
motivations
that support
behavior.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH It learns
directly
from people
USES OF

and what is
important
to them.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH It provides
the context
required to
USES OF

elicit
quantitative
results.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
It identify
variables
USES OF

important
for further
studies.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
It
determines
one's genre
USES OF

as a primary
step to
develop a
quantitative
survey.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH It assesses
the usability
of websites,
USES OF

databases,
or other
interactive
media/servic
es.
Strengths and

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Weaknesses of
Qualitative
Research

Qualitative Research and Its

Importance in Daily Life
 provides in-
Strength or depth
Weakness? information on
individual
cases
 provides in-
Strength or depth
Weakness? information on
individual
cases
STRENGTH
 unravels
Strength or complex
Weakness? phenomena
embedded in
local context
 unravels
Strength or complex
Weakness? phenomena
embedded in
local context
STRENGTH
 data gathering
Strength or is often time-
Weakness? consuming
 data gathering
Strength or is often time-
Weakness? consuming

WEAKNESS
 describes rich
phenomena
Strength or
Weakness?
situated in some
exceptional
environments
 describes rich
phenomena
Strength or
Weakness?
situated in some
exceptional
environments

STRENGTH
 relays subjects'
experiences and
Strength or
Weakness?
perspectives in
unusual details
 relays subjects'
experiences and
Strength or
Weakness?
perspectives in
unusual details

STRENGTH
 conveys setting
factors relates to
Strength or
Weakness?
the situation of
interest
 conveys setting
factors relates to
Strength or
Weakness?
the situation of
interest

STRENGTH
 analysis of data
takes longer time
Strength or
Weakness?
than that in
quantitative
analysis
 analysis of data
takes longer time
Strength or
Weakness?
than that in
quantitative
analysis

WEAKNESS
 interpretation of
results is usually
Strength or biased because it is

Weakness?
infl uenced by the
researcher's
perspective

WEAKNESS
 allows fl exibility
in research-
Strength or
Weakness?
related processes
 allows fl exibility
in research-
Strength or
Weakness?
related processes

STRENGTH
 enables data to
be collected in
Strength or
Weakness?
natural setting
 enables data to
be collected in
Strength or
Weakness?
natural setting

STRENGTH
 interpretation of
results is usually
Strength or
Weakness?
biased because it is
infl uenced by the
researcher's
perspective
 interpretation of
results is usually
Strength or
Weakness?
biased because it is
infl uenced by the
researcher's
perspective

WEAKNESS
 determines possible
causes of a
Strength or
Weakness?
particular event in
another perspective
as that given by
quantitative research
 determines possible
causes of a
Strength or
Weakness?
particular event in
another perspective
as that given by
quantitative research

STRENGTH
 permits approaches
that are responsive
Strength or
Weakness?
to local conditions
and stakeholders'
needs
 permits approaches
that are responsive
Strength or
Weakness?
to local conditions
and stakeholders'
needs

STRENGTH
 presents several
options in the
Strength or
Weakness?
conduct of the
research
 presents several
options in the
Strength or
Weakness?
conduct of the
research

STRENGTH
 conclusions are not
generalizable because
Strength or
Weakness?
the subjects are few
and sometimes possess
unique characteritics
compared to typical
respondents
 conclusions are not
generalizable because
Strength or
Weakness?
the subjects are few
and sometimes possess
unique characteritics
compared to typical
respondents

WEAKNESS
 tolerates shifts
Strength or in focus based
Weakness? on research
results
 tolerates shifts
Strength or in focus based
Weakness? on research
results

STRENGTH
 accepts unstructured
interpretation of the
Strength or
Weakness?
participants,
respecting anything
that is in the
participants' context
 accepts unstructured
interpretation of the
Strength or
Weakness?
participants,
respecting anything
that is in the
participants' context

STRENGTH