Week 4: Qualitative research

SH7008
Prof Yolanda Eraso
 Session overview
• Research designs: this session (qualitative) next session (quantitative)
• Why we focus on research designs?
 For a narrative review of the literature, you will search, collect and
analyse primary research with different approaches (qualitative,
quantitative, mixed-methods)

 1. You need to be able to identify the different types of design included

Research
proposal

in those approaches,
 2. Be able to correctly present in your research proposal the type of
literature that exist on your topic (background),
 3. the type of literature you are likely to search in your literature search
strategy,
 4. the critical appraisal tools you are planning to use to evaluate the
quality of the article (differ for qualitative and quantitative studies)

 Next SEM, you will critically appraise those articles (research designs)
What are research designs?

• ‘are types of inquiry within qualitative,

quantitative and mixed-methods approaches that
provide specific direction for procedures in a
research study’ (Creswell & Creswell, 2017: 11)
What is qualitative research?

‘The goal of qualitative research is the development of concepts which

help us to understand social phenomena in natural settings, giving due
emphasis to the meanings, experiences and views of all the participants’
Pope and Mays (1995:43)

Qualitative research is well suited for "why", "how" and "what" questions
about human behavior, motives, views and barriers. Suitable for problem
identification, hypothesis generation, theory formation and concept
development.
Quantitative methods are well suited for "when", "how much" and "how
many" questions. Suitable for problem quantification and testing of
theories, interventions and new treatments.
Neergaard et al. (2009)
Qualitative research design
• Associated with the social / constructivism which emphasises
the socially constructed nature of reality;
• There are multiple truths – generalization is not sought;
• Gaining rich and complex understanding of people’s lived
experiences, perceptions etc.;
• Contributes a deep insight into phenomenon & understanding;
• There is attention to the social context in which events occur
and have meaning;
• There is an emphasis on understanding the social world from
the point of view of the participants in the study;
• The design of the research determines the sample, how data
is collected and how it is analysed.
Ritchie and Lewis (2004)
Qualitative research design. Some examples....

Research design data collection

Phenomenology In-depth interviews/ semi-structured
interviews, focus groups, blog /forum
analysis
Grounded Theory In-depth interviews, focus groups
Ethnography Observations and interviews
Narrative research Diaries, life histories, biographies
Case studies Documents, observations, interviews,
surveys, internet data
Characteristics of qualitative research
• Natural setting – data is collected in the field, sometimes at the site
where participants’ experience the issue or problem under study, or
remotely (online, different locations)
• Researcher as key instrument – researchers collect data themselves.
They do not rely on questionnaires or instruments developed by other
researchers.
• Multiple sources of data – interviews, observations, documents, etc. are
gathered.
• Inductive data analysis – patterns, categories, and themes are built from
the ‘bottom-up’ – though deductive analysis also possible.
Characteristics of qualitative research
• Participants’ meanings – the researchers keep a focus on learning the
meaning that the participants hold about the problem or issue.
• Emergent design – the initial plan for research cannot be tightly
prescribed and all phases of the process may change or shift after
research begins.
• Theoretical lens – a lens is used to view studies, such as concepts of
culture, social, political, or historical contexts.
• Interpretive inquiry – researchers make an interpretation of what they
see, hear, and understand.
• Holistic account – researchers try to develop an understandable picture
of the problem or issue under study. Researchers try to identify the
complex interactions of factors in any situation.
(Creswell, 2017)
Design process

All researchers typically:

• Start with an issue or problem
• Examine the literature
• Pose questions
• Gather data
• Analyse data through different methods
• Write up reports
Design process

• The researcher determines if the research problem is best examined

using a particular research design.
• Data are collected from the individuals who have experienced the
phenomenon.
• Usually, the participants are asked two broad general questions:
 What have you experienced in terms of the phenomenon?
 What contexts or situations have typically influenced or affected your
experiences of the phenomenon?
Characteristics of a good qualitative study:
• Researcher employs rigorous data collection procedures.
 collects multiple forms of data
 adequately summarises data
 spends adequate time in the field

• Researcher frames the study within the assumptions and characteristics of the
qualitative approach to research:

 Involves an emergent and evolving design rather than tightly prefigured design
 presentation of multiple realities
 researcher as instrument of data collection
 focus on participants views
 study reflects the professional background of the researcher
 research is ethical
Key points to remember!
• Qualitative research is usually small scale, yields rich and detailed
data, provides deep insight into phenomenon but is often considered
“soft data”; cannot be generalised.
• Quantitative research is usually large scale, yields data that can be
generalised to certain population groups depending on the sampling
techniques used but often lacks “flesh on the bones”
• No research design is more valuable than the other. Their limitations
must always be explored & acknowledged
• Quantitative researchers often conduct research based on what
qualitative researchers would have unearthed through small scale
studies
• **next sessions we will look at qualitative data collection and analysis
• ** a folder with different qualitative research designs is available on
weblearn
references
• Creswell JW and Creswell JD (2017) Research Design. Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 4th edn.
Newbury Park: Sage.
• Creswell, J.W. and Poth, C. (2017) Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. London: Sage
• De Vaus, D. (2013) Surveys In Social Research. London: Routledge
• Carter, S. and Henderson, L. (2007): ‘Approaches to qualitative data collection in social science’, in Bowling, A and Ebrahim, S
(eds) Handbook of Health Research Methods: Investigation, Measurement and Analysis. Maidenhead: Open University Press
• Denscombe, M. (2017) The Good research Guide for Small Scale Social Research Projects. Maidenhead: Open University
Press
• Ritchie, J and Lewis, J. (2004) Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. London:
Sage 
• Kruger, R. A. and Casey, M. A. (2000) Focus Groups: A Practical guide for Applied Research. 3rd edn. Thousand Oaks: Sage
• Neergaard et al. (2009) ‘Qualitative description – the poor cousin of health research?’, BMC Medical Research Methodology,
9(52) doi:10.1186/1471-2288-9-52
• Pope and Mays (1995) ‘Qualitative Research: Reaching the parts other methods cannot reach: an introduction to qualitative
methods in health and health services research’, BMJ;311 (42)
• Ritchie, J., Spencer,L. and O’Connor,W. (2004) ‘Carrying out Qualitative Analysis’, in Ritchie, J. and Lewis,J. (eds) Qualitative
Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. London: Sage, pp.219–262