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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGNS

 

Comparison of qualitative & quantitative research

 

  Qualitative Quantitative

Definitions a systematic subjective approach used to describe life experiences and give them meaning

a formal, objective, systematic process for obtaining information about the world. A method used to describe, test relationships, and examine cause and effect relationships.

Goals To gain insight; explore the depth, richness, and complexity inherent in the phenomenon.

To test relationships, describe, examine cause and effect relations

Characteristics Soft science Focus: complex & broad Holistic Subjective Dialectic, inductive reasoning Basis of knowing: meaning & discovery Develops theory Shared interpretation Communication & observation Basic element of analysis: words Individual interpretation Uniqueness

Hard science Focus: concise & narrow Reductionistic Objective Logistic, deductive reasoning Basis of knowing: cause & effect,

relationships Tests theory Control Instruments Basic element of analysis: numbers Statistical analysis Generalization

 

 

Specific qualitative approaches

 

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Phenomenology

  Purpose, goal - to describe experiences as they are lived

    examines uniqueness of individual's lived situations each person has own reality; reality is subjective

  Research question development

    What does existence of feeling or experience indicate concerning the phenomenon to be explored What are necessary & sufficient constituents of feeling or experience? What is the nature of the human being?

  Method

    No clearly defined steps to avoid limiting creativity of researcher Sampling & data collection

      Seek persons who understand study & are willing to express inner feelings & experiences Describe experiences of phenomenon Write experiences of phenomenon Direct observation Audio or videotape

  Data analysis

    Classify & rank data Sense of wholeness Examine experiences beyond human awareness/ or cannot be communicated

  Outcomes

    Findings described from subject's point-of-view Researcher identifies themes Structural explanation of findings is developed

 

 

Grounded theory

  Purpose - theory development

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  Purpose - theory development

    Used in discovering what problems exist in a social scene &how persons handle them Involves formulation, testing, & redevelopment of propositions until a theory is developed

  Method - steps occur simultaneously; a constant comparative process

    Data collection - interview, observation, record review, or combination

  Analysis

    Concept formation Concept development - reduction; selective sampling of literature; selective sampling of subjects; emergence of core concepts Concept modification & integration

  Outcomes - theory supported by examples from data

 

 

Ethnography

  Purpose - to describe a culture's characteristics

  Method

    Identify culture, variables for study, & review literature Data collection - gain entrance to culture; immerse self in culture; acquire informants; gather data through direct observation & interaction with subjects

  Analysis - describe characteristics of culture

  Outcomes - description of culture

 

 

Historical

  Purpose - describe and examine events of the past to understand the present and

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anticipate potential future effects

  Method

    Formulate idea - select topic after reading related literature Develop research questions Develop an inventory of sources - archives, private libraries, papers Clarify validity & reliability of data - primary sources, authenticity, biases Develop research outline to organize investigative process Collect data

  Analysis - synthesis of all data; accept & reject data; reconcile conflicting evidence

  Outcomes - select means of presentation - biography, chronology, issue paper

 

 

Case study

  Purpose - describe in-depth the experience of one person, family, group, community, or institution

  Method

    Direct observation and interaction with subject

  Analysis - synthesis of experience

  Outcomes - in-depth description of the experience

 

 

Data collection

Interview with audiotape & videotape Direct, non-participant observation Participant observation Field notes, journals, logs

 

Reliability & validity - rigor

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Reliability & validity - rigor

Use of researcher's personality

Involvement with subject's experience Live with data collection until no new information appears

Bracketing

Researcher suspends what is known about the phenomenon Keeping an open context Set aside own preconceptions

Intuiting

Process of actually looking at phenomenon Focus all awareness & energy on topic Absolute concentration & complete absorption in phenomenon

Can use > 1 researcher & compare interpretation and analysis of data

  

Data analysis

Living with data Cluster & categorize data Examine concepts & themes Define relationships between/among concepts

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