QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

DEFINITION

Qualitative research is the naturalistic study of social meanings and processes, using interviews, observations, and the analysis of texts and images.  In contrast to quantitative researchers, whose statistical methods enable broad generalizations about populations (for example, comparisons of the percentages of U.S. demographic groups who vote in particular ways), qualitative researchers use in-depth studies of the social world to analyze how and why groups think and act in particular ways (Roberts, 2022).

CHARACTERISTICS 

According to Kalum (2023), Qualitative research is an approach to research that focuses on understanding the subjective experiences, perspectives, and meanings of individuals and groups. Some of the key characteristics of qualitative research include:

Emphasis on context

Qualitative research focuses on the context in which people experience and interpret events, rather than just the events themselves. This means that researchers seek to understand the social, cultural, and historical factors that shape people’s experiences.

Data collection through interviews, observations, and other qualitative methods

Qualitative researchers typically collect data through methods such as interviews, observations, focus groups, and other techniques that allow for detailed exploration of people’s experiences and perspectives.

In-depth analysis

Qualitative research involves a detailed and in-depth analysis of data, with a focus on identifying themes, patterns, and relationships that emerge from the data.

Subjectivity

Qualitative research acknowledges the subjectivity of the researcher and the participants, and recognizes that multiple perspectives and interpretations are possible.

Flexibility

Qualitative research is often flexible and iterative, allowing the researcher to adjust their methods and approach based on the data they collect and the insights they gain.

Interpretive and exploratory

Qualitative research is often exploratory and interpretive, seeking to understand and make sense of complex phenomena rather than testing specific hypotheses.

Generalizability

Qualitative research does not seek to generalize findings to a larger population in the same way that quantitative research does. Instead, qualitative research seeks to provide rich and detailed descriptions of the experiences and perspectives of individuals and groups.

Inductive

Inductive reasoning is one that goes from the particular to the general . It is different from deductive reasoning, which draws a conclusion about a particular case from a general law .

Qualitative research is inductive because it does not start from general laws or principles that apply to particular cases but, on the contrary, is dedicated to collecting data from which it can later make generalizations.

However, inductive reasoning is used with reservations in qualitative research since the generalizations are not applicable to any society studied but to societies that have certain characteristics.

MAIN USES

Qualitative research may be a reliable approach when you want to understand a topic in depth and from the perspective of the people involved. Qualitative research can also help you understand the meaning and significance of an experience or one event. If you want to understand the context of an experience, such as where it takes place, qualitative research may be your best option (Juma, 2023).

Qualitative research is appropriate for:

• Learning about something that isn't well-defined or measurable in numbers.
• Learning how people interpret events or experiences rather than just knowing what happened.
• Understanding how people feel about a topic instead of only knowing their opinions.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

According to Gaille (2017), the cualitative research has many advantages and disadvantages, and it is important that researchers  learn about them for their future investigations. Some of them are the following:

 Advantages of qualitative research

• Subject materials can be evaluated with greater detail.

There are many time restrictions that are placed on research methods. The goal of a time restriction is to create a measurable outcome so that metrics can be in place. Qualitative research focuses less on the metrics of the data that is being collected and more on the subtleties of what can be found in that information. This allows for the data to have an enhanced level of detail to it, which can provide more opportunities to glean insights from it during examination.

• Research frameworks can be fluid and based on incoming or available data.

Many research opportunities must follow a specific pattern of questioning, data collection, and information reporting. Qualitative research offers a different approach. It can adapt to the quality of information that is being gathered. If the available data does not seem to be providing any results, the research can immediately shift gears and seek to gather data in a new direction. This offers more opportunities to gather important clues about any subject instead of being confined to a limited and often self-fulfilling perspective.

• Qualitative research data is based on human experiences and observations.

Humans have two very different operating systems. One is a subconscious method of operation, which is the fast and instinctual observations that are made when data is present. The other operating system is slower and more methodical, wanting to evaluate all sources of data before deciding. Many forms of research rely on the second operating system while ignoring the instinctual nature of the human mind. Qualitative research doesn’t ignore the gut instinct. It embraces it and the data that can be collected is often better for it.

• Gathered data has a predictive quality to it.

One of the common mistakes that occurs with qualitative research is an assumption that a personal perspective can be extrapolated into a group perspective. This is only possible when individuals grow up in similar circumstances, have similar perspectives about the world, and operate with similar goals. When these groups can be identified, however, the gathered individualistic data can have a predictive quality for those who are in a like-minded group. At the very least, the data has a predictive quality for the individual from whom it was gathered.

• Qualitative research operates within structures that are fluid.

Because the data being gathered through this type of research is based on observations and experiences, an experienced researcher can follow-up interesting answers with additional questions. Unlike other forms of research that require a specific framework with zero deviation, researchers can follow any data tangent which makes itself known and enhance the overall database of information that is being collected.

Disadvantages of qualitative research

• The quality of the data gathered in qualitative research is highly subjective.

This is where the personal nature of data gathering in qualitative research can also be a negative component of the process. What one researcher might feel is important and necessary to gather can be data that another researcher feels is pointless and won’t spend time pursuing it. Having individual perspectives and including instinctual decisions can lead to incredibly detailed data. It can also lead to data that is generalized or even inaccurate because of its reliance on researcher subjectivisms.

• Data rigidity is more difficult to assess and demonstrate.

Because individual perspectives are often the foundation of the data that is gathered in qualitative research, it is more difficult to prove that there is rigidity in the information that is collective. The human mind tends to remember things in the way it wants to remember them. That is why memories are often looked at fondly, even if the actual events that occurred may have been somewhat disturbing at the time. This innate desire to look at the good in things makes it difficult for researchers to demonstrate data validity.

• Mining data gathered by qualitative research can be time consuming.

The number of details that are often collected while performing qualitative research are often overwhelming. Sorting through that data to pull out the key points can be a time-consuming effort. It is also a subjective effort because what one researcher feels is important may not be pulled out by another researcher. Unless there are some standards in place that cannot be overridden, data mining through a massive number of details can almost be more trouble than it is worth in some instances.