Qualitative

Research
& its Types
> Qualitative Research Definition
> Quanti & Quali Comparison
> Types of Qualitative Research
Qualitative Research Definition

Qualitative research is an approach for exploring

and understanding the meaning individuals or
groups ascribe to a social or human problem
(Creswell, 2014).

Qualitative research focuses in understanding a

research query as a humanistic or idealistic
approach, and method is used to understand
people's beliefs, experiences, attitudes, behavior,
and interactions (Pathak, Jena, & Kalra, 2013).
Qualitative Research

➢The process of qualitative research involves:

✓emerging questions and procedures

✓data typically collected in the participant’s setting
✓data analysis inductively building from particulars to general themes
✓researcher making interpretations of the meaning of the data
✓flexible structure of the final written report
 Qualitative Research

According to Creswell (2014), those who engage in this [qualitative

research] form of inquiry support a way of looking at research that
honors inductive style, a focus on individual meaning, and the
importance of rendering the complexity of a situation.

involves the search for pattern from observation and the

✓inductive style development of explanations – theories
the focus is on the perspective of individual or group of
✓individual meaning individuals
involves diverse ways of interpretations of data, behavior,
✓complexity of a situation actions, and etc.
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

DEFINITION

Quantitative Qualitative

➢An approach for testing objective ➢An approach for exploring and
theories and examining the relationship understanding people's beliefs,
of variables experiences, attitudes, behavior, and
interactions
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

CHARACTERISTICS

Quantitative Qualitative

➢A type of educational research in which ➢A type of educational research in which

the researcher decides what to study the researcher relies on the views of the
➢An exploration in which little is known participants
about the problem ➢A description of trends or an
explanation of variables’ relationships
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

CHARACTERISTICS

Quantitative Qualitative

➢Some of its types takes place in ➢It takes place in the real world, and
laboratories deals with how people give meaning to
➢More able to be generalized due to their own experience
large amount of data ➢Less able to be generalized since the
study is specific to an individual or
group of individuals
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

CHARACTERISTICS

Quantitative Qualitative

➢Conducts the inquiry in unbiased, ➢Conducts inquiry in subjective, biased

objective manner manner
➢Prediction and confirmation of ➢Understanding, describing, and
phenomena discovering phenomena
➢Deductive style (specific to general) ➢Inductive style (general to specific)
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

TITLE

Quantitative Qualitative

➢Specific ➢Flexible
➢Bounded ➢Creative
➢Shows the relationship of the variables ➢Can change over time
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

RESEARCH QUESTION

Quantitative Qualitative

➢Specific, narrow questions ➢Broad, general questions

➢Close-ended questions ➢Open-ended questions
➢questions are best for gathering broad ➢questions aim to gather data that is not
insights and developing basic profiles, easily quantified such as attitudes,
validating assumptions about an habits, and challenges.
unknown (or little known) audience
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Quantitative Qualitative

➢hypothesis is only developed to be ➢hypothesis is used in the form of a clear

tested statement concerning the problem to be
➢Specific and testable investigated
➢Tentative and evolving
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

THEORETICAL-CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Quantitative Qualitative

➢It is needed to show the relationship of ➢It is not necessary

the variables ➢It is used to provide focus and
➢Theories are existing and are stated the organization of the study, and expose
support the study and obstruct meaning
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

LITERATURE REVIEW

Quantitative Qualitative

➢Extensive ➢Comprehensive
➢Major role through suggesting the ➢Minor role in suggesting the research
research question to be asked question to be asked
➢Justifying the problem and the need for ➢Justify the importance of studying the
direction of the study research problem
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

SAMPLING

Quantitative Qualitative

➢Large number of participants ➢Small number of participants

➢Random and representative ➢Non-random and purposeful
➢Probability sampling ➢Non-probability sampling
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

SAMPLING

Quantitative Qualitative

➢Depends on the population and ➢ For an ethnography, Morse (1994) suggested

approximately 30 – 50 participants
therefore uses a sample size
➢ For grounded theory, Morse (1994) suggested
formula/calculator 30 – 50 interviews, while Creswell (1998)
suggested only 20 – 30
➢ For phenomenological studies, Creswell (1998)
recommends 5 – 25 and Morse (1994) suggests
at least 6
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

DATA COLLECTION

Quantitative Qualitative

➢Highly structured questionnaires ➢Semi-structured questionnaires,

discussion guides
➢Surveys
➢ Focus Group Discussion, In-depth
➢Questionnaire can evolve over the
interview
course of the study
➢Questionnaire may have few or no
changes over the course of the study
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

DATA ANALYSIS

Quantitative Qualitative

➢Numeric and statistical ➢Non-statistical and words

➢May include advanced analytic ➢Focuses on concepts and images
techniques ➢Thematic analysis, triangulation, content
➢Statistical tests analysis
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

DATA INTERPRETATION

Quantitative Qualitative

➢Describing trends, comparing group ➢Text analysis

differences, relating variables ➢A description of themes
➢Interpretation tends to consist of ➢Stating the larger meaning of findings
comparing results with prior predictions
and past research
Quantitative & Qualitative Comparison

RESULT/ OUTCOME

Quantitative Qualitative

➢Used to recommend a final course of ➢Develop an initial understanding and

action sound base for further decision making
➢Generalizable findings; can be applied ➢Particular findings; less generalizable
to other population
Types of Qualitative Research

1. Narrative Research
Narrative research is a design of inquiry from the
humanities in which he researcher studies the lives of
individuals and asks one or more individuals to provide
stories about their lives (Riessman, 2008).

➢The story or information is then often retold or restoried by the

researcher into a narrative chronology. Often, in the end, the
narrative combines views from the participant’s life with those
of the researcher’s life in a collaborative narrative (Clandinin &
Connelly, 2000).
Types of Qualitative Research

1. Narrative Research
Sample Topics:
➢A study of the experiences of an autistic student who has moved from a self-contained
program to an inclusive setting

➢A study of the experiences of high school track star who has been moved on to a
championship-winning university track team
Types of Qualitative Research

1. Narrative Research
Sample Titles:
➢Spoken Stories: A Narrative Inquiry on the Lives And Experiences of “Outsider Teachers”
(Sara Makris – 2012)

➢Bad Kids Gone Good: A Narrative Inquiry Study of Alternative Education

Graduates(Michael Watson – 2014)

➢A Narrative Inquiry of Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding their Professional Development

Experiences (Theresa Andrea Nugent – 2007)
Types of Qualitative Research

2. Phenomenological Research
Phenomenological research is a design of inquiry coming from
philosophy and psychology in which the researcher describes
the lived experiences of individuals about a phenomenon as
described by participants. This description culminates in the
essence of the experiences for several individuals who have all
experienced the phenomenon (Giorgi, 2009; Moustakas, 1994).

➢It is a way of describing that something that exists as part of

the world we live in.
Types of Qualitative Research

2. Phenomenological Research
Sample Topics:
➢To explore the lived experiences of 12 Afghan women enrolled in higher education
institutions in Afghanistan. The objective was to develop an understanding of the
participants' perceptions of the factors that led to their enrollment in higher education and
the factors that inhibit Afghan women

➢A study of the lived experiences and post-traumatic growth of stage 4 breast cancer
survivors
Types of Qualitative Research

2. Phenomenological Research
Sample Titles:
➢A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Parents of Young Children with
Autism Receiving Special Education Services (Donna Marie Barrow – 2017)

➢The Subjective Experience and Phenomenology of Depression Following First Episode

Psychosis: A Qualitative Study Using Photo-elicitation (Sandhu et al. – 2013)

➢The Lived Experiences of being a Sole Mother in Taiwan (Rita Hong – 2011)
Types of Qualitative Research

3. Ethnographic Research
Ethnographic research is a design of inquiry coming from
anthropology and sociology in which the researcher studies the
shared patterns of behaviors, language, and actions of an intact
cultural group in a natural setting over a prolonged period of
time. The data collection involves interviews and observations
(Creswell, 2014).

➢The researchers observe and/or interact with a study's

participants in their real-life environment.
Types of Qualitative Research

3. Ethnographic Research
Sample Topics:
➢The study involving the interaction of teachers and students in a classroom discussion

➢A study of roles and behaviors of gang members as an organization

➢A study involving drinking youth cultures

Types of Qualitative Research

3. Ethnographic Research
Sample Titles:
➢Masculinities and Eating Practices in the Philippines: An Ethnographic Study (Rachel
Winter – 2017)

➢Sugar Girls and Seamen: A Journey into the World of Dockside Prostitution in South Africa
(Henry Trotter – 2008)

➢The Everyday Lives of Men: An Ethnographic Investigation of Young Adult Male Identity
(Peter Gill – 2008)
Types of Qualitative Research

4. Case Studies
Case studies are a design of inquiry found in many fields,
especially evaluation, in which the researcher develops an in-
depth analysis of a case, often a program, event, activity,
process, or one or more individuals. Cases are bound by time
and activity (Stake, 1995; Yin, 2009, 2012).

➢A case study is a research method involving an up-close and

detailed examination of a particular case.
Types of Qualitative Research

4. Case Studies
Sample Topics:
➢The study involving the quality difference in the production of Samsung and Nokia

➢A study of the benefits of research and surveys to a business before manufacturing the products

➢A study involving an unidentified disease of a patient

Types of Qualitative Research

4. Case Studies
Sample Titles:
➢Challenges of Innovation for Chinese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: Case Study in
Beijing (Khaled Alqahtani – 2016)

➢Case Studies of Fifth-grade Student Modeling in Science through Programming:

Comparison of Modeling Practices and Conversations (Loucas Louca – 2004)
Types of Qualitative Research

5. Historical Research
Historical research is a qualitative technique which studies the
meaning of past events in an attempt to interpret the facts and
explain the cause of events, and their effect in the present events
(OHSU, 2011).

➢In doing so, researchers rely heavily on primary historical data (direct
accounts of events, archival data - official documents, personal records,
and records of eyewitnesses) and less frequently on secondary
historical data (information from persons who didn’t witness the event;
e.g. textbooks, newspapers, encyclopedias).
Types of Qualitative Research

5. Historical Research
Sample Titles:
➢The Many Faces of Generalisimo Fransisco Franco: His Legacy Remembered (Erinn
Heubner – nd)

➢Ang Kaisahan at Ugnayan ng Lumang Pamayanan ng Pilipinas at ng Rapa Nui at

Polynesyang Pranses (Lorenz Lasco – 2015)
Types of Qualitative Research

6. Grounded Theory

Grounded theory is a design of inquiry from sociology in which the

researcher derives a general, abstract theory of a process, action,
or interaction grounded in the views of the participants. This
process involves using multiple stages of data collection and the
refinement and interrelationship of categories of information
(Charmaz, 2006; Corbin & Strauss, 2007).
Types of Qualitative Research

6. Grounded Theory
Sample Titles:
➢Military Spouse Employment: A Grounded Theory Approach to Experiences and
Perceptions (Laura Castaneda & Margaret Harrell – 2008)

➢Findings indicate that the majority of military spouses believe that the military has a negative effect
on their employment. In addition, the interviews revealed that these spouses work for a variety of
reasons, both financial and nonpecuniary. The reasons for the military's negative effect and spouse
motives for working are discussed, along with the ensuing implications for policy.
Types of Qualitative Research

6. Grounded Theory
Sample Titles:
➢A Grounded Theory Study of the Multicultural Experiences of School Psychologists (Kenya
Noreen Mewborn – 2005)

➢A theory was developed that explains how psychologists manage racial/ethnic differences in the
diverse school context. Results indicate that psychologists’ efforts focused on bridging cultural
differences in the communication styles, beliefs, and behaviors of students, parents, and school
staff members.