5 Examples of Qualitative Research Explaining It In Detail

Introduction
It is easy to think of one kind of research, i.e., qualitative research. Qualitative research as a
whole is of one type of research. When talking about qualitative research methods, there are
many types of it. Now, you would be thinking about those types and examples of qualitative
research. Don’t worry; the centre of today’s discussion is those examples. But before
jumping into the main topic, let’s define qualitative research.
Qualitative research involves collecting non-numeric data. The data can be in the form of
text, video, or audio to analyse and conclude a topic. Many researchers use this method to
collect in-depth insights into a social problem. The students of social science and psychology
programs mostly use this research as a tool to identify the problems happening around them.
In simple words, qualitative research is the opposite of quantitative. The investigator does not
play with numbers but with expressions and text responses.
Approaches to Qualitative Research
Investigators use qualitative research to understand how people experience the world. To do
it better, they employ different approaches. There are many different approaches to
conducting qualitative research. A brief description of the five top approaches along with
their methods is as follows;
1. Ethnography
It is probably the most familiar and popular of all the examples of qualitative research.
Instead of relying on surveys and interviews, the researcher immerses himself in the
environment. It is very much related to cultural anthropology. In this type of study, the
researcher joins a culture often for years. He ultimately shapes himself into that particular
culture. He observes all the happening and problems of the culture. After carefully analysing
all the elements, the investigator gives his verdict about the problem.
For example, a social science student wants to study the culture of the Masai people.
Conducting interviews with people who have been there will not do any good to him. He
goes there and lives with them for years. After spending years living with the Masai, he
writes his research. The research is qualitative and, more precisely, ethnographic.
2. Narrative
The narrative approach weaves together the sequence of actual happenings. This approach
explains some kind of story, usually from one or two individuals. In other words, we can say
that the whole research is presented in a story form. The researcher interviews or observes an
individual for weeks or months. After this, he then writes research explaining the story of the
individual. The story can be in chronological order or not.
The most important thing here is the narration. The whole research takes the form of a
cohesive story. The tensions and problems of that particular individual can lead to the
solutions. Though it is not the most widely used of all the examples of qualitative research,
it is in use.
3. Phenomenological
Phenomenological is the most appropriate word when research describes an event or
phenomenon. The investigator uses a combination of techniques to conduct this study. Often
in-depth interviews, usually 25 to 30, are conducted to gather the relevant data. Watching
movies, reading documents and visiting places are other data collection methods for this
study. As you study a phenomenon, you must have tons of data before drawing any
conclusion.
For example, a researcher conducts a study on the effects of online courses on learning. How
have online courses revolutionised the education sector? Now, online study is the
phenomenon that the investigator wants to study. Thus, he conducts in-depth interviews of
the students and reads documents to draw his conclusion.
4. Grounded Theory
This approach is more related to the phenomenological study. The study mentioned above
provides the essence of events, the grounded theory gives the background information. The
data collection method of this example of qualitative research can be existing documents.
The researcher can acquire background information from many different sources. The
primarily conducted interviews are also a potential source to know the background. To
establish a theory, the sample size of this approach is larger. Usually, a sample size of 26 to
60 is considered good.
5. Case Study
It is the last qualitative research approach. This approach came from the Harvard School of
Business. The case studies refer to an event or activity within an organisation. The
researchers collect data to solve the problem that occurred in the event. For instance, the
company increased the price of its products by 10 rupees. In response to this price hike, the
sales were reduced. The investigator now reviews all the scenarios and studies the whole case
to develop a solution.
Qualitative data Collection Methods
After discussing the examples of qualitative research in detail, let’s discuss data collection
methods. As examples, there are also many data collection methods. A brief description of all
the methods is as follows;

Interviews
In qualitative research, interviews are the most widely used method for gathering data. In this
method, two individuals talk to each other on an issue. One is the interviewee, and the other
is the interviewer. The interviewer asks questions to the interviewee on the issue at hand.
Based on the responses of the interviewee, the researcher draws a conclusion.
Questionnaires
It is another type of data collection that employs asking questions. The investigator prepares a
survey based on the research goals. After composition, the researcher sends all the questions
to respondents. After the responses of participants, he then analyses them. The questionnaire
is a widely accepted method due to its unbiasedness.
Observation
Humans are constantly collecting data through their observation. If they use this observation
for a specific purpose, it becomes a method. In this method, the investigator observes
individuals or events over a specified period. After careful observation, he draws his
conclusion on the issue. The ethnography approach of qualitative research mostly uses this
method.
Conclusion
Qualitative research is easy to conduct but takes a lot of time. The above-mentioned
examples of qualitative research are the major ones. They will provide you with an
opportunity to conduct thorough research and collect the right data.