Qualitative Research | Definition, Methods & Examples 

Qualitative research provides a broad overview of how human behaviour works, how social dynamics operate, and how personal experiences shape viewpoints. It is helpful in various academic disciplines, such as psychology, anthropology, sociology, and marketing, where understanding human decisions and preferences is important.

Unlike quantitative research which focuses on statistical analysis and numerical data to derive meaningful conclusions, qualitative analysis focuses on real-life subjective experiences to gain the true meaning of things. Additionally, it also provides a comprehensive understanding of numerous subjects and topics that quantitative research might ignore.

Qualitative Research Definition

The meaning of qualitative research can be defined as collecting and analysing non-numerical data such as text, images and audio to gain insights about a research problem or find answers to a research question. It employs several qualitative research techniques to obtain such data and information by using surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations and case studies.

Compared to quantitative research, which uses statistical techniques and relatively large samples to generalise findings for a large population, qualitative research uses non-statistical methods and is keenly focused on small samples to make inferences.

Approaches To Qualitative Research

A well-rounded qualitative research requires a research question at its base. A clear research question sets the ground for a detailed analysis of the subject under study. For this, certain qualitative research approaches are considered to gain valuable insights:

Qualitative Research Methods

Qualitative research utilises various methods to gain data and advance knowledge for research studies. Researchers and academic professionals use these methods to observe, analyse and make conclusions on the subject, topic or phenomenon being studied. Here are the most commonly used qualitative methods:

• Surveys

Surveys are a popular qualitative method that is used to gain data on human behaviour, attitudes, beliefs and preferences. Unlike quantitative research which uses close-ended questions in surveys and questionnaires, qualitative research uses open-ended questions so that researchers can get a thorough understanding of the topic.

• It is crucial to understand how to conduct surveys so that the right information can be obtained without wasting any time and resources. Moreover, it is recommended that the questions in surveys must be concise and objective so that any research bias can be avoided.

• Interviews

Interviews are one of the most effective qualitative methods to expand knowledge and gain key information in various research endeavours. These are conducted between an interviewer (researcher) and an interviewee (participant) and consist of open-ended questions. Nowadays, interviews are not just conducted face-to-face but can be conducted online or over the telephone as well.

These conversations are of three types:

• Structured Interviews in Qualitative Research
• Unstructured Interviews in Qualitative Research
• Semi-structured Interviews in Qualitative Research

• Focus Groups

Qualitative research employs focus groups as a method to obtain real-time information by interviewing or asking questions simultaneously from a group of people. This group consists of 6-10 people, and they are encouraged to express their opinions, attitudes, beliefs and experiences openly on the topic that is being investigated. Moreover, a moderator facilitates this mode of discussion and oversees the whole process.

• Case Studies

A case study provides an in-depth analysis of a particular event, phenomenon or topic. These studies are gathered by researchers as a means to understand the research problem, generate new hypotheses or examine the existing policies. Moreover, multiple observations, documents, articles and interviews are studied by researchers to develop a comprehensive case.

• Observations

This involves using real-time observations to gather information about the subject being studied. There might be no direct interaction between the observer which is primarily the researcher and the person or phenomenon being observed. Additionally, non-verbal communication and silent observations can assist researchers in understanding social interactions, social dynamics and human interaction.

Qualitative Research Advantages And Disadvantages

Qualitative research plays a major role in advancing research, making informed decisions and improving policies in various fields such as healthcare, medicine, education and business. However, like any research, there are pros and cons of qualitative research:

Benefits Of Qualitative Research

• Data collection methods can be enhanced and reformed according to emerging trends and patterns, which makes this research quite flexible.
• A better understanding of human needs, attitudes and preferences can help policymakers and researchers make informed decisions that drive social change.
• Qualitative research occurs in naturalistic settings which helps researchers record behaviours and attitudes in real-world settings. This means that a researcher avoids interfering with the topic under study.
• It fosters empathy and understanding of diverse cultures, their beliefs, values and social settings.

Drawbacks of Qualitative Research

• The most important drawback that is faced due to qualitative research is the subjectivity and bias that arises because of a researcher’s own set of values, preferences and attitudes. Since this research relies on the subjective interpretation of a researcher, there is a huge risk of the findings being manipulated.
• Small samples are inconvenient because the data may be biased and not representative of the whole population. Hence, it is difficult to draw generalisable conclusions.
• Data collection and analysis are time-consuming and labor-intensive as the observations and interviews require a lot of time and resources.

Qualitative Research Examples

Here are a few examples of how qualitative research works:

Example 1

A researcher wants to identify the impact of remote work on employee mental health, work-life balance and job satisfaction. Hence, an interview is conducted with 20 employees who have been working remotely for 5 months. To gain a comprehensive insight into how similar their experiences are, a focus group of two sessions with 10 employees each is conducted as well. Thus, the data collected from interviews and focus groups helps researchers understand the implications of remote work on themes such as work productivity, work-life balance and mental health.

Example 2

A researcher aims to understand the agricultural practices and community interactions in a rural farming village. The researcher uses ethnographic research and gains data and information by living with the village farmers for two months. He observes the different farming practices, community rituals and overall social interaction among the village people. To widen his research, he conducts interviews with farmers, children and the village elders. Hence, this contributes to his research study, providing insights into traditional agricultural practices and how they navigate through modern challenges.

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