Qualitative Research

 The naturalistic method of inquiry of research, deals with the issue of human complexity by exploring it directly.

 It puts an emphasis human complexity and man’s ability to decide and to create his/her own experience.

 It attempts to explain the human experience with its dynamic, holistic and individualistic aspects through the
perspective of the individual himself.

 The materials are qualitative that are narrative and subjective .

 It focuses on gaining insights and understanding about an individual’s perception and interpretation of events.

 This type of research collects data through unstructured methods such as interviews and participative
observation.

 The researcher will synthesize the patterns and themes in the acquired data rather than focusing on the testing
of hypotheses.

 The researcher does not have to be concerned with numbers and complicated statistical analyses.

Common Types of Qualitative Research

1. Phenomenological study – this type of research is to find the essence or structure of an experience by explaining
how complex meanings are built out of simple units of inner experience.

- It examines human experience (lived experience) through the descriptions provided by subjects or respondents.

2. Ethnographic study – involves the collection and analysis of data about cultural groups or minorities.

 The researcher immerses with the people and becomes a part of their culture.

3. Historical study – is concerned with the identification, location, evaluation, and synthesis of data from past events.

a. Documents – wide range of printed materials that can be found in libraries, archives or personal collections.

b. Relics and artifacts – such as the equipment used by nurses during WWII usually found in museums

c. Oral reports – are information that are passed through word of mouth

The data sources are further classified as follows:

a. Primary sources – when the material provides first-hand information, e.g. oral histories, written records, diaries ,
eyewitness accounts, pictures, videos, and other physical evidence.

b. Secondary sources – second- hand information such when a person narrates information heard from

The materials used in the study are assessed through the following hallmarks of validity:

a. Internal criticism – involves establishing the authenticity or originality of the materials by looking at the consistency of
information.

b. External criticism – based on the analysis of the material; the ink and the type of paper used; the layout and physical
appearance; as well as the age and the texture of the material itself

4. Case study – an in- depth examination of people or group of people or an institution

 To gain insights into a little-known problem; provide background data for broader studies; or explain socio-
psychological and socio-cultural processes.

5. Grounded theory study – involves comparing collected units of data against one another until categories, properties,
and hypotheses that state relations between these categories and properties emerge.
6. Narrative analysis – the main sources of data for this type of research are the life accounts of individuals based on
their personal experiences.

PARAPHRASING

- rewriting the text with completely different words and phrases whilst keeping the original meaning intact.

Summarizing

- giving a concise overview of a text’s main points in your own words.

- it is always much shorter than the original text.

Types of interview

Structured Interviews

This type of interview is a controlled way to obtain information from interviewees. In other words, it is a pre-planned
interview where the researcher writes down the interview questions before conducting the interview. Such a format is
an effective way to keep the interview tightly focused on the target topic (Bryman, 2008). It also makes the interview
comparable among interviewees.

Examples of highly structured interview questions

 How often do you use our product?

Weekly/Bi-monthly/Yearly

 Do you enjoy using our product?

Very likely/Somewhat likely/Highly Unlikely

Semi-structured or “loosely structured” interviews

It is very common for social science researchers to conduct this type of interview.

This type [uses]... questions [that] are pre-planned prior to the interview but the interviewer gives the interviewee the
chance to elaborate and explain particular issues through the use of open-ended questions.

This type is appropriate to researchers who have an overview of their topic so that they can ask questions.

However, they do not prefer to use a structured format which may hinder the depth and richness of the responses
(Bryman, 2008). (Alsaawi, 2014, p. 151)

Example of loosely structured interview Qs

Start with your research question: “What are students’ study habits in the first year of the Life Sciences program?”

Develop a number of topics or areas to explore. Establish your interview “protocol” – in other words, pre-write your
main questions and be ready with follow up questions.
LET’S COMPOSE FOLLOW UP Qs TOGETHER NOW

● What study activities do you do on your own?

● Do you know how much independent study your professors expect of you?

● How do you decide what to study when?

● What motivates you to study independently?

Unstructured Interviews (Depth interviews) Miller, W.L., & Crabtree, B F. (1999).

‘Depth interviewing’ in B.F. Crabtree and W.L. Miller (eds.). Doing qualitative research. Sage.

This type of interview ….is wide open. Interviewees can elaborate, leading in unpredictable directions.

This type is similar to a conversation in which the interviewer might ask a single question and then the interviewee has
the choice with regard to the extent to which s/he responds (Bryman, 2008). Interruptions on the part of the interviewer
are kept to a minimum.

Consequently, this would provide a more relaxed atmosphere for the interviewees, which has made some entitle it an
“ethnographic interview” (Dörnyei, 2007). Although this type of interview may end up with a huge amount of data, it is
appropriate for researchers who want to focus on a specific phenomenon in depth. (Alsaawi, 2014, p. 151)

Focus-group interviews

This type of interview originated in market research in the early 1990s (Robson, 2011)....

It can be structured, semi-structured or unstructured. This type involves a brainstorming focus group of usually six to
twelve interviewees (Dörnyei, 2007:144).

It can generate “high quality data” which is fruitful for the interviewer. Interviewees can challenge, argue and debate
with each other [e.g. converse], and this technique usually leads to the emergence of in-depth and rich data.

The focus group….

Carey (1994) states that focus groups are the best approach for sensitive topics. It is an enjoyable experience for the
interviewees, and applicable for illiterate people (Robson, 2011). However, this type of interview needs to be set up in
advance. Moreover, it is difficult to transcribe, especially when overlapping occurs (Dörnyei, 2007). The number of
questions tends to be fewer than those in the other types of interview. Also, confidentiality is an issue with this approach
(Robson, 2011).