2.1 WHAT IS QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?

Qualitative research is a scientific method of observation to gather non-numerical data. It refers to the
meanings, concepts, characteristics, metaphors, symbols, and description of phenomena, and not to
their counts or measures (Abdullah, n.d.). It also puts an emphasis on human complexity and man’s
ability to decide and create his or her own experiences according to Cristobal & De la Cruz- Cristobal
(2017).

In other words, qualitative research focuses on analyzing the experiences of an individual who has the
first-hand experience of a phenomena. It is looking into the individual’s perspective of his/her
experience. Qualitative Research seeks to answer the “Why”, “In what ways”, “What”, and “How” of
phenomena (Abdullah, n.d.).

2.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

The following are the distinct characteristics of qualitative research according to Creswell (2018).

1. Natural Setting. Qualitative researchers tend to collect data in the field at the site where
participants' experience the issue or problem under study. This is to preserve the authenticity of the
responses of the participants and for the researcher to get a fuller grasp of their perspective in the
context of the natural setting.

2. Researcher as Key Instrument. The qualitative researchers collect data themselves through
examining documents, observing behavior, and interviewing participants. The guidelines, checklists,
and other instruments serve only as support to the actual key instrument of the study which is the
researcher This is because it is the researcher that does the analysis and observation in order to get
the meaning of the participants.

3. Multiple Sources of Data. Qualitative research does not only rely on a single data source, instead
it uses multiple sources, i.e. interviews (one-on-one or focus group discussions), observation of the
participants’ behavior, and document/audio/video analysis.

4. Inductive Data Analysis. Qualitative researchers build their patterns, categories, and themes from
the "bottom-up," by organizing the data into increasingly more abstract units of information. For
example, researchers start their analysis based on the responses they got during the interview, and
they look for key words or phrases and recurring ideas throughout the interview from each of the
respondents. “Codes” are given to the ideas that were identified and the researchers try to look for its
connection with other ideas and group them into categories. These categories now shall be grouped
according to its connection with the other categories formed and they will now arrive to a theme or
pattern. In ither words, the analysis starts from something specific to a bigger idea or the theme.

5. Participants’ Meaning. In the entire qualitative research process, the researchers keep a focus on
learning the meaning that the participants hold about the problem or issue, not the meaning that the
researchers bring to the research or writers from the literature. Researchers
focuses on what they get straight from the respondents and not only base their analysis on existing
literature about the phenomena.
6. Emergent Design. This is one of the most unique features of qualitative research- its flexibility. This
means that the initial plan for research cannot be tightly prescribed, and that all phases of the process
may change or shift after the researchers enter the field and begin to collect data. In other words, the
possibility of changing some parts of the process of doing the study can still be changed or modified
depending on the need of the situation.

7. Theoretical Lens. Qualitative researchers often use a lens to view their studies, such as the concept
of culture, central to ethnography, or gendered, racial, or class differences. Sometimes, the study may
be organized around identifying the social, political, or historical context of the problem under study.
The research issue or topic at hand can be viewed in different perspectives such as the ones mentioned
in the previous sentences.

8. Interpretive Inquiry. Qualitative research is a form of inquiry in which researchers make an

interpretation of what they see, hear, and understand. The researchers' interpretations cannot be
separated from their own background, history, context, and prior understandings.

9. Holistic Account. Qualitative researchers try to develop a complex picture of the problem or issue
under study. This involves reporting multiple perspectives, identifying the many factors involved in a
situation, and generally sketching the larger picture that emerges. Researchers are bound not by tight
cause-and-effect relationships among factors, but rather by identifying the complex interactions of
factors in any situation.

2.3 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Part of getting to know this type of research (qualitative research) is knowing its strengths and
weaknesses. Through this, you would be able to see when it is best to use it and what advantages and
disadvantages will you encounter once you decide to use this type.

The following are the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research as identified by Anderson
(2010) as cited by Cristobal & Dela Cruz-Cristobal (2017).

2.3.1 Strengths of Qualitative Research

• The study requires a few cases or participants. Data collected are based on the participants’
own categories of meaning.
• It is useful for describing complex phenomena.
• Issues can be examined in detail and depth.
• Interviews are not restricted to specific questions and can be guided or redirected by the researcher
in real time.
• Cross-case comparisons and analysis can be conducted.
• It provides understanding and description of people’s personal experiences of phenomena.
• Qualitative data in the words and categories of participants lend themselves to exploring
how and why particular phenomena occur.

2.3.2 Limitations of Qualitative Research

• The knowledge produced might not be applicable to other people or other settings.
• Inflexibility can be difficult to maintain, assess, and demonstrate.
• It is sometimes not as well understood and accepted as quantitative research within the
scientific community.
• The researcher’s presence during data gathering, which is often unavoidable in qualitative research,
can affect the subjects’ responses.
• It is more difficult to test hypotheses and theories with large participant pools.
• It generally takes more time to collect the data compared to quantitative research.
• Data analysis is often time-consuming.
• The results might be easily influenced by the researcher’s personal biases.

2.4 Types of Qualitative Research

The following are the various types of qualitative research based on different fields of inquiry according
to Merriam, S. B., et al (2002) as cited by Cristobal & De la Cruz-Cristobal (2017):

1. Phenomenological study. This type of research seeks 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 experiences (lived experiences) through the descriptions provided by subjects or
respondents. The goal of this study is to describe the meaning that experiences hold for each subject.
Some of the areas of concern for these studies are humanness, self-determination, uniqueness,
wholeness, and individualism.

Example: What are the common experiences encountered by a person with a spouse who is
undergoing rehabilitation?

With the given problem, the researcher has to discover the inner feelings, emotional hardships, and
mental disturbances that the respondent is experiencing.

2. Ethnographic study. This study involves the collection and analysis of data about cultural groups
or minorities. In this type of research, the researcher immerses with the people and becomes a part of
their culture. He or she becomes involved in the everyday activities of the subjects and gets to
empathize with the cultural groups experiencing issues and problems in their everyday lives. During
the immersion process, the researcher talks to the key persons and personalities called key informants
who provide important information for the study. The main purpose of this study is the development of
cultural theories.

Example: What is the demographic profile and migratory adaptations of squatter families in Barangay
Cutcut, Angeles City (dela Cruz, 1994)?

In studying the problem, the researcher immerses with subjects and becomes involved with the
activities that exemplify the cultural practices of the respondents.

3. Historical study. This study is concerned with the identification, location, evaluation, and synthesis
of data from past events. This is not only limited to obtaining data from the past, but it also involves
relating their implications to the present and future time.

Example: What were the roles of women in the Katipunan?

The researcher can consult authentic and original resource materials relevant to the problem to
determine the accuracy of information provided in the research paper.

4. Case study. It is an in-depth examination of an individual, groups of people, or an institution. Some

of its purposes are to gain insights into a little-known problem, provide background data for broader
studies, and explain socio-psychological and socio-cultural processes. A case study also involves a
comprehensive and extensive examination of a particular individual, group, or situation over a period
of time. It provides information on where to draw conclusions about the impact of a significant event in
a person’s life (Sanchez, 2002).

Example: How do cancer survivors look at life?

The researcher is able to give an overview of the problem by interviewing a cancer survivor about his
or her experiences.

5. Grounded theory study. The method involves comparing collected units of data against one another
until categories, properties, and hypotheses that state relations between these categories and
properties emerge. These hypotheses are tentative and suggestive and are not tested in the study.

Example: Ten school counselors were given structured interviews to help determine how their
professional identity is formed.

This data was coded first to form concepts. Then, connections between these concepts were identified.
A core concept emerged and its process and implications were discussed. School counselors’
professional interactions were identified as defining experiences in their identity formation (Brott &
Myers, 1999).

2.5 The Importance of Qualitative Research Across Fields of Inquiry

It was discussed in Unit 1 how research, in general, is important in our daily lives. It is essential because
it helps us in our decision-making, it gives us ideas on how we can improve certain procedures or
technologies in order to make our lives better. In this section, we will highlight the importance of
qualitative research across different fields.

• Exploring qualitative research in different disciplines provide insight into the complexity of common
occurrences.
• It provides specific concrete details to guide understanding in a particular setting.
• It provides insight into the “local” meanings that that activities and practices have for the
participants.
• It helps to develop a comparative understanding of phenomena as experienced by different
participants in different settings.