CS_RS11-IIIa-4

LESSON 5: The Characteristics, Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Research

QUARTER 1 | S.Y. 2024-2025

Characteristics of Qualitative Research - You take note of direct quotations revealing

your participant’s personal perspectives and
- Fraenkel and Wallen (as cited in Practical experiences.
Research 1 Teacher’s Guide 2016) outlined - You need to capture every detail including
the major characteristics of qualitative gestures and facial expressions of the
research. These are as follows: participants during observation or interview.

1. Qualitative research engages in 5. Qualitative research requires close

naturalistic inquiry. contact and insight.
- As a qualitative researcher, you examine the - As a qualitative researcher, you need to have
participants in the natural environment. a direct and personal contact with the
- You observe them in their respective participants, situation and phenomenon
contexts or real-world situations and see under study.
things happening naturally in their life (e.g - You need to personally witness and
observing how customers select grocery experience what your participants are doing
items in the supermarket or how a student in the actual scenario.
participates in a group task in class). - Interviewing, observing and taking down
- You do not manipulate or control the notes in the actual location is important.
situation rather you are open to what - Your personal experiences and insights are
emerges in the course of the study. important part of the inquiry and critical to
understanding the phenomenon.
2. Qualitative research uses inductive
6. Qualitative research uses dynamic
analysis.
- As a qualitative researcher, you are faced
systems.
with details and specifics of the data before - Qualitative research is concerned with the
arriving at a general understanding of a process involved.
phenomenon. - As a qualitative researcher, you have to
- Formulating hypothesis does not happen at assume that change is constant and ongoing
the beginning of the study rather it is done in a study because you are not concerned
as the study progresses because you with finding only one answer.
construct the concepts and meanings based - As you go through the process, you may
on the interpretation at the end of the study. improve interview questions or consider
- In the process, you explore the study by other ways of getting answers from
asking open-ended questions which lead to participants.
the discovery of categories, dimensions and
interrelationships of things. 7. Qualitative research provides a
unique case.
3. Qualitative research takes a holistic - Each qualitative research is unique and
perspective. special.
- As a qualitative researcher, you study the - It deserves an in-depth attention specifically
whole phenomenon and look into the when conducting cultural comparisons.
complex interdependence of things. - Individual case studies must be treated
- In qualitative research the whole is greater distinctively with one another.
than the sum of its parts.
- The totality of the problem is considered. 8. Qualitative research is context
sensitive.
4. Qualitative research generates - Qualitative research involves variables,
qualitative data. factors and conditions which affect the study.
- Qualitative data take the form of words, - As a qualitative researcher, you must
descriptions, pictures or images and objects. understand that different variables such as
- As a qualitative researcher, you produce values and beliefs influence cultural
thick and detailed description through an in- behaviors.
depth inquiry. - The context or situation of a person’s life- the
who, what, why, how and other
circumstances affects his or her way of life.
 CS_RS11-IIIa-4
LESSON 5: The Characteristics, Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Research
QUARTER 1 | S.Y. 2024-2025

5. Data in qualitative research is dynamic and

9. Qualitative research observes powerful. Sometimes, it is more convincing
impartiality. than quantitative data.
- As a qualitative researcher, you should be 6. In qualitative research, the intricacies of a
nonjudgmental in formulating the findings. research subject or topic are discovered.
- You need to take neutral nonjudgmental These are often missed when more
stance toward a content that emerges in the positivistic inquiries are used.
study. 7. Data usually are collected from a few cases
- Although complete objectivity is difficult to or individuals so findings cannot be
achieve in qualitative research, you as the generalized to a larger population. Findings
researcher needs to maintain the credibility can however be transferable to another
of the paper. setting.

10. Qualitative research reflects design Weakness of Qualitative Research

flexibility.
- Qualitative research may allow multiple 1. The quality of qualitative research is
approaches and methods. dependent on the researcher’s skills and is
- As a qualitative researcher, you should not easily influenced by his or her personal
fix an eye on a design that eliminates biases and idiosyncrasies.
responsiveness. 2. In qualitative research, consistency and
- You may use another design as precision all throughout the study are
understanding of the phenomenon deepens difficult to maintain, assess and
or situations change. demonstrate.
3. Since qualitative research produces thick
description and huge data, analysis and
Strengths of Qualitative Research interpretation take a considerable amount of
time.
4. Comparing it with quantitative research,
- Qualitative research has strengths and
qualitative is not well understood and
weaknesses.
accepted within the scientific community.
- If you conduct the qualitative study properly,
Others give qualitative research results low
the strengths would surface.
credibility.
- On the other hand, you need to find ways on
5. The researcher's presence during the data
how to reduce the effect of its limitations.
gathering, which is often unavoidable in
- The following are the strengths and
qualitative research, can affect the subjects'
weaknesses of qualitative research:
responses.
6. Issues of anonymity and confidentiality can
1. In qualitative research, problems and issues
bring problems when presenting findings.
are examined thoroughly, specifically, and
7. Formulating the findings can be more
deeply.
challenging and time consuming to
2. It provides full and holistic understanding of
characterize in a visual way.
human experience in specific contexts.
3. It allows understanding of people’s 8. Small sample size raises an issue on
generalizability of the research results.
individuality. Each one has different
9. Data interpretation and analysis may be
experiences, struggles, voices, meanings and
difficult and complex.
events which are studied in a qualitative
10. It is hard to know the validity or reliability of
research.
the data in a qualitative research.
4. It adapts a flexible structure as the design
can be restructured in the process of the
study. Qualitative research framework and
direction may be revised as new information
emerges. Researchers who conduct an
interview are not restricted to specific
questions and can guide and redirect
questions in real time.