Types of Qualitative Research & Kinds of Research Across Fields

Phenomenology

Understanding the essence of an experience or common characteristics of a phenomenon

Grounded Theory

Developing a theory grounded in qualitative data or generate a theory based on participant perspectives and common experiences

Ethnography

Description and interpretation of a shared culture of a group

Case Study

Description and analysis of a case or multiple cases

Historical

Collection, interpretation, and evaluation of primary historical data about an event

Narrative/ Biography

Exploring the life of an individual or individual stories to describe the lives of people

Scientific research

It is designed to learn about the physical world and discover how it works. This includes all fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, and astronomy, to mention a few.

Social sciences and humanities

It encompasses studies that deal with human society, culture, and the interaction and relationships between its members. This includes branches like anthropology, sociology, communication studies, area studies, linguistics, demography, and geography, among others.

Historical research

It pertains to events in the past and the interpretation of such events. The techniques and methods used for this study are called historical methods.

Business research

It is conducted to solve business and management problems

Non-empirical research

It includes theoretical studies related to cosmological phenomena and mathematics.