Decoding the Human Experience: The 5 Qualitative Research Approaches

Vocabulary-style flashcards defining the five core qualitative research methodologies, sampling methods, primary analysis strategies, and core concepts from the lecture notes.

Narrative Research

A qualitative research approach that explores stories told by 1 to 10 individuals to make sense of what happened, tracking identity transformation and chronology over time.

Case Study

A qualitative research approach involving an intensive examination of one bounded system (such as one student, family, school, or organization) by integrating multiple data sources into a comprehensive portrait.

Grounded Theory

A qualitative research approach designed to explain a social process by generating a new theoretical model grounded directly in participant experiences through coding stages and theoretical sampling.

Phenomenology

A qualitative research approach studying the shared lived experience of 5 to 25 people to uncover 'What is it like?' and distill down the universal essential meaning of a phenomenon.

Participatory Action Research (PAR)

A qualitative research approach where researchers and participants collaborate as co-researchers to solve real-world problems and generate positive social change or community transformation.

Epoche

A step-by-step reduction process used in phenomenology to set aside personal assumptions in order to identify the universal essence of an experience.

Triangulation

An analysis method used primary in case studies to integrate evidence from multiple data collection sources such as interviews, observations, and records.

Theoretical Sampling

The sampling technique in Grounded Theory where data collection is guided by emerging categories until saturation is reached.

Qualitative Research Rigor

The credibility and strength of a study achieved by properly aligning the research questions, study design, data collection methods, and interpretation.