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💡What is Qualitative Research?

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It is used to give an understanding of underlying

reasons opinions and motivations.

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The investigation provides insights, into the problem or

helps to develop ideas or hypothesis research. for

potential qualitative research.

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It is also used to uncover trends in thought and

opinions and dig deeper into the problem.

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Qualitative research is primarily an

exploratory research.

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The sample size is typically small.

It examines the why, where, when and who of a given

study.

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Qualitative research seeks to collect, integrate and

present data from a variety of sources of evidence as

part of a given study.

💡What is Quantitative Research?

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This research is used to quantify- that is to put

numerical equivalents to findings.

This type of research-is not limited to mathematics.

Quantitative research is used to quantify the problem

by way of generating mathematical data or data that

can be transformed into usable statistics.

It quantifies altitudes, opinions, behaviors and other

defined variables and generalize results from a large

sample of populations.

💡 Characteristics of Research

EMPIRICAL

Research is based on observations and experimentation of

theories. It takes into account the direct experiences that fuse

the researcher's speculation with reality. Most research is based

on real-life situations.

SYSTEMATIC

Research follows orderly and sequential procedures, based on

valid procedures and principles. Researchers are advised to

refer to the research guidelines provided or prescribed by the

school.

CONTROLS

In research, all variables, except those that are

tested/experimented on, are kept constant.

EMOLOYS HYPOTHESIS

The hypothesis guides the investigation process. Research

refers to a search for facts, answers to questions, and solutions

to problems.

ANALYTICAL

There is a critical analysis of all data used so that there is no

error in the researcher's interpretations.

OBJECTIVE

The term also refers to the research as unbiased and logical. All

findings are logically based on empirical data, which as earlier

mentioned, are based on real-life situations.

ORIGINAL WORK

Requires effort to get at the researcher's own investigation and

produce the data needed to complete the study. Go to the library

to check on the originality of your work.

💡Types of Research in Areas of Interest

Grounded Theory

• is a qualitative research approach developed by two

sociologists, Glaser and Strauss (1967). Grounded theory

studies are studies in which data are collected and analyzed and

then a theory is developed that is grounded in the data.

Case Studies

•are in-depth examinations of people or groups of people. A case

study could also examine an institution, such as hospice care for

the dying. The case method has its roots in sociology and has

also been used a great deal in anthropology, law, and medicine.

Narrative Research

• is part of human sciences and describes the process of

collecting and analyzing stories people are telling about their

experiences and how they interpret them. In simple terms the

narrative approach encompasses the life story of a person and

the meaning of that person's experiences.

Ethnographic Research

•studies collect data from groups, such as certain cultural

groups. Ethnographers frequently live with the people they are

studying. Data are collected from key informants, who are the

people most knowledgeable about the culture.

Phenomenological Research

•is an inductive descriptive research developed from

phenomenological philosophy. It aims to describe an experience

as it is actually lived by the person. It is concerned with the study

of experience from the perspective of the individual. It

emphasizes the importance of a personal perspective and

interpretation. This types of research is powerful for

understanding subjective experience, gaining insights into

people's motivation and actions. The researcher in this type of

research attempts to understand one or more individuals'

experiences of a phenomenon by one or more individuals.

💡 Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative

Research

Qualitative research deals with designs, techniques, and

measures that do not produce discrete numerical data. It

includes extensive narrative data in order to gain insights into

phenomena. On the other, quantitative research includes

designs, techniques, and measures that produce numerical or

quantitative data which analysis is mainly statistical.

📝LESSON 2: Explaining Qualitative Research and It's

Importance in Daily Life

💡Types of Qualitative Research

✍Participant- Observation

•Demands immersion in the natural setting of the research

participant(s). This way, the research participant is able to hear,

see, and experience reality as the research participants perform

activities and deal with one another during a period of time.

✍Observation

•Entails a systematic noting or recording of events, behaviors,

and artifacts (objects) in the social setting chosen for study.

Through this method, the researcher learns about behaviors and

the meanings attached to those behaviors.

•The value here is that the researcher is able to discover the

recurring patterns of behavior and relationships. Likewise, s/he is

able to note body language and affect, in addition to a person's

words.

✍In-depth Interviewing

•Resembles conversations, but with pre- determined response

categories. A degree of systematization in questioning may be

necessary, especially in a multisite case study or when many

participants are interviewed. This way, large amounts of data are

gathered quickly and immediate follow up and clarifications are

possible.

•Interviewers should have excellent listening skills, and be

equally skillful at personal interaction, question framing, and

gentle probing for elaboration. and deal with one another during

a period of time.

✍Focus Group Interviewing

•Involves 7-10, at times 6-8 people, who are unfamiliar with one

another and have been selected because they share certain

characteristics that are relevant to the research inquiry or

problem. The interviewer creates a permissive environment, and

asks focused questions, in order to encourage discussion and

the expression of differing opinions and points of view.

•This method provides quick results; the discussion is

free-wheeling, not "stiff"

, which can happen in a one-on-one

interview. The moderator or interviewer must be skilled or

excellent in keeping discussion focused on the research probl

inquiry.

✍Content Analysis

•Calls for systematic examination of forms of communication to

document patterns objectively-as shown in letters, emails,

minutes of meetings, policy statements, and a lot more.

✍Narratology

•Can be applied to any spoken or written story. Narrative inquiry

requires a great deal of sensitivity between the participant and

researcher. Ideally, a friendly atmosphere pervades during the

storytelling, retelling, and reliving of personal experiences.

•Needless to say, the researcher must be an active listener and

an adept reader (for written stories), attentive to recurring

patterns, as well as the narrator's feelings, views, and values as

reflected in both oral and written stories.

Films, Videos, and Photographs

•These provide visual records of events, especially the films and

videos which capture the perspective of the filmmaker or

videographer. Pictures on the other hand, manifest the intent,

interests and values of the photographer

💡Importance of Qualitative Research Across Different

Fields

In Education

•Qualitative Research in Education gathers the outcomes from

the educational research carried out in different fields,

disciplines, and qualitative methodological approaches.

•These investigations have as a final purpose to improve the

educational processes or contexts.

In Technical Communication

•Qualitative methodologies are also effective for Technical

communication which determines the effective use of technology

in the workplace to ensure a smooth flow of communication.

In Psychology

•It produces descriptive (non-numerical) data, such as

observations of behavior or personal accounts of experience. A

good example of this is that psychologists seek to understand

why some students lack the motivation to go to school and why

some students resort to bullying and the like.

In Advertising

•For advertising agencies, qualitative research has another

purpose as well: to allow the creative personnel an opportunity to

hear people who represent their target talk about themselves

and their attitudes toward the product of interest as well as

toward advertising for the product or advertising in general.

•The character of qualitative research makes it and its

associated methods extremely useful for uncovering complex

consumer insights that can lead to a successful advertising.

In Social Work

• Research studies conducted through the lens of qualitative

inquiry provide important contributions to the social work

knowledge base.

In many cases, these studies can represent the best available

research regarding emerging problems or the application of

evidence to diverse populations.

• Qualitative research in social work calls for the following:

a. An immersion in situations of everyday life.

b. Holism is pursued through an inquiry from the whole of the

culture into the context under study.

c. The whole and the particular are held in tension. Small facts

speak to large issues.

d. The researcher tries to capture data from the inside through a

process of deep attentiveness and empathic understanding of

topics under discussion.

e. The researcher is the main instrument of the study.

f. Most analysis is done in words.

In Marketing

•The use of qualitative research gives an insight into why a

customer purchased a product that is already outdone or

rejected by a similar one.

•This is achieved by encouraging

external reviews and using data gotten from them in a market

analysis.

In International Business

• Business all over the world use other methods like participant

observation, content analysis focus groups, narrative interviews,

and "hidden" methods such as archival research.

•An example is that many exploratory kinds of research were

done to fulfill the Asean Economic Community's (AEC's) goal of

achieving only one currency. Businesses

💡Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Research

STRENGTHS

•Qualitative Research can offer the best light on or best answers

to certain phenomena-social, economic, political or even

psychological.

•Research results are exhaustive; even underlying meanings

surface.

•It offers several avenues to understand phenomena, behavior,

human conditions and the like.

•It can build on, or even develop theories through consistent

themes, categories, relationships, interrelationships that are

crystalized during the data gathering and analysis process.

WEAKNESSES

•Total immersion in the natural setting of the research can be

time-consuming and tedious, and resource-draining as well.

•There comes a point when the personal- self and the

researcher-self are inseparable, so, subjectivity, on the part of

the researcher, can happen. To present this, Locke et al. (1987)

stress that from the beginning of the study, the researcher must

identify his/her personal values, assumptions, and biases.

💡 Characteristics and Use of Qualitative Research

-The research takes place in a natural settings-a home, an office,

an institution, or a community where human behavior and events

occur. This enables the researcher to be immersed in the actual

experiences of the research participants and to get as much

detailed data as s/he needs.

-The focus of qualitative research is on the participant's

perceptions and experiences. and the way they make sense of

their lives (Franenkel and Wallen, 1988 in Cresswell, 2013).

-The methods are interactive and humanistic, call for active

participation of research participants, and on the part of the

researcher, sensitivity to the needs of the participants.

-It uses various ways of collecting data: observations, structured

or semi-structured interviews, documents, and now, e-mails,

blogs, videos, stills, and a host of others.

-Qualitative research results being emergent, new discoveries

during the data gathering process can lead to a total revision of

research questions, among others

-The theory or general pattern of understanding will emerge as it

begins with initial codes and develops into broad themes into a

ground theory or broad interpretation.

-It is fundamentally, interpretative. This includes a description of

an individual or setting. analyzing data for themes or categories,

and finally, making an interpretation or drawing conclusions

about its meaning, personally and theoretically, stating the

lessons learned and offering further questions to be asked.

(Wolcott, 1994, as cited in Cresswell, 2013).

-The researcher may filter the data through a personal lens that

is situated in specific sociopolitical and historical moments. One

cannot escape the personal interpretation brought to qualitative

data analysis. (Cresswell, 2013)

-The researcher is the primary instrument in data collection. S/he

views social phenomena holistically. The more complex,

interactive, and encompassing the narrative, the better is the

qualitative study.

📝LESSON 3: Writing a Research Title

💡 Topics to be Avoided

1. Controversial topics

•Avoid highly opinionated topics.

2. Highly technical subjects

•Too technical topics requires expertise. If you don't have enough

knowledge about it, then look for another one.

3. Hard-to-investigate subjects

•Unavailability of reading materials and materials that are not

updated make the subject hard to investigate.

4. Too broad subjects

• You lack focus if you deal with broad topics. The remedy is to

narrow it down.

5. Too narrow subject

•Some subjects are too narrow that extensive reading are

required.

6. Vague subjects

•Titles that start with indefinite adjectives such as several, many,

some, etc., make the topic vague.

💡How to Formulate a Research Title

➤ Research title is the most important element of your research

as it clearly expresses the problem to be explored.

➤ A research title capsulizes the main thought or idea of the

whole research paper. It also

reflects the variables under study.

➤ It is expressed in few words possible and just enough to

describe the contents and the purpose of your research.

➤ It needs to be informative

➤ It contains the:

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What: the subject matter or topic to be investigated

Where: place or locale where the research is to be

conducted

Who: the participants of respondents of the study

When: the time period of the conduct of the study

Best of luck! ✨