Qualitative Research Methods Notes

Research Phases

• Design: Problem orientation, topic determination, literature review, research question construction.
• Data collection: Methodology selection, preparation, execution.
• Data analysis & finding.
• Evaluation and recommendations.

Qualitative Research

• Takes the researcher to the field.
• Explores how people experience things under certain circumstances.
• Involves literature research and content analysis.
• Analyzes the meaning of written texts.
• Holistic research approach.
• Co-exists with quantitative methodology.
• Starts with perceptions.
• Subjective meaning attribution.
• Interpretative and inductive in nature.

Qualitative Research Methodologies

• Observational research.
• Interviews.
• Desk research: Literature and archive study and content analysis.
• Case studies.
• Action research.
• Design-oriented research (Research by Design).
• Combinations of above methods.

Observational Research

• Informal: Observing behaviors in various settings.
• Systematic: Answering a specific question, focusing on relevant behaviors.
• Various Kinds: Field observation, structured/unstructured, direct/indirect, concealed/uncovered, participant/non-participant.

Observational Research Conditions

• Observational question: Suitable for observational research.
• Avoid subjectivity: Minimize personal interpretation.
• Being systematic: Develop a structured assessment procedure with time and event sampling.

Interviews

• A conversation to gather interviewee’s perceptions about a subject.
• A dialogue between two people or a focus group.

When to Use Interviews

• Sensitive subject matter.
• Respondent perceptions are important.
• Interaction with the respondent is important.
• Limited population size.
• New topics with little existing research.
• Suitable practical conditions.

Interview Types

• Unstructured/In-depth: Flexible, with a main research question and topic list.
• Semi-structured: Topic list + questionnaire with open-ended questions.
• Structured: Structured questionnaire.

Interview Structure

• Welcome.
• Introduction: Aim, respondent privacy.
• Changeover to topics.
• Open questions per topic.
• Summarize answers per topic.
• Rounding off interview.
• Thank respondent.

Interview Tips

• Create a comfortable setting.
• Introduce yourself and the research purpose.
• Use ice-breakers.
• Address privacy and results handling.
• Clarify central topics.
• For expert interviewees, ask for a brief self-introduction and their relation to the topic.
• Listen carefully for opportunities to ask deepening questions.
• Avoid asking “Why…?”
• Use deepening questions (e.g., "Can you elaborate with an example?").
• Present statements instead of questions to gauge agreement or disagreement.
• Use clear, simple language; guide the conversation; be sensitive to limitations; suppress personal opinions; respect input through active listening.
• Thank the respondent; make follow-up agreements.

Qualitative Desk Research

• Research source materials: Literature review.
• Content analysis: Analyzing written text based on the research question.

Research Source Material

• Primary sources: Original scientific journals.
• Secondary sources: Reports on existing research.
• Gray sources: Publications by institutes.
• Open access, scientific publications, tags, abstracts, reviews.

Content Analysis

• Analysis of governmental, organizational, and individual documents.
• Videotapes, sound recordings, images, maps, diagrams.
• Secondary analysis of existing qualitative information.

Case Study

• Researching a specific group or organization intensively.
• Multi-modal approach: Interviews, observations, desk research.
• Extensive approach: Surveys.
• Interpretative: Exploring perceptions and experiences.
• Biographical research.

Action Research

• Evaluates innovation implementation.
• Translates knowledge into action plans.
• Cyclical, reflexive, and participatory process.
• Researchers and participants are equal partners seeking solutions.
• Aims to make change in practice; includes different stakeholders.