Qualitative research lecture 1

Question 1

What is qualitative research?

Answer 1

• Qualitative research is a collection of methods and techniques used in the study of social phenomena or action.
• It is an in-depth approach to understanding social action.
• It focuses on the insider perspective
• It studies phenomena in its natural setting
• Seeks to describe and understand human behaviour.

Question 2

What are the characteristics of Qualitative Research?

Answer 2

1. Natural setting: collecting data at the site where participants experience the issue or problem you want to study.
2. Research as key instrument: Qualitative researchers collect data themselves in various ways including examining documents, observing behaviours, and interviewing participants.
3. Multiple sources of date: Qualitative researchers use multiples sources of data such as interviews, observations, and documents.
4. Inductive data analysis: qualitative researchers build their themes, patterns, and categories from the “bottom up”
5. Participants’ meanings: Qualitative researchers focus on learning the meaning that participants hold about the problem or issue- not their own meaning.
6. Emergent design: the qualitative research process is emergent, flexible, and evolving-open to changes in the field.

Question 3

Why would a researcher choose to use qualitative research?

Answer 3

• Qualitative research is important in studying new areas that have not yet been explored.
• Areas where variables are unknown or where little is known or understood about a phenomenon.
• When quantitative methods are not a good fit.
• For detailed, in-depth responses

Question 4

What are examples of studies that can be conducted using qualitative methods?

Answer 4

• Exploring inter-racial friendships amongst 3rd year psychology students.
• Exploring the experiences of first year university students at UCT and the culture within the institution.

Question 5

What informs the choice of methods for a study?

Answer 5

• The research question
• The philosophical assumptions from which the research is approached (interpretive or social constructionist)
• Theoretical standpoints (e.g. feminist perspectives)
• Several qualitative approaches and methods can be applied to such studies.