OTA 235: How to Find Qualitative and Quantitative studies: Qualitative Research
What is Qualitative Research?
Qualitative research attempts to proved a rich, descriptive account of the same psychological and behavioral phenomena, via analysis of textual accounts, either written or spoken, in order to produce detailed narrative reports. Qualitative research accepts the subject nature inherent in using a qualitative approach.
Qualitative research uses non-numerical evidence, usually examined in its raw form. It is used when a research wants to understand people's opinions, idiosyncratic responses to an event, motivations, ro underlying reasons for actions or decisions.
For example, a research might interview the survivors of a mass shooting event in order to gather the range of emotional responses.
Common Qualitative Research Methods
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Observational Studies The researchers record data by studying participants at a distance. Researchers try not to influence the participants or their actions. Types of observational studies include: Naturalistic Observation, Participant Observation, and Ethnography. |
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Case Studies The researcher will collect and write detailed accounts of individual lives. A case study can combine a few research approaches, including interviews, observational data, and archival data. Sigmund Freud famously used the case study method with a series of individuals who he treated in a clinical setting. These included the cases of "Little Dora," the "Rat Man," the "Wolf Man," and others. |
Strengths and Weaknesses
| Strengths |
| Low constraints of tradition or method |
| Grounded hypotheses |
| Contextualized hypotheses |
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Non-normative focus |
| Comprehensiveness |
| Detail |
| Weaknesses |
| Poor internal reliability |
| Weak decisiveness |
| Poor generalizability |
| Rarely integrated |
| Seems easy |
| Seems harmless |
The Difference between Qualitative and Quantitative Research
| Qualitative Research | Quantitative Research | |
| Question | Interest | Hypothesis |
| Method | Curiosity and reflexivity | Control and randomization |
| Data Collection | Viewpoint | Response |
| Outcome | Accounts | Dependent variable |
| Data | Textual | Numerical |
| Sample size | Small (saturation) | Large (power) |
| Context | Highlighted | Eliminated |
| Analysis | Synthesis | Rejection of null |