INTRODUCTION TO

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
 Research Methods_
Quantitative vs Qualitative
comic strip.mp4
Quantitative vs Qualitative Research
• Quantitative • Qualitative

Deductive Inductive

Thought of as Objective Thought of as Subjective

Research Questions include

Research Questions include “What,”
“How many” and “Strength of “How” and “Why”
association”

To quantify the data and generalize the results To gain a broad qualitative understanding of
from the sample to the population of interest; underlying reasons and motivations; as a first
recommend a final course of action step in multi-stage research
Quantitative vs Qualitative Research
• Quantitative • Qualitative

Measurable Interpretive

Researcher is separate from the process Researcher is a part of the process

Strives for generalization – leads to Strives for uniqueness – leads to

prediction understanding

Generalizable Non-generalizable
Quantitative vs Qualitative Research
• Quantitative • Qualitative
Basic element of analysis is
Basic element of analysis is numbers
words/ideas

Context free Context dependent

Provides information as to "which

“Counts the beans”
beans are worth counting“

Large number of Small number of non-

representative cases representative cases
Quantitative vs Qualitative Research
• Quantitative • Qualitative
(Usually) Non-probability based
Typically a probability-based sample
sample

Data are more efficient, but may miss Data are “rich” and time-consuming
contextual details to analyze

Design decided in advance Design may emerge as study unfolds

Some aspects of the study design

Study design is stable from
are flexible (addition, exclusion, or
beginning to end
wording of interview questions)
Quantitative vs Qualitative Research
• Quantitative • Qualitative

Data Collection: Structured Data Collection: Unstructured

Various tools, instruments

employed Researcher is the instrument

Participant responses do not influence

Participant responses affect how and
or determine how and which questions
which questions researchers ask next
researchers ask next

Study design is iterative, that is, data

Study design is subject to statistical
collection and research questions are
assumptions and conditions adjusted according to what is learned
Quantitative vs Qualitative Research
• Quantitative
Setting for data collection is “theory-
driven”
• Qualitative
Setting for data collection is “informant
driven” (investigator assumes ignorance
of the culture/ experience being studied;
informant teaches the investigator

Tests a Theory Develops a Theory

Definition of Qualitative Research

is an inquiry process of
understanding based on distinct
methodological traditions of
inquiry that explore a social or
human problem

Creswell, 1994
Definition of Qualitative Research

is a type of research that focuses on “how

people interpret their experiences, how they
construct their experiences, how they construct
their worlds, and what meaning they attribute to
their experience”

Merriam, 2009
Definition of Qualitative Research

is a “way of knowing in which a

researcher gathers, organizes,
and interprets information
obtained from humans using his
or her eyes and ears and filters”

Lichtman, 2013
Myths in Qualitative Research
(Wa-Mbaleka, 2017)

Criticized for being TOO SUBJECTIVE

Not considered generalizable

Easy to collect and analyze quali data

Too labor-intensive

Not a scientific undertaking

Both Qualitative and Quantitative Research are…

FUN
Technology: In aid of Research
(The use of electronic library, Mendeley)

Getting Started with Mendeley.mp4