Characteristics and Kinds of Qualitative

Research
Learning Objective
To describe the characteristics and
kinds of qualitative research
Key Understanding
 Knowledge of the characteristics and kinds of
qualitative research is fundamental in matching a
given research topic with the right research type.

Key Question
 What are the characteristics and kinds of
qualitative research?
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research
1. Human understanding and interpretation
Data analysis results show an
individual’s mental, social, and spiritual
understanding of the world. Hence,
through their worldviews, you come to
know what kind of human being he/she
is, including his/her values, beliefs, likes,
and dislikes.
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research

2. Active, powerful, and forceful

As you go through the research
process, you find the need to amend
or rephrase interview questions and
consider varied ways of getting
answers, like shifting from mere
speculating to traveling to places for
data gathering.
• You are not fixated to a certain plan.
Rather, you are inclined to discover
your qualitative research design as
your study gradually unfolds or
reveals itself in accordance with
your research objectives
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research

3. Multiple research approaches and methods

Qualitative research allows you to
approach or plan your study in varied
ways. You are free to combine this with
quantitative research and use all
gathered data and analysis techniques.
•Being a multi-method research,
a qualitative study applies to all
research types: descriptive,
exploratory, explanatory, case
study, etc.
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research

4. Specificity to generalization
Specific ideas in a qualitative
research are directed to a general
understanding of something.
• It follows an inductive or scientific
method of thinking, where you start
thinking of particular or specific
concept that will eventually lead
you to more complex ideas such as
generalizations or conclusions.
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research

5. Contextualization
A qualitative research involves all
variables, factors, or conditions
affecting the study. Your goal here is
to understand human behavior.
• Thus, it is crucial for you to examine
the context or situation of an
individual’s life—the who, what,
why, how, and other
circumstances—affecting his or her
way of life.
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research

6. Diversified data in real-life situations

A qualitative researcher prefers
collecting data in a natural setting like
observing people as they live and work,
analyzing photographs or videos as they
genuinely appear to people, and looking
at classrooms unchanged or adjusted to
people’s intentional observations .
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research

7. Abounds with words and visuals

Data gathering through interviews or
library reading, as well as the
presentation of data analysis results,
is done verbally.
• In some cases, it resorts to quoting
some respondents’ answers.
Likewise, presenting people’s world
views through visual presentation
(i.e., pictures, videos, drawings, and
graphs) are significantly used in a
qualitative research.
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research

8. Internal analysis
 Here, you examine the data yielded by
the internal traits of the subject
individuals (i.e., emotional, mental,
spiritual characteristics).
You study people’s perception or views
about your topic, not the effects of their
physical existence on your study.
• In case of objects (e.g., books and
artworks) that are subjected to a
qualitative research, the
investigation centers on underlying
theories or principles that govern
these materials and their usefulness
to people
 Kinds of Qualitative Research

1. Case Study
Usually takes place in the field of social
care, nursing, psychology, rehabilitation
centers, education, etc.
This involves a long-time study of a
person, group, organization, or
situation. It seeks to find answers to
why such thing occurs to the subject.
Varieties of data collection
methods such as interviews,
questionnaires, observations,
and documentary analysis are
used in a case study.
 Kinds of Qualitative Research

2. Ethnography
Falling in the field of anthropology,
ethnography is the study of a
particular cultural group to get a
clear understanding of its
organizational set-up, internal
operation, and lifestyle.
A particular group reveals the
nature or characteristics of their
own culture through the world
perceptions of the cultural
group’s members.
 Kinds of Qualitative Research

3. Phenomenology
 From the word “phenomenon,”
which means something known
through sensory experience,
phenomenology refers to the study
of how people find their experiences
meaningful.
 Its primary goal is to make people
understand their experiences
about death of loved ones, care
for handicapped persons,
friendliness of people, etc.
 Kinds of Qualitative Research

4. Content and Discourse Analysis

 Content analysis requires an analysis or
examination of the substance or content of
the mode of communication (letters, books,
journals, photos, video recordings, SMS,
online messages, emails, audio-visual
materials, etc.) used by a person, group,
organization, or any institution in
communicating.
• A study of language structures used
in the medium of communication to
discover the effects of sociological,
cultural, institutional, and
ideological factors on the content
makes it a discourse analysis.
 Kinds of Qualitative Research

5. Historical Analysis
Central to this qualitative research
method is the examination of
primary documents to make you
understand the connection of past
events to the present time.
•The results of your content
analysis will help you specify
phenomenological changes in
unchanged aspects of society
through the years.
 Kinds of Qualitative Research
6. Grounded Theory
This theory takes place when you discover a
new theory to underlie your study at the
time of data collection and analysis.
Through your observation on your subjects,
you will happen to find a theory that applies
to your current study.
• Interview, observation, and
documentary analysis are the data
gathering techniques for this type
of qualitative research.