PRACTICAL RESEARH II LESSON 3: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

PRACTICAL RESEARH II LESSON 3: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

1. LESSON 3
QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH

2. What is
Qualitative
Research?
■It is defined as the “naturalistic method a research
which deals with the concern of human difficulty by
discovering it starightly”. ( Beck,2004)
■It is concerned with experiences, understanding and
words of the individual.
■Qualitative approaches is use to “determine answers to
research questions in human behavior and cultural
values that drive our thinking and behavior”. ( Margaret
J. King, director at The Center of Cultural Studies and
Analysis in Philadelphia)

3. ■Qualitative study needs a “ clear research question at its base”, and
also needs to be “ observed, categorized, compared and evaluated by
reference to a baseline in order to determine an outcome with value as
new & reliable information”.
■Data in qualitative research typically can’t be assessed
mathematically- the data is not sets of numbers or quantifiable
information rather it is a collection of images, words, notes on
behaviors, descriptions of emotions, and historical context.
■Data is collected through observations, interviews, surveys, focus
groups and secondary research.

4. Who Uses Qualitative Research?
●Researchers in social science and humanities often use qualitative
research methods, especially in specific areas of study like anthropology,
history, education and sociology.

●Qualitative methods are also applicable in business, technology, and
marketing spaces.

5. QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH METHODS
AND EXAMPLES

6. Grounded
Theory
■Is an inductive approach to theory development.

■This occurs when a researcher discovers a new theory
based on the data collected. It is a research
methodology for discovering theory in a substantive
area.

7. Grounded
Theory
EXAMPLE:
A company wants to improve its brand and marketing
strategies. The company performs a grounded theory
approach to solve this problem by conducting
interviews and surveys with past, current and
prospective customers.

8. Action
Research
■Is one part study and one part problem-solving.
■Through action research, analysts investigate a
problem or weakness and develop practical solutions.
■The process of action research is cyclical- researchers
assess solutions for efficiency and effectiveness and
create further solutions to correct any issues found.

9. Action
Research
Example:
A manager notices he employees struggle to cooperate
on group projects. She carefully reviews how team
members interact with each other and asks them all to
respond to a survey about communication.Through the
survey and study, she finds that guidelines for group
projects are unclear. After changing the guidelines, she
reviews her team again to see if there is any changes to
their behavior.

10. Phenomenological Research
■Investigates a phenomenon in depth, looking at people’s experiences
and understanding of the situation.
■This sort of study is primarily descriptive and seeks broaden
understanding around a specific incident and the people involved.
■Researchers in phenomenological studies must be careful to set aside
any biases or assumptions because the information used should be
entirely from the subjects themselves.

11. Phenomenological Research
Example:
A researcher wants to better understand the lived experience of college students with jobs. The
purpose of this research is to gain insights into the pressures of college students who balance
studying and working at the same time. The researcher conducts a series of interviews with several
college students, learning about their past and current situations. Through the first few interviews,
the researcher builds a relationship with the students. Later discussions are more targeted, with
questions prompting the students to discuss their emotions surrounding both work and school and
the difficulties and benefits arising from their situation. The researcher then analyzes these
interviews, and identifies shared themes to contextualize the experiences of the students.

12. Ethnography
■is an immersive study of a particular culture or community.

■Through ethnographic research, analysts aim to learn
about a group’s conventions, social dynamics, and cultural
norms.

■Some researchers use active observation methods, finding
ways to integrate themselves into the culture as much as
possible. Others use passive observation, watching closely
from the outside but not fully immersing themselves.

13. Ethnography
Example:
A company hires an external researcher to learn what their
company’s culture is actually like. The researcher studies the
social dynamics of the employees and may even look at how
these employees interact with clients and with each other
outside of the office. The goal is to deliver a comprehensive
report of the company’s culture and the social dynamics of its
employees.

14. Case Study
● is a type of in-depth analysis of a situation.
●Case studies can focus on an organization, belief
system, event, person, or action.
●The goal of a case study is to understand the
phenomenon and put it in a real-world context.
●Case studies are also commonly used in marketing
and sales to highlight the benefits of a company’s
products or services.

15. Case Study
Example:
A business performs a case study of its competitors’
strategies. This case study aims to show why the company
should adopt a specific business strategy. The study looks at
each competitor’s business structure, marketing campaigns,
product offerings, and historical growth trends. Then, using
this data on other businesses, the researcher can theorize
how that strategy would benefit their company.

16. Advantages and
Disadvantages of
Qualitative
Research

17. Advantages
●Qualitative research methods are great for generating new ideas.

●The exploratory nature of qualitative research means uncovering
unexpected information, which often leads to new theories and further
research topics.

●Qualitative findings feel meaningful.

●These studies focus on people, emotions, and societies and may feel
closer to their communities than quantitative research that relies on
more mathematical and logical data.

18. Disadvantages
❏Qualitative research can be unreliable at times.

❏It’s difficult to replicate qualitative studies since people’s
opinions and emotions can change quickly.

❏The data collection can also be difficult and time-consuming with
qualitative research.

❏ interviewing people, reviewing surveys, and understanding and
explaining human emotions can be incredibly complex.

19. Thank You!