Characteristics of qualitative research

on

 



Explanatory Characteristics of Qualitative Research

Understanding the core characteristics of qualitative research helps explain why and how it is used. Here are the key traits, each with a simple explanation:

1. Natural Setting

  • Explanation: Qualitative research often takes place in real-world environments where people live, work, or interact.

  • Why it matters: This allows researchers to observe authentic behavior and gain insights in context, rather than in artificial or controlled settings.

2. Participant-Centered

  • Explanation: The focus is on the participants’ own words, experiences, and perspectives.

  • Why it matters: Researchers aim to understand the meaning that people assign to their own lives, rather than imposing outside interpretations.

3. Descriptive and Detailed

  • Explanation: Findings are presented with rich, narrative descriptions rather than numbers.

  • Why it matters: This depth of detail reveals emotions, motivations, social interactions, and complexities that quantitative data cannot show.

4. Flexible and Evolving Design

  • Explanation: Research plans can adapt as new findings emerge.

  • Why it matters: Allows for exploration of unexpected ideas or directions that may arise during the study.

5. Holistic Perspective

  • Explanation: Looks at the "whole picture" rather than isolating specific variables.

  • Why it matters: Understanding people and behaviors in their full social, cultural, and historical context leads to more meaningful insights.



6. Inductive Reasoning

  • Explanation: Researchers build theories or patterns from the ground up, based on data (instead of starting with a hypothesis).

  • Why it matters: This bottom-up approach helps uncover new themes and concepts that may not have been previously considered.

7. Subjective Interpretation

  • Explanation: The researcher plays an active role in interpreting data, often drawing meaning from patterns, themes, and emotions.

  • Why it matters: Human interpretation is central—this isn't about statistical objectivity, but about insight and understanding.

8. Small, Purposeful Samples

  • Explanation: Participants are selected based on their relevance to the research topic—not randomly.

  • Why it matters: The goal is depth, not generalization—to learn from those with direct experience.

9. Emphasis on Process

  • Explanation: Focuses on how and why things happen, not just the outcomes.

  • Why it matters: This is especially useful when studying behavior, change, or decision-making over time.



Comments

Post a Comment