Creating a Toolkit for a Qualitative Research Study

Qualitative research is a fundamental approach to understanding human experience, social phenomena, and complex relations in their natural settings. This sets out an extensive toolkit to guide one through carrying out rigorous qualitative research, methodology and methods, research design, data collection and analysis, trustworthiness and reflection. As researchers begin to recognize the desirability of qualitative inquiry in addressing complicated social questions, the practical question one has to ask is whether there is competence to produce knowledge that will enable the researcher to contribute to scholarship and practice: Creating a Toolkit for a Qualitative Research Study.

Foundations of Qualitative Methodology

Qualitative research is the study of the nature of phenomena and is especially appropriate for answering questions of why something is (not) observed (Busetto et al., 2020). What distinguishes this methodology is its principles behind the philosophy and practice aspects. Qualitative research fundamentally uses a naturalistic inquiry to study natural phenomena in their context.

The researcher observes human behavior in natural settings in order to underscore the purpose and meaning in context (Nassaji, 2020). This method entails the study of participants in their natural habitats and not in a controlled laboratory setting in order to understand their lived experiences and social realities.

Qualitative research is inductive, meaning it builds theories and themes from data rather than starting with a hypothesis. This method “focuses on the depth and richness of context and voice when attempting to understand social phenomena” (Lim, 2024). Thus, researchers can find patterns and meaning that would be overlooked in quantitative research. The research can change as per the change in approach or learning in the process.

Qualitative methodology is characterized by reflexivity, which is the self-reflection of the researchers regarding the assumptions, biases and values during the research process. Mirhosseini (2020) states that reflexivity means being accountable to both the study and findings or outcomes. It also means ethics and methodology. This self-aware approach acknowledges that the researcher is the main instrument for data collection and analysis.

Qualitative research is often described as constructivist in nature, where knowledge is generated socially using human interaction and experience. Constructivist researchers believe that there is not one reality but rather that the researcher draws out participants’ views of reality (Varpio et al., 2017). This belief system recognizes that there are many different perspectives and experiences, all of which are considered legitimate sources of knowledge. This is unlike positivist approaches that only seek out singular and objective truths.

Lincoln and Guba (1985), early writers on qualitative methodology, pushed forward key benchmarks for the assessment of qualitative research quality and rigor. The criteria developed are instrumental to qualitative research practice and enable researchers to establish credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability of qualitative studies (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). John Creswell also contributed to qualitative research design, which helps researchers apply different qualitative methodologies. They offer systematic and coherent strategies for doing qualitative research (Creswell & Creswell, 2023).

Comparing Two Qualitative Research Designs

Phenomology

Phenomenology represents a research approach that seeks to understand the essence of a particular phenomenon through a detailed exploration of individual experiences (Mohajan, 2018). This design attempts to find out the essence and meaning of phenomena based on the lived experiences of individuals who have undergone them. The key aim of phenomenology is to understand how individuals make sense of their life experiences and to reflect it in the results of an investigation.

Phenomenological research usually consists of an intensive interview of a person who has experienced the phenomenon. The research acknowledges that “meaning and knowing are social constructions, always incomplete and developing” (Grossoehme, 2014) and that the investigator is part of the experience or phenomena studied. When the researcher wants to understand how a person makes sense of others’ experiences and what meaning they attach to this phenomenon, this is the ideal design.

Grounded Theory

Grounded theory, on the other hand, is a methodology that involves the construction of theory through the systematic gathering and analysis of data (Hammarberg et al., 2016). This approach differs from phenomenology in that its main aim is to develop theory rather than to describe experience. The process focuses more on theory construction from the data rather than testing existing theory. Grounded theory uses constant comparative and theoretical sampling.

Thus, grounded theory is suitable in areas where little theory exists or existing theory is unable to explain a phenomenon well. It is different from most qualitative methods because data collection and analysis are done at the same time. This design is most suited for exploring social processes, decision-making patterns, and complex interactions when new theories are required.

The primary difference between the two approaches is the purpose for which the analysis is carried out: phenomenology intends to understand the essence of lived experiences, while grounded theory aims to build a theoretical explanation of social processes. Glaser and Strauss (1967), the founding authors of grounded theory, introduced the core principles of constant comparative analysis and theoretical sampling, which are the two main characteristics that set the approach apart from the others. Similar to others, Edmund Husserl’s phenomenological philosophy organizes phenomenological research, focusing on lived experience and essence (Husserl, 1931): consciousness, experience, and meaning.

Data Collection Methods

In-Depth Interviews

In-depth interviews represent the most common qualitative data collection method, involving recruiting a small number of people who fit pre-determined criteria and asking each the same set of questions one-on-one (Denny & Weckesser, 2022). This method allows researchers to delve into the perspectives, experiences, and meanings of the participants. Interviews can be greatly valuable for gathering personal stories and subjective experiences, although they might be limited due to participants’ inability to articulate or recall. An individual or small group can be studied through a single case and multiple case study research design.

Participant observation is when researchers observe participants for a long time in the field. Researchers plan to watch usually in a more unobtrusive way a set of subjects in particular conditions (Denny & Weckesser, 2022). This approach gathers rich contextual information and captures behaviors participants may not report in interviews.

Nonetheless, it can take many hours and raises ethical issues about privacy and consent. Participant observation is especially useful for ethnographic study, as such a study is concerned with cultural and social practices.

Document Analysis

Document analysis is a systematic examination of written, visual, or digital material relevant to the research question. This involves any written document, including journals, photos, posts, and records of the organization. Document analysis enables researchers to gain information unobtrusively.

In addition, it may provide a historical perspective or triangulation with data collected from other sources. Bias in the document drafting process and the unavailability of documents will limit the usefulness of the research. This approach suits multiple research designs, especially case studies, when contemporary background is important.

Qualitative Data Analysis Process

The qualitative data analysis process begins with data management and organization, involving the systematic preparation of collected data for analysis. This involves writing out interviews word for word, organizing field notes, scanning documents, and setting up secure storage systems for the data. Correct management of data can help keep data clean and easy to analyze.

Coding

Coding is the basic analytic technique by which analysts assign labels to segments of data. Open coding is when various parts of the data are separated and classified according to their properties and relationship. The first try at coding involves a line-by-line reading of data to identify concepts.

Axial coding refers to the process of looking into data and the connections or relations that exist between different categories and subcategories. On the other hand, selective coding is the whole act of linking all of them to one core category.

Theme Development

Theme development comes from the coding. Researchers come across similarities, relationships, and broad concepts that connect bits of coded data. The themes represent meaningful patterns found in the data relating to the research. Through constant comparison, incidents, concepts, and categories are compared to the final understanding of the researchers.

Analyzing data can happen on an ongoing basis during the collection or coding of data. While conducting research, researchers maintain analytical memos with respect to any decision they make or an insight that is emerging or if there are conceptual links. This stepwise approach ensures rigor and transparency in the analysis while allowing for unexpected findings and theory building.

Trustworthiness Criteria in Qualitative Research

Credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability (Busetto et al., 2020) are elements of trustworthiness, which lays the base for quality qualitative research.

Credibility

Credibility corresponds to internal validity in quantitative research, ensuring that findings accurately represent participants’ experiences and perspectives. When a researcher spends a prolonged time in the field, the triangulation and credibility of their observation improve.

Strategies include member checking, where participants check the interpretation of findings, and triangulation through the use of multiple data sources and/or methods. For the proposed research, I will use member checking. This means I will share my findings with participants. I will also gather multiple forms of data.

Transferability

Transferability is the extent to which findings can be applied elsewhere. It is necessary to give comprehensive and detailed explanations through detailed descriptions of participants, settings, and procedures (Korstjens & Moser, 2018). Transferability suggests letting the reader decide if it is relevant to their study. In the proposed study, I will ensure transferability by providing detailed descriptions of participant characteristics, research settings, and contextual factors that might influence findings.

Dependability

Research becomes trustworthy owing to its dependability. An audit trail may be created by using consistent documentation (Korstjens & Moser, 2018). An audit trail records all decisions, analyses, and methods relevant to the research. I will keep detailed records of all the research activities, decisions, and analytical steps to allow external auditing.

Confirmability

Peer debriefing, member checking, and reflexive journaling help reach confirmability. It is essential for scholars to show that their interpretations arise from the voices of their participants rather than their assumptions. I will use reflexive journaling to keep track of personal biases and assumptions. I will also use peer debriefing to ensure findings are interpreted objectively.

Reflection and Future Learning

Through this course, I have gained a fundamental understanding of how qualitative research represents a disciplined methodology to probe the complexities of human experiences and social phenomena. I now understand the different philosophies that relate qualitative inquiry to quantitative inquiry. In qualitative inquiry, I recognize the importance of constructivist and interpretivist paradigms in understanding different realities and subjective experiences.

Most importantly, I have learned that qualitative research requires different criteria for evaluating quality and rigor. Most significantly, the trustworthiness framework provides concrete strategies to achieve credible, transferable, dependable, and confirmable findings. An analysis of research designs revealed how each one serves a different purpose.

For example, knowing when to use phenomenology as opposed to grounded theory and how various data collection methods align with specific research questions is essential knowledge. Overall, this has equipped me with knowledge I can leverage to effectively design and conduct qualitative studies that contribute to knowledge.

Moving forward, I will develop deeper expertise in specific analytical approaches, particularly narrative analysis and discourse analysis, which offer additional frameworks for understanding human experience and communication. I am also interested in mixed-methods approaches that use qualitative and quantitative methods to answer complex research questions from a wide variety of angles.

Also, I believe it is important to learn practical skills with qualitative software packages for storing and analyzing data and understanding how technology can enhance analytical processes while maintaining the interpretive nature of qualitative inquiry. As I continue with my studies, this fundamental awareness regarding qualitative methodology will inform my consideration regarding research questions, methodologies, and analyses with an emphasis on reflexivity and ethics, as I develop into a responsible researcher who is aware of the impacts of research on participants, researchers, and communities.

References

Busetto, L., Wick, W., & Gumbinger, C. (2020). How to use and assess qualitative research methods. Neurological Research and Practice, 2(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-020-00059-z

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). Sage Publications.

Denny, E., & Weckesser, A. (2022). How to do qualitative research? BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 129(7), 1166–1167. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17150

Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Routledge.

Grossoehme, D. H. (2014). Overview of qualitative research. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 20(3), 109–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2014.925660

Hammarberg, K., Kirkman, M., & De Lacey, S. (2016). Qualitative research methods: When to use them and how to judge them. Human Reproduction, 31(3), 498–501. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dev334

Husserl, E. (1931). Ideas: General introduction to pure phenomenology. Routledge.

Korstjens, I., & Moser, A. (2018). Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 4: Trustworthiness and publishing. European Journal of General Practice, 24(1), 120–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2017.1375092

Lim, W. M. (2024). What is qualitative research? An overview and guidelines. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 33(2), 199–229. Sage Journals. https://doi.org/10.1177/14413582241264619

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage Publications.

Mirhosseini, S.-A. (2020). Designing qualitative studies. Springer EBooks, 43–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56492-6_3

Mohajan, H. K. (2018). Qualitative research methodology in social sciences and related subjects. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 7(1), 23–48. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=640546

Nassaji, H. (2020). Good qualitative research. Language Teaching Research, 24(4), 427–431. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820941288

Varpio, L., Ajjawi, R., Monrouxe, L. V., O’Brien, B. C., & Rees, C. E. (2017). Shedding the cobra effect: Problematising thematic emergence, triangulation, saturation and member checking. Medical Education, 51(1), 40–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13124

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