Qualitative Methods in Research

Difference of Qualitative and Quantitative Methods (Polgar and Thomas, 2013)

Quantitative Qualitative
Key difference: historical and Natural sciences (physics, biology, Philosophy, anthropology and
disciplinary background etc.) other social sciences

● According to purpose and research process involved (Radu, 2019)

Quantitative Qualitative
Common purpose Test hypotheses or specific Discover ideas, used in
research questions exploratory research with general
research objectives
Approach Measure and test Observe and interpret
Data collection approach Structured response, categories Unstructured, free-form
provided
Research independence Researcher uninvolved and act as Researcher is intimately involved;
a mere observer; results are results are subjective
objective
Samples Large samples to produce Small samples – often in natural
generalized results sound result settings
Usual research design Descriptive and causal Exploratory research designs
relationship, cause and effect
epidemiological design research
designs

● Theoretical differences (McGarland and Polgar, 1994 as adapted by Polgar and Thomas, 2013)
Quantitative Qualitative
Perception of subject matter Reductionist: identification and Holistic, persons in the context of
operational definition of specific their social environments
variables (important= the contextual
setting)
Positioning of the researcher Objective: detached observation Subjective: close personal
and precise measurement of interaction with participants
variables
Database Quantitative: interrelationships Qualitative: descriptions of
with specific variable actions and related personal
meanings in context
Theories Normative; general propositions Interpretative based on the
explaining causal relationships observation providing insights
among variable into the nature and social
contexts of personal meanings
Theory testing Controlled: empirically supporting Consensual: matching
or falsifying hypotheses deduced researcher’s interpretations with
from theories those of participants and other
observers
Applications Prediction and control of health- Interacting with persons in a
related factors in applied settings consensual, value consonant
fashion in health care settings
Major Types of Qualitative Research (Sauro, 2015)
1. Ethnography- immersion in target participants’ environment to understand the goals, cultures,
challenges, motivations, and themes that emerge
2. Narrative - formation of cohesive story from sequence of events which can reconcile conflicting
stories and highlights tensions and challenges which can be opportunities for innovation
3. Phenomenological - describing an event, activity, lived experiences or phenomenon
4. Grounded Theory - provides an explanation or theory behind events
5. Case Study - explains an organization, entity, or event, which can be explanatory, exploratory, or
describing an event

Cohort and case study: types of epidemiological research…

Types of Qualitative Data Collection

Method Advantages Disadvantages Appropriate for
Structured interviews: Easy to administer; Does not allow for Phenomenology;
one-on-one interview quicker than other follow-up or variation; Grounded Theory;
using pre-determined interviews may lack depth can Ethnography;
questions and checklist in explore in great detail Case Study
hand
Unstructured interviews: More in-depth; allows More time-consuming; Narrative;
no standard set of interviewer to follow- less consistency in data Phenomenology;
questions free following up; less rigid; more collected Ethnography; Case Study
data, often used to open responses
explore an idea; can use
open-ended questions
Focused Group More time-effective; Group dynamics can Grounded Theory;
Discussion: group gather information from sometimes interfere Ethnography;
interview that uses group multiple people at once; with accuracy of the Phenomenology
interactions to help provides social context data; participated can
formulate thoughts/ideas can relate to one affect the other
another participants data
number of questions
must be limited
Direct Observation: Can gain holistic Time-consuming; may Phenomenology;
gather first hand data on perspective by seeing effect behavior of Ethnography; Case Study
programs, processes or full context; researcher participants;
behaviors through direct can look for unexpected perceptions of observer
observation and note- outcomes; occurs in the influence the data; may
taking natural setting be intrusive can be bias:
Hawthorne effect
Participant Observation: Active participation May become too close Ethnography; Case Study
researcher participates in provides more complete the topic or to the
activities rather than just understanding and people involved in the
observing; active context, may be more study; may lose
participation/observation natural/less intrusive objectivity
Written Documents: uses May provide factual May be subjective data Narrative; Case Study
existing documents such information otherwise from point of view of
as letters, diaries, emails, not attainable if writers the writer; may be
etc. to study topic are deceased: difficult to verify
inexpensive validity, may find
conflicting information
Artifacts: study items Provides insight into May be difficult to Narrative, Case Study
 made/used by different how people lived, what interpret meaning and more on medical
societies and cultures they believed and use; needs to be anthropological studies
that provide evidence of valued, their knowledge analyzed in appropriate
the past more and opinions context; often used in
anthropological studies conjunction with other
methods
Triangulation: multiple Provides comprehensive Expensive and time-
methods or data sources* understanding of consuming
for example, qualitative research studies, can
research type, can do test validity of
multiple type of research information
*Note: Triangulation is different from Mixed Method of Research, which is combined quantitative and
qualitative methods providing a powerful research tool in health science researches.

a. Budget: self-funded
b. Personnel and facilities: included for research proposal in funding research
c. Background of study: introduce how the research problem arrive
d. No need to write the statistical hypothesis in the intro but place in methodological part. Or if
want just place in the background of the study of significance of the study
e. Statistical hypo: done by statistician
f. Research hypo is same with alternative hypo
g. Null hypo is the one being tested
h. Any decision there is the risk to commit error
i. Every conclusion there is risk to commit error
j. Come up to 2 objectives from general to specific object
k. Objectives can be derived from the research problem
l. Qualities of good specific object
m. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (SMART)
n. QUALITATIVE: EXPLORE IDEAS THAT WHY NEEDED TO PROVIDE THE CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK
o. Most important part of research proposal: significance of the study (highlight the study for
competition)
p. Scope and limitations: based on resources and kung hanggang kalian lang and write
why is the reason
q. Consult the statistician
r. Put the operational definition ( how the word describe on the research)
s. Not the website, dictionary definition, textbook definition
t. Confounding must place in the exclusion criteria
u. Demographics (routinely tested but not needed to define but must do it not unless the
study is focus on the effect on demographics ion the dependent variables
v. Apa style : most common( in text citation)
w. NLM style: experimental studies