What does Qualitative Research mean to me - Essay Example

? What does Qualitative Research Mean to Me? This essay is intended to establish deeper insights in to the meaning of qualitative research. The essay will give a definition of qualitative research and contrast it with quantitative research. A discussion on the tools, processes, and people involved will then follow. This essay will show the importance of qualitative research as a tool for sociological data collection. It will discuss the procedure to be accepted by the researcher and the qualities and dispositions, which are important for the qualitative researcher. The essay will ultimately conclude on the importance of qualitative research Introduction The selection of appropriate approach to be employed in a research is typically preceded by issue selection and a paradigm. Flick (2009) defines a paradigm as the entire construction of viewpoint, standards and processes within which research occurs. Maxwell (2005) defines qualitative study as a process of investigation of human and societal issues that are focused on coming up with an intricate holistic picture obtained from a natural setting. Quantitative research usually takes the approach of studying the mathematical significance of data collected. Qualitative research on the other hand, takes into account the social and human aspect of research by looking into how people’s actions, attitudes, and behavior affect the research and its outcomes (Patton, 2004). Discussion   Qualitative research is concerned with the examination of patterns, which can be traced in the data collected which are usually reflected through the participant’s actions. The qualitative researcher is interested in the presentation of data in a manner that would reflect the participant’s attitudes and feelings concerning the subject matter. The objective of the qualitative research then is the discovery of patterns emerging after close observation, meticulous recording and a thoughtful analysis of the issue studied. Qualitative research usually asks the question what and why. The researcher is employed in the search for something as well as the lack of it. Paradoxes and inconsistencies bin the explanation of people’s responses toward an issue (Silverman, 2009). Qualitative research represents the most used type of study on societal issues. Politics makes use of it to try out new strategies, and to keep abreast of public sentiment, corporations use it to evaluate their products and if advertising is creating the desired impact. Qualitative researchers are investigators in a variety of perspectives given that they search for clues and study societal and personal drive by means of the myriad of qualitative techniques. Tools Qualitative study in most instances makes use of individual depth interviews and focus groups. In some instances, a mix of methods such as group interviews and divergence groups may be made use of. Qualitative analysis aims at explaining behavior and sentiment through the development of dialogue intended to draw out people’s perspectives concerning a particular issue in a natural way. It is important that the researcher recognize their role in the discussion process by guiding his question asking to ensure that there is no bias in discussion with respondents. While the researcher ought to avoid a bias in the introduction of the topic, he also has to ensure that his questions offer specific hints and key words in order not to make the study a pure regurgitation of previous studies (Flick, 2009). The qualitative researcher ought to be capable of probing and challenging the subjects in order that true perspectives are brought out. A good drafting of qualitative research questions is essential if reliable and accurate results are to be found. A good researcher would be able to draft questions that will elicit novel responses, which they may not have had a chance to air in previous studies. The Researcher The qualitative researcher should listen to his respondent, analyses the respondent and his answers then moves ahead to ask a question that develops on what has been put forth by the respondent. Qualitative research demands that the researcher be good in coming up with the right questions on the fly according to the responses of the subjects. The qualitative researcher has to be well versed in many subject areas which will enable him to make connections from ideas and concepts and use them to enrich the research study (Maxwell, 2005). The researcher has to have knowledge of subjects such as psychology and sociology in order to be able to ask, and analyze subject responses and make follow up questions. Knowledge of psychology and sociology among other subject matter will enable the researcher ask make analytical questions like; Are responses informed by social barriers, perception, guilt, personal gain, sentiment or rational thinking, is it intuitive or learned, and at what level is the respondent communicating. The Process Qualitative research begins from a wide overview of the issue at hand which is then narrowed down to the specifics. The researcher would attempt to discover the individual knowledge and perceptions at the various points in the study yet at the same time avoid leading questions or improper prompting. The qualitative researcher should have general guidelines on what is to be done during the course of the study, while at the same time allow for spontaneity during questioning within the framework of the study’s subject matter (Patton, 2005). Qualitative research is focused on the comprehension of what among the varied proposition made is workable and the reason for this being so. The study is not purely about closing a discussion but rather a study of the wider perspective and the many ways of attaining this understanding. In order to get at the qualitative aspect of data collection and analysis, the researcher has to use a variety of methods. Such as projection and role-play in order to understand the motivation behind behavior or action (Silverman, 2009). Conclusion Cultural anthropologists and ethnographers have in the recent past argued that the current qualitative research is inherently synthetic. They argue that qualitative research has turned to simply a game of guesswork among the subjects who find it hard to decipher the purpose of the research. They also contend that qualitative research is so guide that it is particularly hard to consider information gathered original. The standardization of qualitative research also entails that increasingly, insight is tailor-made as opposed to the extraction of underlying attitudes and opinions (Silverman, 2009). Qualitative analysis however, offers a particularly useful avenue of research when depth of insight is required. It is also invaluable when new perspectives are needed or when transformation of or overhaul of old research or existing designs. However, like all types of research, qualitative research draws from previous research. This entails that qualitative research will also include errors and mistakes of past research. In as much as qualitative research has its disadvantages, it remains the best method in analyzing the sociological and psychological aspects of scientific research thus making the analysis of information more wholesome. References Flick, U. (2009). An Introduction to Qualitative Research. London: SAGE. Maxwell, J. (2005). Qualitative research design: an interactive approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication. Patton, M. (2004). Qualitative Research and evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Silverman, D. (2009). Doing Qualitative Research. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. Read More