The Use of Qualitative Methodologies Within the Social Sciences - Essay Example

?The use of qualitative research methodology is one of the most popular methods of research in many fields, especially in the social sciences, where it has become a basic part of all research conducted. One would state that the use of qualitative research methods implies an emphasis on the qualities of the factors or bodies and on those procedures or connotations that have not been measured or examined on an experimental or in terms of quantity, amount, intensity, or frequency in which the said body occurs. Those who conduct qualitative research often put an emphasis the socially constructed nature of authenticity, the close relationship between the researcher and what the object that is being studied, and the barriers which might prevent the way in which the inquiry on the subject matter is conducted. When a qualitative research is conducted, there is often an emphasis on the value of the subject matter. Researchers will work towards seeking answers to questions that stress how social experience is created and given meaning, and this can be contrasted to quantitative research methods, which emphasize the measurement and analysis of causal relationships between inconsistencies, not processes. It is a fact that qualitative forms of inquiry are considered by many of those who use it to conduct their research to be as much a viewpoint on how to advance towards the investigation of a research problem as it is a method. Qualitative research methods are used to gain an understanding of the behaviour of individuals and their behaviour in diverse social concepts. Qualitative research methods have many characteristics, which define them since they are used for the development of ideas, which determine the findings of the various researches; one of the most imperative aspects of qualitative research is the development of the design. In qualitative research, the design is extremely important and among its contents is the study of real world situations as they unfold in a natural state. In this, the researcher is often bound by the situation as it is and does not get involved in attempting to control the situation to get the results he requires (Vishnevsky and Beanlands 2004, p.236). The researcher is not constrained by any ideas that have been predetermined and the findings are as they are discovered. In addition, when using qualitative research methodologies, the researcher will more often than not be required to adapt his findings to the situation as it unfolds, so that there are often no predetermined rigid designs and this enables the researcher to remain flexible, hence increasing the credibility of his work. Furthermore, when conducting research using qualitative methods, the researcher is likely to select those study cases that are rich in information and are illuminative (Riviera 2011, p.615). This ensures that there is purpose in the research since the methods of sampling are aimed at gaining an insight on the phenomenon being studied, and not to generalize from using samples in order to make a determination concerning a population. In this aspect, qualitative research methods seem to have an advantage over qualitative research methods since there are no generalizations in the research design (Castellan 2010, p.3). Qualitative research can every now and then provide a better appreciation of the nature of the problems that are run into in social sciences and thus add to insights into educating and studying in a number of contexts. For example, at the University of Nottingham, in depth, discussions with pharmacists were carried out to determine their views of continuing expert development and who had influenced them in their learning. In addition, a case study approaches using the examination of practice and in depth discussions to survey the views of physiotherapists' on the influences on their inclination in practice. Moreover, in depth interviews, with a variety of stakeholders in the African nation of Malawi to explore the issues surrounding pharmacy educational capability building was carried out (Anderson 2010, p.3).  When using qualitative methods, the collection of data is among the most important activities when conducting research because it is they will determine what the conclusions of the research will be. When collecting data, observations that yield plenty of in depth understanding of the subject matter as well as the capturing of direct quotations that concern people’s personal perspectives as well as the making of case studies and a careful review of documents ensures that only the best quality of information is gathered. Moreover, qualitative research methods allow the researcher to get close to the people who have the information that he wishes to gain (Onwuegbuzie et al 2012, p.24). In this case, the researcher’s personal experiences and insights when conducting his research are some of the most important aspects of his inquiry because it allows his to be able to better understand the diverse phenomena concerning the subject of the research. When collecting data using qualitative methods, the researcher has to show that he is not biased in any way by displaying neutrality, it is not the place of the said researcher to judge the actions of his subject, rather, he is only supposed to make a study of what is going on and make an assessment. This requires that he show sensitivity, awareness, and responsiveness when making his observations because this is the best way through which he can be able to get all the information that he requires (Talmy 2010, p.132). For example, sociologists when making a presentation of their research findings often include themselves and their informants in their presentations. They often adopt a moving, quasi-storytelling format that transforms their work into a collaborative project that gives voice to both participants and researchers. Many researchers have reported that they tend to feel the experiences of their participants as they enact their participation in events while conducting their research. This format has made the research process more visible and alive to outsiders and it has enabled the researchers and participants to be viewed as real people (Piercy and Benson 2005 p.109). When collecting data, it is necessary for the researcher to assume that change is an on-going process and because of this, he should be mindful and attentive of such aspects as he is conducting his study, be it when dealing with individuals, communities, or cultures so that he can be able to collect the correct data for analysis. The analysis of the information collected is another significant aspect of using qualitative methods when carrying out research. In qualitative research, each case that is studied is often considered unique and because of this, each individual case is studied according to the exact details that have been collected. A comparison of similar case studies only takes place when there is ample proof that the quality of the individual cases are beyond reproach and that they will not interfere with each other’s integrity. A in depth analysis of the data is often conducted to ensure that all the important patterns, themes as well as the close relationships within the case are determined and recorded (Camfield, Crivello and Woodhead 2009 p.6). This process begins by the exploration and confirmation of the findings and their analysis is guided by analytical principles rather than the rigid rules used in other research methods. When making an analysis of case using qualitative methods, it is usual for the researcher to adopt a holistic perspective where the case under study is understood as a multifaceted system that is more than the summation of its parts. In fact, this analysis can be said to be based on a focus on the diverse mutual reliance and system vibrancies that cannot be reduced in any meaningful way to a few detached inconsistencies and linear associations that depend on origin and consequence. For instance, in current years, a qualitative study in psychiatry discovered the familiarity and significance of stigma, a deeply individual knowledge by relating information from focus groups of schizophrenia patients, their families, and health professionals (Whitley and Crawford 2005, p.111). The analysis of a case using the qualitative methodologies has to put this case into a social and historical context and should be cautious of any generalizations that may have been made concerning the subject over time. There should be an emphasis on the careful comparison of the case analyses so that it can be determined whether there has been any transmutability and variation in new settings. The researcher using qualitative methodologies should own and be reflective about his own voice perspective since a voice, which is based on credibility, is likely to convey authenticity and trustworthiness. Since it is impossible to achieve complete objectivity and it is a fact that the use of complete subjectivity works towards undermining credibility, the researcher's focus should be a reflection of a balance between understanding and portraying the world realistically in all its complexity (Goussinsky et al 2011, p.128). The researcher is also required to be self-analytical, politically aware and correct, and be spontaneous in consciousness so that his work can be considered not only authentic, but also of the best quality. Examples of such attributes are the selection and description of samples, their analysis and explanation, the transformation of data, reporting on the findings, making a connection between the findings and their various interpretations, credibility and trustworthiness, and finally, the theoretical foundation of these samples. Taken together, they are displays of quality and can be used to critic the studies that have been conducted by the researcher (Coleman, Guo and Charlotte 2007, p.55). Therefore, it can be said that qualitative methodologies in conducting research analysis provide a basis where the researcher is able to view his work in an objective way without any need to make any generalizations concerning the conclusions. The case that is being studied at a given time take precedence over all the other cases that have been conducted on the same subject over time and this creates a situation where near objectivity is almost achieved. It can be said that the greatest advantage of using qualitative methodologies when conducting research is that they engender rich, specific data that allow the views of the participants' to remain intact and supply numerous contexts for the understanding of the case that is being studied. For example, a number of qualitatively founded textual tactics, such as critical theory and discourse analysis, have been used to evaluate policy documents and managerial discourses, the construction of classification systems, and other questions that require an exploration of textual forms of data. Increasingly, researchers are also using these approaches in conjunction with one another to give a more complete picture of the state of Library and Information Science practice. This can be observed in a research of mature university students which used qualitative interviews with students in combination with a textual discourse analysis of campus texts, as well as a management of quantitative census data, to offer an extensive contextual portrait of students' academic information behaviours (Given 2006, p.378). In addition, the use of qualitative methodologies enables a researcher to provide a more realistic view of the human society and the differences within it that cannot be understood using statistical data and arithmetical scrutiny. The use of these methodologies helps to provide the researcher with the point of view of the contributors of the study through latter’s engagement in a culture or situation and because of direct interaction with the members of the said culture or society (Frels and Onwuegbuzie 2013, p.187). Moreover, this is the best available methodology for those researchers who would like to provide a description of the existing occurrences as well as the current situations that are shaping the world. Qualitative methodologies enable researchers to develop flexible ways through which they can perform the collection of data, the ensuing analysis of this data and finally, the interpretation into something that is meaningful (Patton 2011, p.1423). Furthermore, it is a fact that the use of these methodologies enables researchers to produce results that can be helpful in the pioneering of new ways of understanding different concepts and circumstances. They provide the researcher with the opportunity to have a holistic view of the different phenomena that they are investigating in different cases and this enables then to come up with credible results or conclusions (Gibson 2010, p.1014). Qualitative methodologies enable the researcher to interact with the subjects of his research in a language that they understand and according to these subjects’ own terms and this helps them to create a descriptive capability that is founded on primary data that has yet to be structured. While qualitative methodologies have many advantages that are helpful to the researcher, these advantages also end up undermining the methods and credibility of the research. One of the limitations of the use of these methodologies is the fact that while they include the use of small sample sizes, which help in the investigation of research problems in a comprehensive and in depth manner, these small samples also end up undermining the possibility of using them from making useful generalizations, based upon the findings. Despite the fact that these methodologies have the advantage of being a primary instrument of investigation, researchers often end up being attached to the cultures and experiences of others (Stein and Mankowski 2004, p.34). This creates a situation where is difficult for the researcher to avoid the bias that may take place when entering data as it is gathered, interpreted, and reported. Such a situation may lead the researcher to drift away from the original objectives of the research in response to the changing nature of the context of the case study that is under investigation. In addition, there is also a high possibility that different researchers using the same methodologies and information may end up arriving at different conclusions and this is a reflection of their individual personalities (Roger and Halas 2012, p.124). Furthermore, it is possible for the researcher to encounter difficulty in the explanation of the difference in the quality and quantity of information that has been gathered from different respondents and this may lead to the arrival at different, non-consistent conclusions. While the use of qualitative methodologies may provide many advantages to the researcher, they may also limit him because their use requires a high level of experience from the researcher to obtain the information that is required from the respondent. Moreover, there may be a lack of consistency and trustworthiness because the researcher may choose to employ different questioning techniques and the respondent can, therefore, choose to tell some particular stories at the expense of others (Louise, 2011). In conclusion, it can be said that qualitative methodologies are some of the best ways through which research can be credibly conducted. This is because of the fact that they allow for the subjective study of cases to provide answers and solutions for the specific problems that are under study. Researchers adopt the usage of these methods because they not only allow for the effective analysis of the cases involved but also ensure that the researcher has a better understanding of the subject at hand. The adoption of these methodologies by researchers is becoming widespread and it has become common for those outside the social sciences to use them in their own research. References Anderson, C. 2010, "Presenting and Evaluating Qualitative Research", American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, vol. 74, no. 8, pp. 1-141. Camfield, L., Crivello, G. & Woodhead, M. 2009, "Wellbeing Research in Developing Countries: Reviewing the Role of Qualitative Methods", Social Indicators Research, vol. 90, no. 1, pp. 5-31. 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