It requires its own examination and produces the data needed to complete the study

What are the main types of qualitative approaches to research?

While there are many different investigations that can be done, a study with a qualitative approach generally can be described with the characteristics of one of the following three types:

Historical research describes past events, problems, issues and facts.  Data are gathered from written or oral descriptions of past events, artifacts, etc.  It describes “what was” in an attempt to recreate the past.  It is different from a report in that it involves interpretation of events and its influence on the present.  It answers the question: “What was the situation?” 

Examples of Historical Research:

  • A study of the factors leading to the historical development and growth of cooperative learning
  • A study of the effects of the historical decisions of the United States Supreme Court on American prisons
  • A study of the evolution of print journalism in the United States through a study of collections of newspapers
  • A study of the historical trends in public laws by looking recorded at a local courthouse

Ethnographic research develops in-depth analytical descriptions of current systems, processes, and phenomena and/or understandings of the shared beliefs and practices of a particular group or culture.  This type of design collects extensive narrative data (non-numerical data) based on many variables over an extended period of time in a natural setting within a specific context. The background, development, current conditions, and environmental interaction of one or more individuals, groups, communities, businesses or institutions is observed, recorded, and analyzed for patterns in relation to internal and external influences.  It is a complete description of present phenomena.

One specific form of ethnographic research is called a case study.  It is a detailed examination of a single group, individual, situation, or site. 

A meta-analysis is another specific form.  It is a statistical method which accumulates experimental and correlational results across independent studies.  It is an analysis of analyses.

Examples of Ethnographic Research:

  • A case study of parental involvement at a specific magnet school
  • A multi-case study of children of drug addicts who excel despite early childhoods in poor environments
  • The study of the nature of problems teachers encounter when they begin to use a constructivist approach to instruction after having taught using a very traditional approach for ten years
  • A psychological case study with extensive notes based on observations of and interviews with immigrant workers
  • A study of primate behavior in the wild measuring the amount of time an animal engaged in a specific behavior

Narrative research focuses on studying a single person and gathering data through the collection of stories that are used to construct a narrative about the individual’s experience and the meanings he/she attributes to them.

Examples of Narrative Research:

  • A study of the experiences of an autistic student who has moved from a self-contained program to an inclusion setting
  • A study of the experiences of a high school track star who has been moved on to a championship-winning university track team

It requires its own examination and produces the data needed to complete the study

Qualitative vs Quantitative Research:  Why it Matters


The research supporting many popular reading programs is problematic because it is based on qualitative research.

  • Qualitative research uses the subjective measure of observations which is not based on structured and validated data-collection.
  • Study groups are not randomly selected, nor are they controlled for variables.
  • Qualitative research is bottom up research: it generates a theory based on the data collected rather than testing a theory with the data.
  • Qualitative research is not double-blind, and allows bias into the research:  this alone invalidates an entire study and makes it worthless.

Criteria

Qualitative

Quantitative

Purpose
  • To understand and interpret social interactions
  • Test hypotheses
  • Look at cause and effect
  • Make predictions
Group Studied
  • Smaller
  • Not randomly selected
  • Larger
  • Randomly selected
Variables
  • Study of the whole, not variables.
  • Specific variables studied
Type of Data Collected
  • Words
  • Images
  • Objects
  • Numbers
  • Statistics
Form of Data Collected Qualitative data such as:
  • open- ended responses
  • interviews
  • participant observations
  • field notes
  • reflections
 Quantitative data based on:
  • precise measurements
  • using structured validated data-collection instruments
Type of Data Analysis Identify
  • patterns
  • features
  • themes
Identify
  • statistical relationships
Objectivity and Subjectivity
  • Subjectivity is expected
  • Objectivity is critical
Role of Researcher
  • Researcher & their biases may be known to participants in the study
  • Participant characteristics may be known to the researcher
  • Researcher and their biases are not known to participants in the study
  • Participant characteristics are deliberately hidden from the research (double blind studies)
Results
  • Particular or specialized findings that is less generalizable
  •  Generalizable findings that can be applied to other populations
Scientific Method Exploratory or bottom–up:
  • the researcher generates a new hypothesis and theory from the data collected
 Confirmatory or top-down:
  • the researcher tests the hypothesis and theory with the data
View of Human Behavior
  • Dynamic
  • Situational
  • Social
  • Personal
  • Regular
  • Predictable
Most Common Research Objectives
  • Explore
  • Discover
  • Construct
  • Describe
  • Explain
  • Predict
Focus
  • Wide-angle lens
  • Examines the breadth and depth of phenomena
  • Narrow-angle lens
  • Tests a specific hypothesis
Nature of Observation
  •  Study behavior in a natural environment.
  • Study behavior under controlled conditions
  • Isolate causal effects
Nature of Reality
  • Multiple realities
  • Subjective
  • Single reality
  • Objective
 Final Report
  • Narrative report with contextual description
  • Direct quotations from research participants
 Statistical report with
  • correlations
  • comparisons of means
  • statistical significance of findings

The content in the above table was taken directly from an Xavier University Library publication using the following sources:

  • Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2008). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches (p. 34). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Lichtman, M. (2006). Qualitative research in education: A user’s guide (pp. 7-8). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.


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What kind of work requires effort to get at the researchers own investigation and produce the data needed to complete the study?

Research is based on observations and experimentation of theories. Requires effort to get at the researcher's own investigation and produce the data needed to complete the study.

What is the process of research?

Research process consists of a series of steps or actions required for effectively conducting research while formulating the research problem, extensive literature survey, developing hypothesis, preparing the research design, determining sample design, collecting data, execution of the project, analysis of data, ...

What characteristic means that research is based on observations and experimentation on theories?

Empirical – based on observations and experimentation on theories.

What kind of data were gathered in each research?

Data may be grouped into four main types based on methods for collection: observational, experimental, simulation, and derived. The type of research data you collect may affect the way you manage that data.