Comparing The Writing Styles, Data Collection And Analysis Process

Power point slide Qualitative research is a difficult term to define…. Nevertheless, it is important to be familiar with some definitions in the field. The definition provided by Creswell 2009 is enlightening because it incorporates ……….. most important part of definition for me were reports detailed views of informants and natural setting.

Qualitative research reflects different ways that researcher’s collect data and explore all of the information through literature review. Participant’s that are reviewing is often observed for analysis while “the role of the researcher focuses as the primary data collection instrument necessitates the identification of personal values, assumptions and biases at the outset of the study; Qualitative researchers ask at least one central question” (Creswell, 2014, which can be explored in several contexts with further questions. According to the text Research Design (2014) “the researcher’s role is typically involved in a

Qualitative method is using open-ended questioning, non-statistical research techniques, or value-based observations. In this research, three main methodologies are adopted as focus group, distributing questionnaires and conducting personal interviews simultaneously. Methods are all appropriate and contributed to a comprehensive research. The reason is that aim of this research is to acquire an in-depth understanding of

Chapter four of Creswell (2013) discusses the different research approaches. These approaches consist of: narrative research, phenomenological research, grounded theory research, ethnographic research, and case study research. Each of these research approaches has defining features, different categories within each type, procedures, and lastly, challenges.

According to Schneider, Elliot, LoBiondo-Wood & Haber (2004), qualitative research methods, search for the meaning and understanding of human experiences in a naturalistic setting. A researcher obtains subjective facts in order to explore the experiences of each participant (Schneider, Elliot, LoBiondo-Wood & Haber 2004). As a result, qualitative research is a means in which a researcher gains an insight into the participant's point of view concerning their personal experiences; in order gain an understanding of the information given. Therefore this allows a researcher to collect subjective information to create a description of the phenomenon (Vishnevsky & Beanlands 2004).

Qualitative research is concerned with meanings of experiences and interactions. Qualitative research is very common in the social sciences, although it is often used in market research as well (Alasuutari, 2010; Nieswiadomy, 2011). There has been quite a rise in qualitative research in the last 30 years. It first started to emerge in journals in the 1960’s, and an increase in the number of qualitative research can be seen in research journals in the 1980’s (Alasuutari, 2010). Instead of looking at the statistical numbers within research, the researcher in interested in getting within the research, and understanding the phenomenon (Leedy, 2011; LoBionod-Wood & Haber, 2013).

For Capella University’s Advanced Qualitative Research Methods in Public Service course students learned about three research designs; phenomenology, ethnography, and case study. Phenomenology research design is based on philosophical approaches studying a signal phenomenon several individuals has experience (Creswell, p. 14, 2014). Data is normally collected through participant interviews (2014). Ethnography research design studies patterns of behaviors within an identified group/culture (2014). Ethnography has been described as the most time consuming of the three research designs. It requires a time frame that is flexible in order to study the group within its own environment (2014). The last of the three designs is case study research design. Case study involves collecting data from a sample of a larger group of similar background within a designated time frame (Baskarada, 2014). The results obtained from the sample group, theoretically represents a larger group of similar background (2014).

Qualitative research is conducted in a natural setting and attempts to understand a human problem by developing a holistic narrative and reporting detailed views of informants about the culture of a problem. It forms a report with pictures and words. One of the most important distinctions that sets qualitative research apart from more traditional types of research is that qualitative research is holistic in that researchers study phenomena in their entirety rather than narrowing the focus to specific defined variables” (p. 93). Similarly, Cresswell (1984) indicated that qualitative research “is defined as an inquiry process of understanding a social or human problem, based on building a holistic picture, formed with words, reporting detailed views of informants, and conducted in a natural setting” (p. 2). Cresswell’s definition clearly delineates the major characteristics of qualitative research. Pg. 50 (Smith & Davis, 2010).

Phenomenology, as a philosophy, informs all qualitative research and studies the framework of an experience (Merriam, 2002). The purpose of phenomenological research is to probe the unexamined daily experiences (Merriam, 2002). Shared experiences remain central to the phenomenological method (Merriam, 2002). If those experiences are

There are a number of different qualitative research approaches available to researchers which can provide a framework for their study to be conducted under. Many modern methods like interpretive and postmodern have followed in the footsteps of more traditional methods such as phenomenology. Historically, phenomenology as a research method has existed and evolved over the last two centuries, with Edmund Husserl being considered as the father of the research method and modern philosophy (Østergaard, Dahlin & Hugo 2008). The phenomenological movement emerged into the academic domain as a descriptive philosophical view which challenged analytical and deductive philosophies (Sanders 1982).

When utilizing a qualitative approach, the task becomes one of determining the qualitative method to be used. Additionally, Stake (2010) used purpose, research design, and methodical data techniques as a way of classifying types of qualitative research. Similarly, Cresswell & Cresswell (2007) spoke of five practices of qualitative research. These five practices consist of biography, phenomenological study, grounded theory study, ethnography, and case study. This researcher chose a phenomenological study for this research project.

An example would be a study on individual experiences being explored and discussed in a literary manner such as a researcher opting to report on the experiences and meaning of an international student studying in a university in Malaysia by collecting on what he/she attributes to the story using a combination of tools such as interviews, observations and other related documents. The researcher must create a close rapport and communication with the informant in the quest to capture the depth of the experiences, following a chronology of events, that may include information on facts, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours or processes. Generally, this approach is time-consuming and thus for student researchers only a few participants would be the case subjects. Basically, there are four possible types of narrative research, which are:

Qualitative and Quantitative study designs both can be beneficial in research design. They both provide valuable options for researchers in the field. These techniques can either be used separately in a research study or they can be combined to achieve maximum information. This paper will define the terms qualitative and quantitative; describe the similarities and differences between each; discuss how qualitative and/or quantitative research designs or techniques could be used in the evaluation of my proposed research; and discuss why linking analysis to study design is important.

Qualitative research is the technique that is used as a part of exploratory research and to derive the independent variables. There are different methods through which we can conduct the qualitative research. As a part of this study we have adopted the following methods:

Qualitative research methods are utilized to study the social and cultural phenomena. So it includes observation, participant observation (field work), interview sessions, documents and texts and finally the researcher’s imitations and feedback. [Myers, 2009]