Purposes For Conducting Qualitative Research

This study was a qualitative descriptive exploratory study, which Grove, Burns and Gray (2013, p. 27) define as being of use when researchers seek to understand a problem by describing it and promoting further understanding. Qualitative research aims to investigate a phenomenon or analyse perspectives, this method often utilises a smaller study population but yields data rich in human experience (Schira, 2009, p.77-78). An example of this qualitative paradigm is the researcher’s use of interviews as a data collection method, and smaller sample size.

Qualitative research seeks to answer the “why” and not the “how” of the research project that is being conducted, this is done through a complex system of analyzing unstructured information such as survey’s , questionnaires, interviews, interview transcripts, open end survey’s, focus groups, observations, emails, notes, video’s, feed back forms and photo’s; most of the time a qualitative report won’t depend on statistical evidence alone it must be accompanied by detailed facts and proven facts and not hypotheses or in accurate data, this can lead to misunderstanding of data findings and can through the whole aim of the research project off and waste valuable time.

Qualitative Research is a systematic process by which we attempt to answer a question or resolve a problem of a phenomenon. Qualitative research is non-experimental in its approach to conducting research. Qualitative research stays within the phenomenological paradigm meaning it is subjective in nature, uses inductive analysis method. Its purpose is to explore, explain, and describe a problem and uses multiple strategies of inquiry to collect data. Also, Qualitative research is concerned with finding the answers to questions that begin with why? How? In what way? For example;

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.

Thus, this method gives a researcher an in-depth understanding of the participants’ experiences using qualitative inquiry to determine the why, when, where, what, and how of the study.

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

The study is a qualitative study, which explores subjective and descriptive information from its participants to gather information such as opinions, ideas, and behaviors. The information that is gathered can help provide an understanding of a problem or provide possible resolutions to problems

The type of research I will be conducting is explanatory cases because there little or no understanding. Although research has been close to this subject nothing exact. I will use exploratory literature research to gain/discover insights about this situation. When the goal of the literature is to precisely formulate problems, clear concepts, gain insights, eliminate impractical ideas and form hypotheses then exploratory research is used.

Thematic analysis technique is used to identify and analyze patterns or themes within the work being analyzed (Vaismoradi, Turunen, & Bondas, 2013). In order to familiarize oneself in the data, they must reread the diary so that they themselves are submerged in the data (Gray et al., 2017, p. 270). Thematic analysis was used in the study to expose 18 meaning units, which consist of a group of words that are associated with each other through relevancy (Graneheim & Lundman, 2004, p.

The study had the aim to investigate the side effects of SSRIs (Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) medication including "fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Aropax/ Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro) and fluvoxamine (Luvox)" (p. 1389). The interpretative phenomenological analysis described women's experiences who coping with "sexual difficulties as desire, arousal, orgasm and pain", caused by consumption from the medication (p. 1390).

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).

Qualitative research describes the research that can produce observations and descriptions. If you were observing or interviewing someone, you would want to use qualitative research to ask questions such as "how" or "why".

Explanatory research is done to explain why things are happening. This is very important in the Criminal Justice field because if it’s impossible to understand why someone is doing something, it will be very difficult to stop it. This is very relevant to researching because of social problems. By understanding and explaining social problems perhaps they can be prevented in the future. An example of explanatory research from Dantzker and Hunter’s book is why particular people become serial killers. (2016) Gathering this important research that gives answers can help find ways to stop or try to prevent it. The methodology of explanatory research would be researching and gathering evidence then further analyzing that evidence as to why a specific event or issue occurs in Criminal Justice. Explanatory research is a very important part of all Criminal Justice research conducted, because if it’s not understood why something is happening there is a very small chance that it’s possible to come up with a way to stop

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 is a technique of promoting research that stresses the quality according to the user’s point of view and approaches. In depth interviews and focus groups are best examples of qualitative research. [Laura Lake, 2009]