What are the components of qualitative research? What does each component entail?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The essential components of the qualitative research process include preparation, access, design, data collection, analysis, and presentation. The preparation stage involves reviewing all relevant literature related to the topic in order to ascertain the current knowledge on the topic, the existing gaps in knowledge, and area(s)/gap(s) current research will address.

The access stage involves gaining access to the selected site. If the setting is a public place, the researcher may not have to negotiate for access, but if it is a formal organization, permission is critical. If researchers wish to conduct a study in a hospital, they must approach the administrator to obtain permission and cooperation, explain the general purpose of the study and its significance, and guarantee strict confidence. However, investigators may want to be ambiguous about the detailed research objectives to reduce potential biases such as creating a Hawthorne effect.

One approach often used to obtain entry is the known-sponsor approach, in which investigators rely on the legitimacy and credibility of another person or agency—the known sponsor—to establish their own legitimacy and credibility. However, before using this approach, researchers need to be certain that the known sponsor is a truly reliable source.

In identifying informants, researchers should recognize informal leadership, because the help of group leaders is often essential. Investigators should try to select a representative cross-section of people, including different sociodemographic groups, organizational units, and tasks, and atypical individuals should also be sought. To select the ideal mix of informants, researchers should become familiar with the study setting through a background reading of literature about the group or organization.

Another method for gaining access is a snowball strategy, which involves locating additional contacts through informants. Once researchers have established trust and rapport with informants, the informants may be able to reveal additional names of people who can provide more information about the questions of interest. Regardless of which methods are used to gain access, researchers should be able to provide the actual reasons that people should allow themselves to be interviewed.

The design stage is flexible because the design features generally cannot be completely specified prior to entering the research setting and because the design may change during the course of the study as a result of new or unforeseen events. However, researchers are better prepared if they know precisely what they are looking for and how to look for it ahead of data collection. One way to do so is through triangulation—the use of a combination of several methods in the study of the same topic, including both quantitative and qualitative. It is recommended for predicting phenomena such as participation and technology.

The components of design include the unit of analysis (the focus of analysis in the study); preliminary sampling procedures, which may include purposive or quota sampling, time sampling, typical case sampling, extreme (deviant) case sampling, intensity sampling, and stratified purposeful sampling; researchers’ roles in the study (observers or observer-participants); and ethical implications of fieldwork. The ethical implications include concerns such as the potential risk of harm to the subjects, data security, risk disclosure, obtaining informed consent from participants, and keeping promises of incentives in a timely manner.

In the data collection stage, qualitative researchers use multiple sources of evidence to address a broad range of issues related to a topic and to validate study findings. Data collection methods commonly include observations, interviews, and case studies. Qualitative investigators rely heavily on existing data sources, and also record data during a field study using methods such as relying simply on memory, taking notes by hand or using a computer, or recording the data electronically. An interview pilot test is typically implemented beforehand to identify limitations, flaws, or weaknesses prior to implementing the interview. During the interview, researchers should be good listeners, maintain neutrality, be sensitive and responsive to subjects, and understand that the interview setting may affect responses.

Few guidelines and procedures govern all types of qualitative analysis, but several major steps are common to most analyses of qualitative data. These include becoming familiar with the relevant literature in the field in order to develop hypotheses and analytic frameworks, reading one’s research notes carefully, coding important topics or observations, and developing classification schemes based on major themes. Researchers should also be watchful for biases and seek multiple sources of evidence to corroborate research findings. Based on detailed descriptions of actions, activities, and beliefs, a qualitative analysis integrates concepts and ideas to help explain and interpret them. Their underlying meaning is explored, significance is attached to the results, patterns are generated, and themes and concepts are identified and become the components of grounded theories.

To assist qualitative analysis, researchers think about analysis at the very start of data collection. Qualitative analysis begins with frequently reviewing and editing field notes. As soon as data are collected, they are coded and organized in different categories to facilitate later analysis. The initial set of coding categories acts as a foundation for analyzing the next segment of data. Categories may be added and refined as the investigator’s understanding of the data improves. Computers can be used to facilitate the filing and analysis process.

The methods of analysis used may include constant comparative analysis, which involves comparing different pieces of data among each other to understand the relationships among them; narrative analysis, which involves generating, interpreting, and representing people’s stories; or another specific qualitative analytic strategy.

The final stage involves the presentation of the results of the qualitative research. Results may be published as a book, journal article, or report submitted to the funding agencies. A summary of the findings may be presented at conferences or published by the media. A structured format for presentation of results is composed of six major sections: Introduction, Setting, Design, Findings, Discussion, and Bibliography. The method of presentation used is tied to the intended audience.