PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1

LESSON 2: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH vs. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH revealed with respect to the key themes emerging from
the data.
Qualitative research is expressed in words. It is used to
understand concepts, thoughts or experiences. This type of 5. Qualitative data collection examines everyday life in its
research enables you to gather in-depth insights on topics that natural context or in an uncontrolled naturalistic
are not well understood. setting.

Common qualitative methods include interviews with open-

ended questions, observations described in words, and
literature reviews that explore concepts and theories. Strengths of Qualitative Research

1. Qualitative research can offer the best light on or best

answers to certain phenomena-social, economic,
Quantitative research is expressed in numbers and graphs. It political or even psychological.
is used to test or confirm theories and assumptions. This type of
research can be used to establish generalizable facts about a 2. Research results are exhaustive; even underlying
topic. meanings surface.

Common quantitative methods include experiments, 3. It offers several avenues to understand phenomena,
observations recorded as numbers, and surveys with closed- behavior, human conditions and the like.
ended questions.
4. It can build on or even develop theories through
consistent themes, categories, relationship,
interrelationships that are crystallized during the data
gathering and data analysis processes.

Weaknesses of Qualitative Research

1. Total immersion in the natural setting of the research

can be time-consuming and tedious, and resource-
draining, as well.

2. There comes a point when the personal-self and the

researcher are inseparable, so, subjectivity, on the part
of the researcher, can happen.

Types of Qualitative Research

1. Phenomenological Study. This study explores the

complex meanings of simple units of experience. It
seeks to understand a certain phenomenon as it is
perceived and experiences by the research
participants. It aims to describe what it is like to be in a
particular situation based on one’s personal
experiences.

➢ “What are the common experiences encountered

Characteristics of Qualitative Research by a person with a spouse who is undergoing
rehabilitation?”
1. Qualitative research is conducted in a systematic and
rigorous way. However, it is more flexible than 2. Ethnographic Study. This study involves the
quantitative research. collection and analysis of data about specific groups of
people sharing a common culture. In this type of
2. It usually follows an iterative process, which means
research, the researcher immerses himself or herself
that data collection and analysis occur simultaneously.
in a community to observe the behaviors and
Data already collected are updated by the ongoing
interactions of its members up close and experience
data collection.
some of their daily activities and struggles firsthand.
3. It focuses on gathering information from people who
➢ “How do children with an indigenous cultural
can provide the richest insights into the phenomenon
orientation learn and use several speech varieties
or interest. As a result, small samples are commonly
in different social contexts? (Jamora, 2014)
used in qualitative research. Study participants are
usually selected in a purposive manner, using only 3. Historic Study. This study is concerned with the
those for whom the topic under study is relevant. identification, location, evaluation, and synthesis of
data from past events. This is not only limited to
4. Collection of data is continuous until saturation, or
obtaining data from the past, but it also involves
when it reaches the point where no new information is
 relating their implications to the present and future 3. Arts. It is to investigate methods or approached that
time. enhance one’s creativity.

➢ What were the roles of women in the Katipunan? 4. Science. Its importance is to determine the
effectiveness of a newly developed medicine,
➢ Document – printed materials that can be found treatment, or approach in addressing health problems.
in libraries, archives, or personal collections
5. Agriculture and Fisheries. It is to examine how
➢ Relics and artifacts – physical remains or objects agriculture in a particular community is influenced by
from a certain historical period global trends.
➢ Oral reports – information that is passed on by 6. Sports. It is to understand the relationship between
word of mouth. one’s health and athletic performance.
➢ Primary sources – materials providing first-hand 7. Business. It is to assess approached that will help
information (oral histories, written records, diaries, companies in their decision-making practices.
eyewitness accounts, pictures, videos, and other
physical evidence.

➢ Secondary sources - second-hand information

such as an account based on an original source,
or a material written as an abstract of the original
materials.

4. Case Study. It is an in-dept examination of an

individual, a group of people, or an institution. It
involves a comprehensive and extensive examination
of a particular individual, group, or situation over a
period of time.

➢ “How do cancer survivors look at life?”

5. Grounded Theory Study. The method involves

comparing collected units of data against one another
until categories, properties, and hypotheses that state
relations between these categories and properties
emerge.

➢ Ten school counselors were given structured

interviews to help determine how their
professional identity is formed.

6. Narrative Analysis. The main sources of data for this

type of research are the life accounts of individuals
based on their personal experiences. The purpose of
narrative analysis is to extract meaningful context from
these experiences by identifying patterns, themes, or
meaning, based on particularly on chronology.

➢ Psychological – this involves analyzing the story

in terms of internal thoughts and motivations. It
also analyzes the written text or spoken words for
its component parts or patterns.

➢ Biographical – this takes the individual’s society

and factors like gender and class into account.

➢ Discourse Analysis – this studies the approach

in which language is used in texts and contexts.

Importance of Qualitative Research

1. Social Inquiry. For better understanding of behavior

and social interactions among individual.

2. Information and Communication Technology. It is

to examine the trends and tendencies in the use of
information technology.