scholarly journals Qualitative research: its value and applicability

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 204-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Agius
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Potential Application ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Robust Evidence ◽  
Human Social Behaviour

SummaryQualitative research has a rich tradition in the study of human social behaviour and cultures. Its general aim is to develop concepts which help us to understand social phenomena in, wherever possible, natural rather than experimental settings, to gain an understanding of the experiences, perceptions and/or behaviours of individuals, and the meanings attached to them. The effective application of qualitative methods to other disciplines, including clinical, health service and education research, has a rapidly expanding and robust evidence base. Qualitative approaches have particular potential in psychiatry research, singularly and in combination with quantitative methods. This article outlines the nature and potential application of qualitative research as well as attempting to counter a number of misconceptions.

Qualitative Approaches in Internet-Mediated Research: Opportunities, Issues, Possibilities

2020 ◽  
pp. 632-673
Author(s):  
Claire Hewson
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Viable Alternative ◽  
Design Practice ◽  
Good Design ◽  
Practical Advice ◽  
Research Opportunities ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Research Domains

Internet-mediated research (IMR) has grown expansively since the start of the 21st Century in scope, range of methodological possibilities, and breadth of penetration across disciplines and research domains. However, the use of IMR approaches to support qualitative research has lagged behind its application in supporting quantitative methods. This chapter discusses the possibilities of using IMR methods in qualitative research and considers the issues and debates that have led some qualitative researchers to be reluctant to consider IMR as a viable alternative to traditional offline methods. The chapter adopts an optimistic stance on the potential for qualitative IMR and outlines a range of possible methods and strategies, as well as examples of successful (and less successful) studies. Practical advice on tools, procedures, and guidelines for good design practice is offered. A comment on likely future scope, methods, emerging techniques, and developments in qualitative IMR is presented.

scholarly journals The untapped potential of mixed-methods research approaches for German history education research

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Köster ◽  
Holger Thünemann
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
History Education ◽  
Added Value ◽  
German History ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
German Studies ◽  
Qualitative Approaches

Despite some pioneering studies, mixed-methods research approaches are uncommon in the German history education community, in contrast to the general increase in mixed-methods research in the educational and social sciences. Conversely, German history education research currently appears to favour quantitative methods as opposed to qualitative approaches – at least in larger research projects. In this paper, we argue for a more inclusive research approach combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Discussion of a pioneering study from the 1980s (Jeismann et al ., 1987) highlights implementation of this unusual approach to history education research in Germany. To illuminate the added value of such a mixed-methods research approach, we discuss two published German studies that respectively rely on quantitative (Trautwein et al ., 2017) and qualitative (Köster, 2013) research methods. A mixed-methods approach might have illuminated each study's 'blind spots'.

Qualitative Approaches in Internet-Mediated Research

2014 ◽  
pp. 422-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Hewson
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Viable Alternative ◽  
Design Practice ◽  
Good Design ◽  
Practical Advice ◽  
The Past ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Research Domains

Internet-mediated research (IMR) has grown expansively over the past decade in scope, range of methodological possibilities, and breadth of penetration across disciplines and research domains. However, the use of IMR approaches to support qualitative research has lagged behind its application in supporting quantitative methods. This chapter discusses the possibilities of using IMR methods in qualitative research and considers the issues and debates that have led some qualitative researchers to be reluctant to consider IMR as a viable alternative to traditional offline methods. The chapter adopts an optimistic stance on the potential for qualitative IMR and outlines a range of possible methods and strategies, as well as examples of successful (and less successful) studies. Practical advice on tools, procedures, and guidelines for good design practice is offered. A comment on likely future scope, methods, emerging techniques, and developments in qualitative IMR is presented.

scholarly journals Evidence-Based Practice and Qualitative Research: A Primer for Library and Information Professionals

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Given
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
The Social ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Research Problems

Objective - This paper discusses the importance of qualitative research in evidence-based library and information practice (EBLIP), with a focus on practical tips for evaluating and implementing effective qualitative research projects. Methods - The paper provides a brief introduction to the nature of qualitative inquiry and its status within current models of evidence assessment. Three problems of excluding qualitative research from the evidence-base in library and information studies (LIS) are identified: 1) ignoring the social sciences and humanities traditions that inform research in the field; 2) privileging of quantitative and experimental methods over others in evidence assessment; and, 3) focusing attention away from the best evidence for LIS research problems. Results - Qualitative approaches commonly used in library and information contexts are discussed, along with strategies for assessing quality in this work and some of the common ethics-related issues that researchers and professionals must consider. Conclusions - LIS professionals are encouraged to: 1) select research methods – including qualitative approaches – that best suit LIS questions; 2) design collaborative projects that combine quantitative and qualitative approaches, that will address research questions in a more complete way; 3) consider qualitative measures of rigor in assessing quality – rather than imposing quantitative expectations; and 4) revise existing models of “evidence” to recognize the value and rigor of qualitative research projects.

scholarly journals An overview of ethnography in healthcare and medical education research

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh Goodson ◽  
Matt Vassar
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Medical Education Research ◽  
Ethnographic Methods ◽  
Thick Description ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Research Questions

Research in healthcare settings and medical education has relied heavily on quantitative methods. However, there are research questions within these academic domains that may be more adequately addressed by qualitative inquiry. While there are many qualitative approaches, ethnography is one method that allows the researcher to take advantage of relative immersion in order to obtain thick description. The purpose of this article is to introduce ethnography, to describe how ethnographic methods may be utilized, to provide an overview of ethnography's use in healthcare and medical education, and to summarize some key limitations with the method.

scholarly journals A comparison of the qualitative analysis tools GABEK/WinRelan® and ATLAS.ti™

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gernot Bohmann
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Expert Interviews ◽  
User Friendliness ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Methodical Approach ◽  
To Come

In recent years, qualitative research became an increasing methodical approach besides quantitative analysis. For that, there are approx. 20 software packages. Two of them are GABEK/WinRelan® and ATLAS.ti™, which are less used than others. The aims of this study are (1) to compare directly both tools with each other by applying the tools, using a pre-interview and (2) to conduct expert interviews to come to a better understanding of how and why either GABEK/WinRelan® or ATLAS.ti™is used. As qualitative research is helpful to answer questions associated with hypothesis-generating research processes, such as quantitative methods, this paper aims (3) how those qualitative approaches can be analyzed by computer-assisted software. This paper conducted a literature review of both CAQDAS and applied the tools by using a pre-interview for the first comparison of both tools. In the further research, it is planned to conduct expert interviews with users to collect data for a deeper direct comparison of both tools. The results at this stage show that (1) there is no direct comparison of both tools, (2) GABEK/WinRelan® is less know than ATLAS.ti™ and (3) there are differences between the two tools, such as up-to-dateness and user friendliness. The paper concludes at this stage, that both tools have their advantages and disadvantages. GABEK/WinRelan® is with its “Gestalten”-approach (perceptive appearance of holistic processing of complexity) is a deep analysis tool, whereas ATLAS.ti™ has many functions, will be kept up-to-date and is more widespread within the scientific community.

scholarly journals Using Qualitative Approaches to Improve Quantitative Inferences in Environmental Psychology

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Anthony Lewis ◽  
Mario Bravo ◽  
Sarah Naiman ◽  
Adam R Pearson ◽  
Rainer Romero-Canyas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Environmental Psychology ◽  
The United States ◽  
Environmental Issue ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Current Article ◽  
Qualitative Component

This article describes the qualitative approach used to generate and interpret the quantitative study reported by Song and colleagues’ (2020) in their article, “What counts as an ‘environmental’ issue? Differences in environmental issue conceptualization across race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.” Song and colleagues (2020) describe the results of a survey documenting that, in the United States, White and high-SES respondents perceive environmental issues differently than their non-White and lower-SES counterparts, reflecting structural differences in environmental risks. While Song and colleagues (2020) discuss the survey results in detail, the discussion of the qualitative research that led to the creation of that survey was limited due to space constraints. The current article provides a more holistic account of the methods behind the Song and colleagues (2020) study by discussing the qualitative component of the research in detail. In addition to discussing how the qualitative research complements and critically informs the findings reported by Song et al., we also consider the broader implications and value of integrating qualitative and quantitative methods in environmental psychology.

A Subtle but Intractable Problem? Public Attitudes to Sectarianism in 2014

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Ormston ◽  
John Curtice ◽  
Stephen Hinchliffe ◽  
Anna Marcinkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Beliefs ◽  
Intractable Problem ◽  
Robust Evidence

Discussion of sectarianism often focuses on evidence purporting to show discriminatory behaviour directed at Catholics or Protestants in Scotland. But attitudes also matter – in sustaining (or preventing) such discriminatory behaviours, and in understanding the nature of the ‘problem of sectarianism’ from the perspective of the Scottish public. This paper uses data from the Scottish Social Attitudes survey 2014. The survey fills a gap in the evidence base by providing robust evidence on what the public actually thinks about sectarianism in modern Scotland. It assesses public beliefs about the extent and nature of sectarianism and its perceived causes. Tensions in public opinion and differences in the attitudes of different sections of Scottish society are explored.

Studying Globalization at Home

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunil Bhatia
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Cultural Narratives ◽  
Cultural Codes ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Interpretive Methods ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
At Home

This chapter documents the ethnographic context in which the interviews and participant observation were conducted for the study presented in this book. It also situates the study within the context of narrative inquiry and develops arguments about the role of self-reflexivity in doing ethnography at “home” and producing qualitative forms of knowledge that are based on personal, experiential, and cultural narratives. It is argued that there is significant interest in the adoption of interpretive methods or qualitative research in psychology. The qualitative approaches in psychology present a provocative and complex vision of how the key concepts related to describing and interpreting cultural codes, social practices, and lived experience of others are suffused with both poetical and political elements of culture. The epistemological and ontological assumptions undergirding qualitative research reflect multiple “practices of inquiry” and methodologies that have different orientations, assumptions, values, ideologies, and criterion of excellence.

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