Qualitative Research Approaches

Brainstorming for Research Topics: Qualitative Approaches

1. Case Study Research

Definition: In-depth exploration of a single case (e.g., person, group, or organization) to understand processes or phenomena within a specific context.
Types:
- Intrinsic: Focused on understanding a particular case.
- Instrumental: Examines a case to provide insight into an issue or refine a theory.
- Collective: Studies multiple cases to understand a broader phenomenon.
Methods: Multiple data sources (observations, interviews, documents).
Example: Studying how a small rural school successfully implemented a blended learning approach over two years.

Definition: Developing a theory by analyzing patterns and relationships in data gathered from participants’ experiences.
Key Features:
- Focuses on unraveling elements of experience.
- Constant data collection and analysis cycle.
- Open-ended, flexible approach.
Methods: Primarily recorded interviews, but may also include observation, journaling, and memos.
Example: Interviewing nurses in ICUs to develop a theory on how they cope with work-related stress.

Definition: Documentation of an individual’s life experiences to explore personal, historical, or cultural narratives.
Methods: Interviews, personal documents, memoirs.
Example: Documenting the life history of a Holocaust survivor.

Definition: Collaborative research involving participants as co-researchers to solve problems and create practical knowledge.
Methods: Unstructured observations, journaling, surveys, reviewing records.
Example: Teachers in a low-performing school work with a researcher to improve student engagement through new teaching strategies.

Definition: Interpretation of texts or experiences to uncover deeper meanings and intentions within historical and cultural contexts.
Methods: Analyzing texts, interviews, cultural documents.
Example: Studying Plato’s concept of justice and its influence on political systems.

Definition: Holistic study of a group’s cultural practices and behaviors through immersive, long-term observation.
Methods: In-depth interviews, participant observations, field notes.
Example: Living in an Indigenous community for a year to document their environmental conservation practices.

Definition: Understanding the essence of lived experiences by analyzing participants’ descriptions of those experiences.
Methods: Audiotaped conversations, written anecdotes, reflections, poetry, art.
Example: Studying cancer survivors’ emotional and physical journey through chemotherapy.

Definition: Examination of past events or people using primary and secondary sources to draw insights and understand significance.
Methods: Newspapers, diaries, legislative documents, photographs, memoirs.
Example: Analyzing historical records to trace the evolution of women’s suffrage movements.

Definition: Blending storytelling and research to vividly capture and convey the meaning of participants’ experiences.
Methods: In-depth interviews, long-term observations.
Example: Narrating the career of an award-winning teacher through classroom observations and student interviews.

Definition: Study of language, symbols, and communication to understand how meaning is constructed in social contexts.
Methods: Recorded dialogues, text analysis, media analysis.
Example: Analyzing political speeches to examine how candidates frame concepts like “freedom” or “justice.”