characteristics of qualitative research

A characteristics of qualitative research that Studies a real-world situations as they unfold naturally; non-manipulative, unobtrusive, and non-controlling; openness to whatever emerges—lack of predetermined constraints on outcomes

• Naturalistic Inquiry

• Inductive Analysis

• Holistic Perspective 

• Qualitative Data

     Immersion in the details and specifics of the data to discover important categories, dimensions, and interrelationships; begin by exploring genuinely open questions rather than testing theoretically derived (deductive) hypotheses. 

• Naturalistic Inquiry

• Inductive Analysis

• Holistic Perspective 

• Qualitative Data

     The whole phenomenon under study is understood as a complex system that is more than the sum of its parts; focus is on complex interdependencies not meaningfully reduced to a few discrete variables and linear, cause-effect relationships. 

• Naturalistic Inquiry

• Inductive Analysis

• Holistic Perspective 

• Qualitative Data

Detailed, thick description; inquiry in depth; direct quotations capturing people ‘s personal perspectives and experiences

• Naturalistic Inquiry

• Inductive Analysis

• Holistic Perspective 

• Qualitative Data

     The researcher has direct contact with and gets close to the people, situation, and phenomenon under study; researcher ‘s personal experiences and insights are important part of the inquiry and critical to understanding the phenomenon.  

• Personal Contact and Insight 

• Dynamic Systems

• Unique Case Orientation

• Context Sensitivity 

     Attention to process; assumes change is constant and ongoing whether the focus is on an individual or an entire culture. 

• Personal Contact and Insight 

• Dynamic Systems

• Unique Case Orientation

• Context Sensitivity 

     Assumes each case is special and unique; the first level of inquiry is being true to, respecting, and capturing the details of the individual cases being studied; cross case analysis follows from and depends on the quality of individual case studies. 

• Personal Contact and Insight 

• Dynamic Systems

• Unique Case Orientation

• Context Sensitivity 

     Places findings in a social, historical, and temporal context; dubious of the possibility or meaningfulness of generalization across time and space.  

• Emphatic Neutrality

• Design Flexibility 

• Unique Case Orientation

• Context Sensitivity 

     Complete objectivity is impossible; pure subjectivity undermines credibility; the researcher‘s passion is understanding the world in all its complexity – not proving something, not advocating, not advancing personal agenda, but understanding; the researcher includes personal experience and empathic insight as part of the relevant data, while taking a neutral nonjudgmental stance toward whatever content may emerge.

• Emphatic Neutrality

• Design Flexibility 

• Unique Case Orientation

• Context Sensitivity 

     Open to adapting inquiry as understanding deepens and/or situations change; avoids getting locked into rigid designs that eliminate responsiveness; pursues new paths of discovery as they emerge. 

• Emphatic Neutrality

• Design Flexibility 

• Unique Case Orientation

• Context Sensitivity