Qualitative Study

Fellows & Liu (2009, p. 8) describe qualitative research as ‘…an exploration of the subject is undertaken without prior formulations – the object is to gain understanding and collect information and data such that theories will emerge’. Qualitative studies depend

on the researcher being an integral part of data collection, in a real world setting and interpreting the results in an enumerative manner rather in numerical terms (Saini and Shlonsky, 2012). Qualitative research tends to focus on a single subject or unit or a case is the focus and is studied in phenomenological perspective (Newman and Benz, 1998). Bryman (2012) argues that several similarities exist between qualitative and quantitative studies.

In the context of social research, Bryman (2012, p. 393) describes the differences between qualitative and quantitative research as presented in table 3.1. Bryman (2012) suggests that the differences between the two as:

Chapter 3 – Research Design & Methodology

74 Quantitative Research vs. Qualitative Research

Qualitative Research Quantitative Research

Words

Point of view of participant Researcher is close

Theory Emergent Process

Unstructured

Contextual Understanding Rich Deep Data

Micro Meaning Natural Setting

Numbers

Point of view of researcher Researcher is distant Theory Tested Static

Structured Generalisation Hard Reliable Data Macro

Behaviour Artificial Setting

Table 3.1: Differences between Qualitative Research & Quantitative Research. Adapted from Bryman (2012, p. 393).

 Numbers vs. Words: Quantitative researchers tend to apply measurement

procedures to understand social meanings whereas qualitative researchers tend to analyse words for the same purpose.

 Point of view of researcher vs. Point of view of participants: Quantitative

researchers begin with a set of concerns that guide the structure of the investigation whereas the qualitative researcher is more concerned with the perspective of those being studied.

 Researcher is distant vs. Researcher is close: It is not unusual for the quantitative

Chapter 3 – Research Design & Methodology

qualitative researcher seeks close contact with the subjects being studied so as to understand issues through their perspective.

 Theory and concepts tested in research vs. Theory and concepts emergent from data: Quantitative researchers tend to test a theory or concept whereas the

qualitative researcher develops theory from the data.

 Static vs. Process: Quantitative research tends to be presented as a static image of

social reality with emphasis on relationships and variables that are often reported in a mechanistic manner. Qualitative research, on the other hand, is almost always unstructured to understand the meanings and concepts emerging from the data.

 Structured vs. Unstructured: Quantitative researchers approach their work in a

structured and methodical manner to test their theories and concepts whereas qualitative research is almost always unstructured as the researchers seek to understand meanings of actors’ to develop theory and concepts.

 Generalisation vs. Contextual understanding: Quantitative researchers tend to

make generalisations from the data, relevant to the population being studied whereas the qualitative researcher tries to understand behaviour, values and beliefs of the subjects being studied.

 Hard, reliable data vs. Rich, deep data: Quantitative data is often claimed as

being hard, robust and unambiguous whereas qualitative researchers present their data as being richer in meaning due to their intimate involvement in collecting the data.

 Macro vs. Micro: Quantitative researchers are considered to uncover large-scale

trends of a population while qualitative researchers are seen as uncovering smaller aspects of social reality.

 Behaviour vs. Meaning: Quantitative researchers are depicted as being concerned

about the behaviour of a population while the qualitative researcher is concerned with the meaning of action.

 Artificial settings vs. Natural settings: Quantitative research tends to be conducted

in an artificial setting whereas qualitative research is typically conducted in the natural setting of the subjects studied.

Chapter 3 – Research Design & Methodology

76 3.6.3 Mixed-Method Study

A mixed-method study involves combining both qualitative and quantitative approaches into a single study (Saini and Shlonsky, 2012). An example of this is when qualitative data is collected and analysed by conducting interviews and quantitative data is collected and analysed by conducting a survey. Tashakkori & Teddlie (2003, p. 195) argue that ‘The major strength of mixed methods design is that they allow for research to develop as comprehensively and completely as possible’. Creswell (2013) argues that ‘triangulation’

as the key reason to combine qualitative and quantitative methods but proceeds to point out other reasons in support of mixed method research design, as shown in table 3.2. Creswell (2013) argues that the methods are complementary and allow for different facets of the phenomenon to emerge, and uses the analogy of peeling the layers of an onion. The methods can be used sequentially to help the second method inform the first method. The notion of ‘initiation’ wherein contradictory evidence might present a fresh perspective and the notion of ‘expansion’ wherein the scope and breadth of the study may be broadened are also argued by Creswell (2013).

Reasons for Conducting Mixed Method Research

 Triangulation in the classic sense of seeking convergence of results

 Complimentary, in that overlapping and different facets of a phenomenon may emerge (e.g., peeling the layers of an onion)

 Developmentally, wherein the first method is used to sequentially to help inform the second method

 Initiation, wherein contradictions and fresh perspectives emerge

 Expansion, wherein the mixed methods add scope and breadth to a study Table 3.2: Mixed method research design. Adapted from Creswell (2013, p. 175).

Saunders et al. (2009) further distinguish that in mixed-method research qualitative and quantitative strategies are not combined in the data collection and data analysis stages thus setting apart from ‘mixed-model’ research where qualitative and quantitative data are combined in the data collection and data analysis stages. Saunders et al. (2009) draw a

Chapter 3 – Research Design & Methodology

further contrast to the mixed-method research strategy to using ‘multi-method’ research strategy in which multiple data collection methods are employed but within either a qualitative or a quantitative study. Therefore multi-method studies are either qualitative or quantitative in nature but not both simultaneously.