Matching Questions to Qualitative MethodologyMethodologyThe theoretical framework that informs how a researcher approaches their work and what methods are used to collect data.
Qualitative data collection and analysis are sometimes considered easier than quantitative data collection and analysis. Nevertheless, qualitative methods have their own rigor and should be planned out as carefully as quantitative methods. Research designs based on a qualitative methodology are uniquely valuable for their ability to provide rich insights into people’s lives and experiences. Therefore, following sound qualitative methodology enables qualitative researchers to systematically identify common and unique experiences among study participants.
The term qualitative researchQualitative researchResearch that aims to understand the whys and hows of human behavior through the gathering of non-numerical data. can refer to using a qualitative data collection method, a qualitative analytical method, or both. It is worth noting that qualitative data, such as interviews, can be quantitatively analyzed, i.e. through word frequency counts and other text mining techniques. In this lesson, we look at qualitative data collection and qualitative analysis together as qualitative methodology but you can consider other lessons or explore further should you want to blend approaches.
The idea of qualitative data usually makes LISLibrary and Information ScienceAn interdisciplinary field that examines how physical and digital information is organized, accessed, collected, managed, disseminated and used, particularly in library settings. researchers think of interviews. Interviews are often transcribed so that we can analyze them sentence by sentence. The ability to elicit stories from participants and to ask extra questions during the interview or more detail makes interviews especially appealing. Beyond interviews there are many other kinds of qualitative data that can be useful, such as:
Document analysis, including but not limited to, policy documents, websites, student papers, job announcements, and more
Observations and observational notes
Focus groups and group interviews
Visual methods such as photo-elicitation
Combinations such as observing actions and recording an interview of why the participant is doing those actions at the same time
It is worth keeping in mind, however, that qualitative data is not the same as qualitative analysis. Often when we decide on qualitative methodology, we easily imagine recording discussions such as an interview, group interview, or focus groupfocus groupA research method that takes a small group of people and has a focused discussion with them. This discussion revolves around a specific topic, the participants have something in common that brings them into the same space, and do not have any pre-existing relationships with one another. A focus group also has a moderator who helps to facilitate the discussion.. That is not typically the challenging part. The greater challenge often comes with thinking about what to do after that. Interviews have become such a common occurrence that it may seem the easiest method choice. However, analyzing qualitative interview data is quite different than choosing soundbites from interviews, as we see in the journalism field. While journalism is an important way to express peoples’ views, it is not the same as research. Therefore, before committing to using qualitative methodology, think about what you will do with the data afterward. Can qualitative data be analyzed so that it effectively addresses your research question? Would a qualitative analysis meet your personal priorities? As you’re ruminating over your methodology, consider these strengths and weaknesses of qualitative studies:
Unique strengths of qualitative methodologies include:
Their flexibility allows the researcher to explore new topics that may not have an established framework or existing approaches detailed in the LIS literature.
They foster deeper exploration of organically shared experiences and stories.
The researcher can use “thick description” or long, insightful quotes to give a stronger voice to study participants.
A wide variety of data collection approaches allows researchers to explore topics from a variety of perspectives.
Unique challenges of qualitative methodologies include:
Because the analyses depend on scrutinizing each sentence (or image or observational note) in the data individually, qualitative analysis is fundamentally slower than quantitative analysis.
Qualitative methodologies often demand theoretical or philosophical frameworks in order to connect participant experiences to established wider concepts, which can require abstraction and energy from the researcher.
Some audiences and journals may perceive these studies as less robust because they draw from smaller populations and apply a less scientific approach to data collection.
If those strengths and weaknesses make qualitative approaches attractive to your project, below are some common qualitative methodologies and methods. The common methods are listed alongside an essential issue that explains how the method might be appropriate to a research question. For example, a case study requires observation of a limited group within its natural context. Case studies require using several kinds of data to ensure accurate conclusions are drawn from the data. Therefore, if your question does not suggest a clearly defined case and the ability to apply different methods to extra data from the group, then a case study is not a very promising method.
Some common qualitative analytical approaches
Essential issues in matching the method to the question
What is the activity or situation being assessed? How can the assessment data illustrate practical insights about the activity/situation so that other libraries can determine how it applies to them? (Note: Many case reports or assessment reports are better handled through quantitative methods.)
(auto)EthnographyEthnographyOriginating from the anthropology discipline, these qualitative research methods aim to understand thoughts, experiences, and actions of a culture through observation and interpretation.
What community are you working to understand? Will you be a participant observer or nonparticipant observer?
Phenomenology
What is the phenomenon you are exploring? How can you access deep descriptions of peoples’ lived experiences with that phenomenon?
Basic thematic deduction
How will you define the categories to help you generate the codes with which you will tag segments of transcript or other data?
Thematic induction
How will you identify the most theoreticallymeaningful statements made in your interview (or other data) transcripts? What is your plan for reducing the identified statements from individual quotes to cross-cutting themes?
Discourse analysis
What framework outlines the ways of speaking that you will be looking for in your documents or transcripts?
Narrative analysis
What is your plan to identify the story elements to be extracted from your documents or transcripts? How will you combine them into a synthesized or “re-storied” narrative for your readers?
Table 1, created by Nina Exner for LibParlor Online Learning, 2023.
Research questions are important to shaping a research study. Perhaps the most important part of the research question is not the question itself, but rather the process of determining your priorities in what you want to study. Understanding those priorities helps to determine what you are really analyzing. If the variables you wish to assess can be measured with counts or numbers, then a quantitative study may be the best fit. If the variables are better described by experiences, then a qualitative study may be the best fit. Examining existing literature on the subject and considering what you can add to the existing studies may be a great way to narrow down the question you are most interested in studying.
Topic 2 References
Alpi, Kristine M., and John Jamal Evans. “Distinguishing Case Study as a Research MethodResearch MethodThe approach taken by the researcher to collect data. Examples include in-depth interviews, focus groups, surveys, experiments, etc. from Case Reports as a Publication Type.” Journal of the Medical Library Association 107, no. 1 (2019): 1–5. doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2019.615.
Neri de Souza, Francislê, Dayse Neri, and António Costa. “Asking Questions in the Qualitative Research Context.” The Qualitative Report 21, no. 13 (2016): 6–18. doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2016.2607.
Wilson, Virginia. “Matching Question Types to Study Designs.” Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 11, no. 1(S) (2016): 10–11. doi.org/10.18438/B8SP8T.
Matching Questions to Qualitative MethodologyMethodology The theoretical framework that informs how a researcher approaches their work and what methods are used to collect data.
Qualitative data collection and analysis are sometimes considered easier than quantitative data collection and analysis. Nevertheless, qualitative methods have their own rigor and should be planned out as carefully as quantitative methods. Research designs based on a qualitative methodology are uniquely valuable for their ability to provide rich insights into people’s lives and experiences. Therefore, following sound qualitative methodology enables qualitative researchers to systematically identify common and unique experiences among study participants.
The term qualitative researchQualitative research Research that aims to understand the whys and hows of human behavior through the gathering of non-numerical data. can refer to using a qualitative data collection method, a qualitative analytical method, or both. It is worth noting that qualitative data, such as interviews, can be quantitatively analyzed, i.e. through word frequency counts and other text mining techniques. In this lesson, we look at qualitative data collection and qualitative analysis together as qualitative methodology but you can consider other lessons or explore further should you want to blend approaches.
The idea of qualitative data usually makes LISLibrary and Information Science An interdisciplinary field that examines how physical and digital information is organized, accessed, collected, managed, disseminated and used, particularly in library settings. researchers think of interviews. Interviews are often transcribed so that we can analyze them sentence by sentence. The ability to elicit stories from participants and to ask extra questions during the interview or more detail makes interviews especially appealing. Beyond interviews there are many other kinds of qualitative data that can be useful, such as:
It is worth keeping in mind, however, that qualitative data is not the same as qualitative analysis. Often when we decide on qualitative methodology, we easily imagine recording discussions such as an interview, group interview, or focus groupfocus group A research method that takes a small group of people and has a focused discussion with them. This discussion revolves around a specific topic, the participants have something in common that brings them into the same space, and do not have any pre-existing relationships with one another. A focus group also has a moderator who helps to facilitate the discussion.. That is not typically the challenging part. The greater challenge often comes with thinking about what to do after that. Interviews have become such a common occurrence that it may seem the easiest method choice. However, analyzing qualitative interview data is quite different than choosing soundbites from interviews, as we see in the journalism field. While journalism is an important way to express peoples’ views, it is not the same as research. Therefore, before committing to using qualitative methodology, think about what you will do with the data afterward. Can qualitative data be analyzed so that it effectively addresses your research question? Would a qualitative analysis meet your personal priorities? As you’re ruminating over your methodology, consider these strengths and weaknesses of qualitative studies:
Unique strengths of qualitative methodologies include:
Unique challenges of qualitative methodologies include:
If those strengths and weaknesses make qualitative approaches attractive to your project, below are some common qualitative methodologies and methods. The common methods are listed alongside an essential issue that explains how the method might be appropriate to a research question. For example, a case study requires observation of a limited group within its natural context. Case studies require using several kinds of data to ensure accurate conclusions are drawn from the data. Therefore, if your question does not suggest a clearly defined case and the ability to apply different methods to extra data from the group, then a case study is not a very promising method.
Research questions are important to shaping a research study. Perhaps the most important part of the research question is not the question itself, but rather the process of determining your priorities in what you want to study. Understanding those priorities helps to determine what you are really analyzing. If the variables you wish to assess can be measured with counts or numbers, then a quantitative study may be the best fit. If the variables are better described by experiences, then a qualitative study may be the best fit. Examining existing literature on the subject and considering what you can add to the existing studies may be a great way to narrow down the question you are most interested in studying.
Topic 2 References
Alpi, Kristine M., and John Jamal Evans. “Distinguishing Case Study as a Research MethodResearch Method The approach taken by the researcher to collect data. Examples include in-depth interviews, focus groups, surveys, experiments, etc. from Case Reports as a Publication Type.” Journal of the Medical Library Association 107, no. 1 (2019): 1–5. doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2019.615.
Neri de Souza, Francislê, Dayse Neri, and António Costa. “Asking Questions in the Qualitative Research Context.” The Qualitative Report 21, no. 13 (2016): 6–18. doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2016.2607.
Wilson, Virginia. “Matching Question Types to Study Designs.” Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 11, no. 1(S) (2016): 10–11. doi.org/10.18438/B8SP8T.