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Theoretical Approaches
Modalities of Qualitative Research
Sampling Methods
Software Packages
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Qualitative research seeks to gain a
comprehensive and holistic view of social
life through the study of people in a wide
range of natural settings.
It is used to capture expressive information
not conveyed in quantitative data about
beliefs, values, feelings, and motivations
that underlie behaviors.
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How can you gather good data?
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What should you do with the data?
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Grounded Theory: Theory that emerges from
data
Superimposed Theory: Start with theory &
determine if the data support your theory
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Observational Studies
◦ Unstructured data collection
◦ Structured data collection
 Categorizing phenomena
 Checklists
 Rating scales
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Interviews central to the relevant group or process
◦ Focus groups
◦ Key Informants
◦ Critical incident reports
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Case study evaluation
Qualitative Techniques
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Recording and analysis of key interactions
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Attention to data validity
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Attention to data reliability
– Audiotape or videotape
– Triangulation: collection from independent
sources using differing means
– Feedback from study participants
– Thorough examination of outlying cases
– Detailed documentation of analysis
– Parallel review by independent investigators
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Researchers thoughtful reflections
Researchers analyze the data based on
themes
Statistical packages
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Advantages
Organize data
Store data
Easy to retrieve data
Frequency count of
words
Easier to examine
relationship between
data
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Disadvantages
Slow down analysis
phase
Stifle creativity
Doesn’t do thinking
for you
Researcher is part of
the analysis
Loose context
 Don’t know what was
said before,
 Can include more
information as you
input the data
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Qualitative method serves as an input to a
primarily quantitative study
Can generate hypotheses, develop content
for questionnaires & interventions
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Example: You are uncertain about how to communicate
with a particular group, so you conduct focus groups to
develop the content for a survey or intervention
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Source: David Morgan (1999)
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Quantitative method serves as an input to a
primarily qualitative study
Can guide purposive sampling, establish
preliminary results to pursue in depth
 Example: You are unsure which groups have the
characteristics you are interested in, so you conduct a
brief survey, prior to selecting the groups you will study
in depth
 Source: David Morgan (1999)
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Qualitative method serves as an extension
to a primarily quantitative study
Can provide interpretations for poorly
understood results, help explain outliers
 Example: You want to understand more about why the
results of a survey or intervention came out the way they
did, so you run focus groups to help interpret the results
 Source: David Morgan (1999)
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Quantitative method serves as an extension
to a primarily qualitative study
Can generalize results to different samples,
test elements of emergent theories
 Example: You want to determine where else the
conclusions from a case study are likely to apply, so
you use a brief survey to determine the characteristics
of other sites
 Source: David Morgan (1999)
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Researchers frequent immersion in the dayto-day lives of their subjects make some
qualitative studies susceptible to
measurement bias
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Researcher is not detached or unbiased
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Full disclosure has been suggested as a way
to deal with bias
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Minimize bias in other ways
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Systematic description of the nature of the
data collection methods to be used
Presentation of a clear and convincing
rationale why qualitative approaches are
not only appropriate for addressing the
research questions at hand but why they
are the most likely to produce useful
findings
Source: Qualitative Methods In Health Research, Office of
Behavioral & Social Sciences Research, NIH
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Focused discussion of the universe studied and
the sample recruited for qualitative assessment
(including accounting for the relationship
between the sample to the universe, by using a
clearly described sampling plan)
Specification of the timeframes that bound data
collection (e.g., observations designed to sample
variation across hours of the day, days of the
week, and weeks of the year
Source: Qualitative Methods In Health Research, Office of
Behavioral & Social Sciences Research, NIH
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Careful presentation of the nature of the
data to be collected
An orderly account of the analytic
procedures to be performed, including
specification of how findings can be
interpreted
Source: Qualitative Methods In Health Research, Office of
Behavioral & Social Sciences Research, NIH
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York: Wiley, 1976.
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Lofland and Lynland, Analyzing Social Settings (pp. 89098). Albany, New York:
Wadsworth, 1995.
Morgan, David. “Planning and Research Design for Focus Groups.” In David
Morgan, Focus Groups as Qualitative Research (pp. 31-45). Newbury Park, CA:
Sage, 1997.
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Art and Method of Qualitative Interview Studies (pp. 183-206). New York: Free
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