Introduction to

Qualitative
Research
 Definition of Qualitative Research

Qualitative Research is a scientific method

of observation to gather non-numerical
data. It refers to the meanings, concepts,
characteristics, metaphors, symbols, and
description of phenomena, and not to their
counts or measures.
 Purpose of Qualitative Research

Qualitative Research promotes a

deep, holistic understanding of a
particular phenomenon.
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research

1. Human understanding and interpretation in data analysis

2. Active, powerful, and forceful in data gathering and rephrasing

interview questions

3. Multiple research approaches and methods that allow you to plan

your study and being multi-method research

4. Specificity to generalization on specific ideas will lead to

generalizations or conclusions.
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research
5. Contextualization - context or situation of an individual’s life

6. Diversified data in real-life situations on collecting data in a natural

setting

7. Abounds with words and visuals that present people’s views in a

picture, video, drawing, or graphs.

8. Internal analysis on examining the data yielded by the internal traits of

the subject persons.
 Strengths of Qualitative Research
1. It adopts a naturalistic approach to its subject matter.

2. Promotes a full understanding of human behavior/personality traits in their

natural setting.
3. It is instrumental for positive societal changes.
4. It engenders respect for people’s individuality.
5. it’s a way of understanding & interpreting social interactions.
6. Increases the researcher’s interest in the study.
7. Offers multiple ways of acquiring and examining knowledge about something.
 Weaknesses of Qualitative Research

1. It involves a lot of researcher’s subjectivity in data analysis.

2. It is hard to know the validity/reliability of the data.

3. It is open-ended questions yield “data overload” that requires long-time

analysis.

4. It is time-consuming.

5. It involves several processes, whose results greatly depend on the

researcher’s views or interpretations.

Kinds of Qualitative
Research
 Case Study

Long-time study of a person, group, organization,

or situation and an empirical inquiry that
investigates current phenomenon.

Example: “Teenage Pregnancy in the Public

High Schools”
 Ethnography

- a study of a particular cultural group.

Example: “Cultural Awareness and

Integration of Peace Education in the
Indigenous Peoples (IP) Communities”
 Phenomenology
“live-experienced” of a phenomenon.
Its primary goal is to make people
understand their experiences about death of
loved ones, care for handicapped persons,
friendliness of people, etc.
Example: “Life without Gadget”
 Phenomenology
"Lived experiences" is a central concept in
phenomenology, representing the subjective and
personal aspects of individuals' encounters with
the world. Phenomenology, as a philosophical and
research approach, seeks to understand and
describe these lived experiences from the
perspective of the individuals who undergo them.
Phenomenology
Phenomenological research has its roots in psychology, education and
philosophy. Its aim is to extract the purest data that hasn’t been
attained before. Sometimes researchers record personal notes about
what they learn from the subjects. This adds to the credibility of data,
allowing researchers to remove these influences to produce unbiased
narratives. Through this method, researchers attempt to answer two
major questions:

What Are The Subject’s Experiences Related To The Phenomenon?

What Factors Have Influenced The Experience Of The Phenomenon?

 Phenomenology

Phenomenological research is a qualitative

research approach that seeks to understand
and describe the universal essence of a
phenomenon. The approach investigates the
everyday experiences of human beings while
suspending the researchers’ preconceived
assumptions about the phenomenon.
 Phenomenology
Phenomenological studies often involve a
small, purposive sample that is chosen for its
ability to provide rich and meaningful
insights into the phenomenon under
investigation. The emphasis is on depth
rather than breadth.
 Phenomenology
Phenomenology is concerned with describing
and understanding the essence of lived
experiences. Researchers aim to capture the
subjective and unique qualities of an
individual's or a group's experience without
imposing preconceived theories or
interpretations.
 Phenomenology

Researchers using phenomenological

research design assume that people use
a universal structure or essence to make
sense of their experience. They interpret
the participants’ feelings, perceptions,
and beliefs to clarify the essence of the
phenomenon under investigation.
 Phenomenology
Used to describe how human beings experience a
certain phenomenon. The researcher asks, “What is
this experience like?’, ‘What does this experience
mean?’ or ‘How does this ‘lived experience’ present
itself to the participant?’
Attempts to set aside biases and preconceived
assumptions about human experiences, feelings, and
responses to a particular situation.
 Phenomenology
Experience may involve perception, thought,
memory, imagination, and emotion or feeling.
Usually (but not always) involves a small sample of
participants (approx. 10-15).
Analysis includes an attempt to identify themes or, if
possible, make generalizations in relation to how a
particular phenomenon is perceived or experienced.
 Phenomenology
Methods
● participant observation
● in-depth interviews with open-ended questions
● conversations and focus workshops.
Researchers may also examine written records
of experiences such as diaries, journals, art,
poetry and music.
 Phenomenology
Strengths
Descriptive phenomenology is a powerful way to
understand subjective experience and to gain
insights around people’s actions and motivations,
cutting through long-held assumptions and
challenging conventional wisdom. It may contribute
to the development of new theories, changes in
policies, or changes in responses.
Phenomenology
Phenomenology
Phenomenology
Phenomenology
Phenomenology
 Content and Discourse Analysis
Content Analysis- is a research technique that
analyzes the modes of communication such as
letters, e-mails, etc.
Discourse Analysis- is the study of social life,
understood through an analysis of language it
includes face-to-face talk, non-verbal interaction,
images, and symbols.
 Content and Discourse Analysis

Materials for Discourse Analysis include

books, newspapers, periodicals, brochures,
and advertisements.
Example: “A Discourse Analysis on the Impact of
Modern Technologies on Communication
Historical Analysis

is a qualitative method where there

is an examination of past events to
draw conclusions and make
predictions about the future.
Example: “The Impact of Ferdinand
Marcos’ Speech”
 Grounded Theory
takes place when there is a discovery of a
new theory that underlies your study at the
time of data collection and analysis.
Example: “The Story Behind the
Migration of Christians from Visayas and
Luzon to Mindanao”
 Narrative Report

designed to present things or events that have

happened in the past through a logical progression of
the relevant information. The main purpose of a
narrative report is to present a factual depiction of
what has occurred.
Example: “Vocabulary Building of Students through
Proper Solid Waste Management”
 Biography
is the study of an individual’s life and struggles and
how they reflect the cultural themes of the society.
It deals with an interesting story found in documents
and archival materials. It is concerned with the
reconstruction of life histories and the constitution
of meaning based on biographical narratives and
documents.
 Action Research

is classroom-based or school-based research that

seeks transformative change through the process of
taking action and doing research, which is linked
together by critical reflection. This type of research
is commonly conducted by the teachers to give
solutions to the existing problems to improve
students’ academic performance and positive
attitudes.