This study design is based on methods of observation and enquiry, often using methods like interviews, focus groups, or observations to gather rich, descriptive information. This makes qualitative studies especially useful for studying human experiences, social interactions, and unique contexts.
Qualitative study designs enable health researchers to explore the meaning of human experiences and thereby create "possibilities of change through raised awareness and purposeful action” (Taylor & Francis, 2013).
Qualitative study designs are beneficial for research questions looking to provide unique insights into specific contexts or social situations. However, they're not as strong when wanting to find direct cause-effect links or where a statistically significant result is required (Taylor et al., 2006).
Method | Overall Purpose | Advantages | Challenges |
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Surveys | Quickly and/or easily gets lots of information from people in a non threatening way |
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Interviews |
Understand someone's impressions or experiences Learn more about answers to questionnaires |
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Observation |
Gather firsthand information about people, events, or programs |
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Focus groups |
Explore a topic in depth through group discussion |
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Case studies |
Understand an experience or conduct comprehensive examination through cross comparison of cases |
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In qualitative research, only a sample (subset) of a population is selected for any given study.Three of the most common sampling methods are:
You can go to CINAHL to search for Qualitative Research. One of the things you can do is to add the following concepts to your search:
(MH "Qualitative Studies+") OR (MM "Focus Groups") OR (MM "Interviews+") OR (MM "Narratives+") OR “focus groups” OR interviews)
You can go to PubMed to search for Qualitative Research. One of the things you can do is to add the following concepts to you search:
"Qualitative Research"[Mesh] OR "Focus Groups"[Mesh] OR "Interviews as Topic"[Mesh] OR interviews OR “focus groups”