Imagine that you want to understand why your mother loves making pancakes for breakfast. You could sneak around the kitchen, tracking when and how she makes pancakes, or you could just sit down and have a chat with her. Most people would agree that the chat will give a much better answer. Show
If you want to understand people’s beliefs or thoughts, numbers (i.e. quantitative research) don’t always give the full picture. Interactions or conversations with people (i.e. qualitative research) often help researchers gain deeper insights into why people do what they do. What is qualitative research?“Conversations with people” isn’t very specific, so let’s go a little deeper. By definition, qualitative research is an inquiry into the way people interpret a certain social condition around them. It usually involves interviews or conversations, which produce non-numerical data. An example of qualitative research is identifying how effective a government welfare program is by talking to the people directly affected by it. Qualitative research is often time intensive, primarily because it requires collecting data by interacting with people over long periods of time. Then, after collecting data, analyzing conversations and bringing out insights is also time consuming. Qualitative research is useful in two situations:
There are several different qualitative research methods. Which method you should use depends on what you’re trying to achieve. However, the three most commonly used qualitative research methods are in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs) and observation. Method 1: In-depth interviewsWhat is an in-depth interview?One-to-one interviews are the most commonly used qualitative research method. They are semi-structured, which means that the questions to be asked and issues to be addressed are fluid and take shape as the interview unfolds. How long do in-depth interviews take?An in-depth interview may last 60–90 minutes and is conducted face to face. Do participants need to give their permission?Yes. Participation must be voluntary, and each person must give informed consent before they participate in an interview. When are in-depth interviews useful?In-depth interviews are ideal in situations where:
In-depth interviews can be used at any stage of research. For example, they can be conducted in the beginning of a program to explore hypotheses and set the research plan, in the middle to benchmark the program’s progress, or at the end to understand the effectiveness of a program’s implementation. Who should interview participants?Highly skilled interviewers are important for effective in-depth interviews. It is critical that interviewers are sensitive, empathic, and able to establish a comfortable environment for interviewees. Interviewers should also have a deep understanding of both the topic under study and the research objectives, so they can ask questions that provide relevant and actionable insights. Poor interviewing skills, poor phrasing of questions, or inadequate knowledge of the subject’s culture or frame of reference may result in data that isn’t accurate or useful. While selecting interviewers, researchers may also need to weigh personal characteristics that will make interviewees more comfortable with interviewers. For example, age, sex and profession may be important characteristics. How should researchers prepare for in-depth interviews?In-depth interviews typically start with open-ended questions, then interviewers use further questions to probe into different topics. The interviewer should have a guide prepared with a list of issues that are to be explored along with some suitable questions or probes for each issue. How should researchers collect data during in-depth interviews?The interview should be recorded. Preferably, it should also be transcribed immediately so that invisible information such as body language and expressions are not lost in the annals of time. Advantages of in-depth interviews
Limitations of in-depth interviews
Method 2: Focus group discussions (FGDs)What is a FGD?Focus group discussions are another common qualitative research method. In a focus group discussion, an interviewer talks to a group of people about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes towards an idea, concept, service, product, etc. The participants are usually a group of people who are similar in some way, such as their income, education, or occupation. This helps the participants feel more comfortable with one another. How many people are involved in an FGD?A typical focus group has anywhere between 6 to 12 participants, and it’s usually best to carry out at least 3 FGDs. Talking with multiple groups leads to more in-depth or diverse information. How long do FGDs take?An FGD should be 60–90 minutes. If the FGD is shorter than 60 minutes, it is often difficult to fully explore the discussion topic. If the FGD is longer than 90 minutes, the discussion can become unproductive (as participants get weary) and the discussion can start to impose on participants’ time. Do participants need to give their permission?Yes. Researchers must get informed consent for all participants. Participation should be voluntary, though it can be incentivized. When are FGDs useful?Focus groups are most useful for:
In a FGD, the researcher is not trying to make the group reach a consensus. Rather, their goal is to explore different people’s opinions on the topic. Hence, the results of an FGD are exploratory, not conclusive. Who should conduct an FGD?A successful FGD requires a skilled moderator. As a moderator, it is important to ensure that all participants are comfortable and engaged with the discussion, and that their opinions are being heard. The following techniques are helpful:
How should researchers collect data during in-depth interviews?Like with in-depth interviews, digital recorders (either audio or video) are a great way to record data during FGDs. The record should be transcribed immediately so its nuances aren’t lost over time. Advantages of FGDs
Limitations of FGDsIt is important to realize that there are two key limitations to FGDs:
Looking to conduct an FGD? Keep reading for more information on how to make it successful. Method 3: ObservationsWhat is observation?Observation is a qualitative research method where researchers gather data by observing people’s behavior or events in their natural setting. There are 2 main types of observation:
Usually, overt observations are preferable, because observing people without their knowledge or permission can raise ethical problems. Covert vs. overt aren’t the only types of observation. There’s also direct vs. indirect, simple vs. behavioral, and participant vs. non-participant. Learn more about each type here. Do participants need to give their permission?For overt observation, informed consent must be obtained from participants before any observational data is gathered. When is observation useful?Observations are most useful when:
How should researchers prepare for observation?The research questions or processes being observed must be well structured — that is, the parameters to be observed must be clearly defined. For example, a researcher observing students in class should have precise things to observe, like the number of students asleep within the first five minutes or students’ level of engagement throughout the class. Selecting specific focus areas or questions helps make the collected data more accurate and relevant to the research question. In addition, it is critical that to schedule observations so they overlap with whatever is being observed. For example, if you’re trying to observe noon music classes at a school, observations shouldn’t be scheduled for 2 pm. This requires advance planning. Who should conduct observation?Observers must be well-trained on the data collection process, and must be focused on producing effective, useful and unbiased insights. Observers can be the researchers themselves, or researchers can train other people (such as students, interns, research assistants or stakeholders) to act as observers. How should researchers collect data during observation? The right data collection technique depends on what information is being collected. Here are a few ways to collect data through observation.
Using digital tools (such as a data collection app, tape recorder, laptop, camera, or video camera) can make it much easier and quicker to collect observational data. Advantages of observation
Limitations of observation
Planning to do observations? Learn more about when and how to collect observational data. Summing it upQualitative research is one of the best tools to identify behaviors and patterns governing social conditions. It goes a step beyond quantitative data by providing the reasons and rationale behind a phenomenon, which often cannot be explored quantitatively. The qualitative research methods above (in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and observation) are most commonly used for collecting qualitative data. However, lesser-known qualitative research methods include literature and document review of existing material on the research topic. These can be helpful for identifying if the research questions have been partly or fully answered in the past. Image credits: Rawpixel, Samule Sun, Antenna, and The Climate Reality Project |