Qualitative Research Methods

Olasile Babatunde Adedoyin

Near East University

1.0 Introduction
Social science research is a systematic action that covers gathering of data for the purpose of
finding answer and or explanation about social issues (Mogalakwe, 2006). Qualitative research
in particular deals with gathering and interpretation of non-numerical data for the purpose of
understanding human and social environment.

According to Mohajan (2018) and Slevitch (2011), the progenitors of qualitative research
methods can be linked to anthropology, philosophy, psychology, history, and sociology, with
main aim of focusing on the systematic explanation and analysis of phenomenon and it has been
attracting more attention in the field of tourism and hospitality management.

2.0 In-Depth Interview

In qualitative research, in-depth interview is referred to as a research method that includes

piloting of thorough or vigorous personal interviews with lesser units of respondents for the
purpose of discovering individual perceptions on certain issues such as state of affairs, programs,
or notions (Boyce & Neale, 2006). “In-depth, qualitative interviews are excellent tools to use in
planning and evaluating Extension programs because they use an open-ended, discovery-
oriented method, which allows the interviewer to deeply explore the respondent’s feelings and
perspectives on a subject” (Guion, Diehl, & McDonald, 2001. p. 1).

2.1 The Justification for In-Depth Interviews

When detailed information about individual view and attitudes or thorough investigation into
novel issues are under consideration, in-depth interviews are the most applicable qualitative
research method due to the systematic nature of the approach in providing answers to "what" and
"why" research questions

2.1.1 Merits of In-Depth Interview

1. Its gives adequate and precise information when compared with other methods of data
gathering.

2. It gives room for stress-free atmospheric condition for collection of data.

3. Presentations of in-depth interviews are elastic, and this make possible to be presented in
several ways without a certain format as guides.

2.1.2 Demerits of In-Depth Interview

1. There is possibility of biasness in the responses given by the participants as a result of

respondents' stakes on the issue under investigation.

2. Its time consuming due to the time needed to grant interviews, writing out of the
information gotten, analysis of data to provide adequate results.

3. In-depth interviews required effective and efficiently trained interviewers that are well
grounded in interview techniques.

4. Findings from in-depth interviews are ungeneralizable due to the fact that random
sampling is excluded in the process while the lesser samples (i.e. focus group) are picked for
investigation.

2.2 Process of Conducting In-Depth Interviews

According to Boyce and Neale (2006), the process of piloting in-depth interviews is quite similar
with the process of other researches and gave the following as the steps of conducting in-depth
interviews; Plan, develop instruments, train interviewers, data collection, data analysis, and
presentation of research findings

Additionally, Kvale (as cited in Guion et al., 2001) also gave another similar but seven steps to
follow in conducting in-depth interviews as thematizing, designing, interviewing, transcribing,
analyzing, verifying, and reporting.

3.0 Semi-Structured Interviews

Semi-structured interview is a data collection approach that the interviewer is not obligated to
adhere to exact formal questions. The interviewer is expected to ask open-ended questions while
giving room for conversation with the respondents (i.e. interviewees) instead of direct question
and response structure. “Conducted conversationally with one respondent at a time, the semi-
structured interview employs a blend of closed- and open-ended questions, often accompanied
by

follow-up why or how questions” (Adams, 2015. p. 493).

3.1 The Justification for Semi-Structured Interviews

Under Semi-structured interviews, the researcher (i.e. interviewer) and participants (i.e.
interviewee) take part in formalized dialogues, giving the interviewer the opportunity to follow
interview guide and also digress if the need be.

3.1.1 Merits of Semi-Structured Interviews

1. They are excellently appropriate for several research tasks, most especially when open-
ended questions need additional probes.

2. They are applicable in mixed research methods because of their complementary nature
that give room for adding depth to other methods of data collection.

3.1.2 Demerits of Semi-Structured Interviews

1. Semi-structured interviews are usually time-consuming.

2. Semi-structured interviews are labor intensive and experienced require interviewers are
needed.

3. Semi-structured interviews required smartness, sensitivity and composure on the part of

the interviewers and well as good mastery of the subject matter.

4. Semi-structured interviews regularly involve the strenuous efforts of data analysis that
usually come in large volume of notes for transcription.

4.0 Observation

Despite the complexity of human behaviour, the observational approach in social enquiry
involves the surveillance and explanation of participant’s conduct. This type of qualitative
research method is not restricted to the coverage of subject's observation but inclusion of
ethnography and field work research. In observational research, researchers apply variable
control over the environment that observational activities occur, which in turn translate to a
meeting point between highly controlled approach of experimental design and the less structure
method of conducting interviews.

5.0 Documentary Research

In contrary to other physical sciences like biology, chemistry and physics, social science focus
on the inquiry about social entities that are autonomous and possess mental capabilities which
make them to produce artefacts by documenting their behaviour, feelings, ideas and
understanding about phenomenon (Payne & Payne, 2004). Bailey as cited in Mogalakwe (2006)
stated that the application of documentary research methods involves exploration of documents
that comprises information the issue under investigation.

Documentary research method has served as add-on to conventional social research methods in
the past, as well tagging this research method with certified librarians, info-science gurus, and
historians (Mogalakwe, 2006).

However, Appleton and Cowley (1997) gave the justification for documentary research method
as it has tendencies to be impartial because the documents are gathered generally for several
usages.

5.1 Merits and Demerits of Documentary Research

Merits Demerits
Data is readily available. Its restricted to data availability
Low-cost and economical form of data Discrepancies in original material
Save time Bias - ‘selective deposit’
‘Non-reactivity’-records unbiased by data Bias - ‘selective survival’ – missing or
collection process. incomplete data
Data collection can be done by proxy Total document or part of document?
It assist in research problem and or hypothesis Data studied out of context.
formulation
Preparation before analysis
Source: Modified from Appleton & Cowley (1997), Table 1.
6.0 Qualitative Content Analysis

Data analysis is regarded as an essential and energetic procedure for recognizing and knitting
together of the evolving subjects, fundamental concepts or components of connotation and
material gotten from academic writings. Thorne (2000) stated that it is undebatable that the most
complicated aspect of qualitative research methods is data analysis and this area has witnessed
little concentration in academic discourse. The complexity of qualitative content analysis is
dependent on the volume of data gathered, the researcher's task to perform a profound dissection,
and provide the results in a brief but comprehensive and logical manner (Clifford as cited in
Mohajan, 2018).

Qualitative content appears in several means such as transcripts from open ended questions,
structured, semi-structured interviews, observation, and focused groups that are exploratory in
nature.

6.1 Analytic Strategies for Qualitative Data

According to Thorne (2000), the descriptive analysis of the general processes or systems and
differences of all qualitative content analysis approaches goes beyond the confinement of small
academic literature. However, the researcher added that a comprehensive appraisal of the
theoretical norms that are essential to several common strategies will illuminate the researcher
intentions with reference to gathering, sorting, conceptualization and interpretation of data.

Neuman (2014) added that there are seven strategies that researchers can choose from to dissect
qualitative data, and these strategies are; (1) ideal type, (2) successive approximation, (3)
illustrative method, (4) domain analysis, (5) analytic comparison, (6) narrative analysis, and (7)
negative case method.

Ideal Type

Ideal types model as developed by Max Weber are unadulterated norm that data are compared
against. Under ideal types, researcher can build an ideal type of a social process or correlation
and then engage in comparative analysis with respect to particular cases.

Successive Approximation
Successive approximation refers to a qualitative data analysis strategy that involves iteration
process by moving forward and backward between abstract concepts, theories, or models and
observed data with persistent polishing of data gathered.

Illustrative Method

Illustrative method is a qualitative data analysis strategy where theoretical concepts are treated

as empty boxes that particular empirical samples and descriptions will occupy. There are three
variations of illustrative strategy provided by Neuman (2014) and they are; Case clarification,
parallel demonstration, and pattern matching.

Domain Analysis

Domain Analysis as propounded by Spradley James, covers the cognitive anthropology examine
the correlation between culture and thought of human that has added immensely to the
qualitative content analysis. The researcher might examine the cultural aspect of human, in order
to confirm if they are shared, study how they are transfer among human as well as its correlation
with behaviours.

Analytic Comparison

Thorne (2000) referred to analytic comparison as “Constant Comparative Analysis”, while

linking it with grounded theory methodology was gradually developed from sociological theory
of symbolic interactionism that covers the comparison of a particular data with others that they
shared similarities or distinctions in order to come up with conceptualization of likely
correlations between those data. The researcher analytical questions such as "why is this
dissimilar from that?" and "how are these two connected?". The above listed qualitative content
analysis strategies (i.e. ideal type, successive approximation, the illustrative method, and domain
analysis) can be applied when analyzing qualitative content from one or many cases, while
analytic comparison focus on multiple cases.

Narrative Analysis

Narrative analysis is a qualitative content analysis strategy where data are dissected for the
provision of logical explanations and this can come from several means such as analytic
narrative, narrative explanation, narrative structural analysis, or sequence analysis.
This qualitative content analysis involves writing on ancient issues that showcase a story while
observing the sequence or order that events that people played essential roles.

Negative Case Method

As vigilant researcher takes cognizance of all evidences that are visible, the ones that are not
must not be sideline but must be critically examine under negative case method. This method
studies the situations where the findings are in contrary to common-sense expectations.

7.1 Conclusion

In order to acquire acquaintance on a research problem, McGrath as cited in Ahmed (2010)

claimed that there is absence of superlative research methodological strategy in as much as
qualitative research can sustain quantitative study.

From all the qualitative research methods under discussion, one can be tempted to pick a
particular method as the best while it is worthy of note that each methods possessed their
strengths and weaknesses. However, it is crystal clear that every qualitative research method has
processes that researchers must go through while designing content analysis strategy in every
social research.
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