Introduction
Examining some definitions from the literature is our first step in trying to answer the ‘what is qualitative research’ question. We will then expand on each and draw out some of the key thoughts.
Definitions
The first definition comes from Strauss & Corbin:
‘… any kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification.’
More of a ‘what qualitative research is not’ approach, it does highlight the first obvious distinction between qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative research is less concerned with measurement – frequency, duration, time, height and so on. These categories can play a part but are not the primary focus of what we are about.
Next we have Sumner in 2006 suggesting:
‘Qualitative research uses a range of methods to focus on the meanings and interpretation of social phenomena and social processes in the particular context in which they occur.’
There are two ideas here to draw out.
The first is the focus on meanings and interpretation. Qualitative researchers are especially interested in how we ascribe meaning to our interactions with each other and society and its institutions. The understandings we develop are influenced by past events and in turn, influence future interactions. They have an impact on who we believe and value, groups we wish to be a part of or reject.
The second thought is context. Since we are born into community and live our lives in some relation to others (even if these ‘others’ are rejected at some point), qualitative researchers understand the context of these interactions to be important. We will go into more detail in the next post.
Writing from a business perspective, our third definition from Eriksson & Kovalainen suggests that:
‘Qualitative business research gives a researcher an opportunity to focus on the complexity of business-related phenomena in their contexts.’
The key point in this definition is complexity. Qualitative researchers are interested in describing, mapping, understanding all the intertwining threads of a social situation. What motivates people, what influences them? Why do they choose this or that approach and not some other one? Why did this approach succeed here and fail over there? Rarely is a single answer sufficient to answer questions like these. Human interactions can be complex.
Finally, we have Schwandt suggest that many scholars use qualitative inquiry as a
‘… blanket designation for all forms of social inquiry that rely primarily on qualitative data (i.e., data in the form of words) … may broadly mean that it aims at understanding the meaning of human action.’
The types and nature of data qualitative researchers collect is different to what often characterises quantitative data. Researchers will often talk about texts in qualitative approaches. Simply put, a text is anything that we can ascribe meaning to or take meaning from. This is not just words, but may be images, icons, film and so on. A topic we will explore in more detail here.
Summary
Looking at these definitions has given us a few clues on the nature of qualitative research. Firstly, the main focus is not measurement.
Secondly, meanings and interpretations are important as is the context they occur in.
Thirdly, qualitative researchers are interested in human interactions in all their complexity and richness.
Finally, the definitions gave us some clues to the nature of qualitative data. Most importantly text. Text is words certainly, but also images, icons and anything we can ascribe meaning to or take meaning from.
Next: Key Features
Back to “Start Here.”
References
Eriksson, P. & Kovalainen, A. (2008). Introducing Qualitative Methods: Qualitative methods in business research. London, UK: SAGE Publications Ltd doi: 10.4135/9780857028044
Schwandt, T. A. (2007). The SAGE dictionary of qualitative inquiry Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd doi: 10.4135/9781412986281
Strauss, A and Corbin, J. (1990) Basics of Qualitative Research. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd
Sumner, M. (2006) Qualitative Research. In V. Jupp (Ed.) The Sage dictionary of social research methods (pp. 248-249). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd