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Questions and Answers
What is the primary concern of research?
What is the primary concern of research?
What does ontology focus on in the context of research?
What does ontology focus on in the context of research?
According to the concept of conceptualisations, what do people give to things?
According to the concept of conceptualisations, what do people give to things?
What is the relationship between theory, methodology, and methods?
What is the relationship between theory, methodology, and methods?
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What is the primary challenge in developing a universally agreed meaning for things?
What is the primary challenge in developing a universally agreed meaning for things?
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What is the outcome of critically distinguishing qualitative research as a research paradigm from other research paradigms?
What is the outcome of critically distinguishing qualitative research as a research paradigm from other research paradigms?
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Which of the following characteristics is NOT a feature of qualitative research?
Which of the following characteristics is NOT a feature of qualitative research?
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What is the primary goal of descriptive research in qualitative research?
What is the primary goal of descriptive research in qualitative research?
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Which philosophical approach in qualitative research views reality as multifaceted, subjective, and mentally constructed by individuals?
Which philosophical approach in qualitative research views reality as multifaceted, subjective, and mentally constructed by individuals?
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What is the primary focus of exploratory research in qualitative research?
What is the primary focus of exploratory research in qualitative research?
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Which philosophical approach in qualitative research rejects the idea of a fixed, universal, and eternal foundation of reality?
Which philosophical approach in qualitative research rejects the idea of a fixed, universal, and eternal foundation of reality?
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What is the primary characteristic of critical theory in qualitative research?
What is the primary characteristic of critical theory in qualitative research?
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Which aspect of qualitative research is focused on how humans arrange themselves and their settings?
Which aspect of qualitative research is focused on how humans arrange themselves and their settings?
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What is the primary goal of philosophical/theoretical research in qualitative research?
What is the primary goal of philosophical/theoretical research in qualitative research?
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Which aspect of qualitative research is characterized by its inductive nature?
Which aspect of qualitative research is characterized by its inductive nature?
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Which philosophical approach in qualitative research overlaps with interpretivism?
Which philosophical approach in qualitative research overlaps with interpretivism?
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Study Notes
Introducing Qualitative Research
- Research methods are tools used to collect data, and research is concerned with truth and how to find it.
- Ontology deals with the question "What is truth?", while epistemology deals with the question "How can we find or get to know the truth?"
Concepts in Qualitative Research
- Conceptualisations refer to different strands of qualitative research that identify how research defines and comes to know the truth.
- People give meaning to things, which can differ by culture, age, gender, and context, making it difficult to develop a universally agreed meaning.
Methods, Methodology, and Paradigms
- Figure 4.1 illustrates the concept of theory, methodology, and methods in research.
- Qualitative researchers use theories through the process of methodology to develop a research method.
Definition of Qualitative Research
- Qualitative research uses words or pictures rather than numerical data and focuses on meaning-based data analysis.
- It involves naturalistic settings, focuses on human interactions, and uses open-ended questions.
- Qualitative research is attentive to all aspects of the research process and is inductive in nature.
Types of Research Approaches in Qualitative Research
- Descriptive research aims to describe a group of people or phenomena and asks "What?" research questions.
- Exploratory research explores a topic when little is known about it and may work towards developing a theory based on the data (grounded theory).
- Philosophical/theoretical research attempts to explain the cause and effect of human behavior and understands that human life is complex and interdependent.
Understanding the Philosophical Grounding of Qualitative Research
- Ontology deals with the question "What is reality?"
- Postpositivism views reality as multifaceted, subjective, and mentally constructed by individuals.
- Interpretivism understands human life as only being understood from within and views the human mind as the source of meaning.
- Symbolic interactionism overlaps with interpretivism, attaching meaning to objects or phenomena, which affects our interactions.
- Critical theory views social reality as created on an ongoing basis and understands identity as formed within the political and power field of knowledge.
- Postmodernism rejects the emphasis on rational discovery and views "facts" and "values" as interactive.
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Description
Learn about qualitative research as a research paradigm, its emerging debates, and how to formulate your own stance based on ontological and epistemological considerations in this chapter.