16 Questions
What is the primary concern of research?
To find truth and understand how to obtain it
What does ontology focus on in the context of research?
What is truth
According to the concept of conceptualisations, what do people give to things?
Meaning
What is the relationship between theory, methodology, and methods?
Theory is used to develop a methodology, which is then used to develop a method
What is the primary challenge in developing a universally agreed meaning for things?
The fact that meaning can differ by culture, age, gender, and context
What is the outcome of critically distinguishing qualitative research as a research paradigm from other research paradigms?
The ability to formulate a stance based on ontological and epistemological considerations
Which of the following characteristics is NOT a feature of qualitative research?
Use of numerical data
What is the primary goal of descriptive research in qualitative research?
To describe a group of people or phenomena
Which philosophical approach in qualitative research views reality as multifaceted, subjective, and mentally constructed by individuals?
Postpositivism
What is the primary focus of exploratory research in qualitative research?
To explore a topic when there is limited knowledge about it
Which philosophical approach in qualitative research rejects the idea of a fixed, universal, and eternal foundation of reality?
Postmodernism
What is the primary characteristic of critical theory in qualitative research?
Focusing on the social and political structures that shape reality
Which aspect of qualitative research is focused on how humans arrange themselves and their settings?
Focus on how humans arrange themselves and their settings
What is the primary goal of philosophical/theoretical research in qualitative research?
To explain the cause and effect of human behavior
Which aspect of qualitative research is characterized by its inductive nature?
Starting from specific cases to develop broader generalizations
Which philosophical approach in qualitative research overlaps with interpretivism?
Symbolic interactionism
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.
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.
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