Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is a mode of inquiry, which aims to understand and describe phenomena.  In contrast to [Quantitative%20Research.ashx|quantitative research], qualitative research and assessment typically involve smaller, more focused samples, where the researcher analyzes subjects inside their contextual environment.
  
This research methodology is primarily used within the social sciences, and looks to investigate and understand the forces that guide human behavior.  Hence, it generally takes the form of case studies, observational analysis, and one-on-one interviews.
   
Qualitative research is founded in the naturalist pool of thought, which attempts to examine the environmental (and hereditary) influences of human behavior.  They tend to use the inductive scientific method which begins with specific observations and moves toward general conclusions. (1)

====Assumptions of qualitative research====
Some of the key philosophical assumptions of qualitative research are as follows.

* Reality is a social and subjective construct.
* Variables are too interwoven to measure, especially without a contextual framework.
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Since qualitative research aims to investigate and understand decision making, intentionality, and the variables within a contextual environment, researchers believe social theory can only be attained when the human instrument is immersed within the context of its subjects.  This is why the researcher will most often directly interview research subjects, hoping to gain insight into their personal context and the forces that guide their behavioral patterns.
  
Qualitative researchers, oftentimes those in the mental health field, will approach their subjects with empathy and partiality to elicit genuine responses. (1)

====The Qualitative Methodology====
Typically, qualitative researchers rely on four methods to collect data. 
 
* Participation in the setting
* Direct observation
* In-depth [Methods%20of%20Assessment%20Distribution.ashx?NoRedirect=1#Interviews_1|interviews]
* Analysis of documents and materials (6)

Other more specific qualitative approaches include [Methods%20of%20Assessment%20Distribution.ashx?NoRedirect=1#Focus_Groups_2|focus groups], mixed method, case studies, narratology, phenomenology, grounded theory practice, ethnography, and storytelling. (6)

====Qualitative Results====
Qualitative researchers usually do not acquire extensive research and documentation that they are able to graph numerically.  As such, their write-ups are vastly more descriptive than quantitative ones.  Within this write-up, qualitative researchers are responsible for conveying and translating the social theory they have witnessed to their peers.  Since this research methodology is largely contingent on the subjectivity and interaction of the researcher with the research subjects, the write-up is where they argue their theory and offer proof.

====Grounded theory====
Grounded theory was developed in the late 1960s by Barney Glaser and Anselm Straus.  It emerged at a time when qualitative research was deemed too unscientific, especially in the wake of quantitative popularity.  Grounded theory is a slightly more scientific method of identifying causal relationships within qualitative data than the more traditional approaches such as storytelling and ethnography.  Nonetheless, it was somewhat controversial when it first emerged onto the scientific scene, as it completely reverses the deductive process of the scientific method.
  
Grounded theory begins by analyzing a large corpus of data in the hope of finding and labeling specific contextual variables.  Oftentimes, since this approach is rooted in the qualitative method, data takes the form of fieldwork such as observational notes or diary entries.   From here, phenomena within the data are codified, and the codes are then analyzed for relationships.

The way in which codes are sorted and related also depends on the aim of the research.  The way in which a corpus of data is analyzed is also heavily contingent on the attitude and ability of the researcher, and known as “theoretical sensitivity.” The relationships among codes are used to generate theory.  Ideally, the generated theory will fit one set of data perfectly, primarily because it is created—ground up—from that very data. (7)
 
====Daily applications====
Theoretically, qualitative and quantitative research are at polar ends of the assessment spectrum. However, these methodologies are frequently used to supplement one another (mixed method).  Surveys, for example, which are often considered a quantitative tool, frequently include open-ended questions.  Since open-ended answers are not structured to elicit specific results, the process of interpreting and analyzing open text is, by nature, qualitative.

In higher-education assessment, particularly within student affairs, surveys are an increasingly popular tool.  However, there are several other assessment methods that are more qualitative in nature.  [Methods%20of%20Assessment%20Distribution.ashx?NoRedirect=1#Focus_Groups_2|Focus groups], [Methods%20of%20Assessment%20Distribution.ashx?NoRedirect=1#Interviews_1|interviews], and written reflections are all examples of qualitative methods.
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