A qualitative research may be generally defined as a study, which is conducted in a natural setting where the researcher, an instrument of data collection, gathers words or pictures, analyzes them inductively, focuses on the meaning of participants, and describes a process that is both expressive and persuasive in language.
Creswell (1998) defines qualitative study as:
“Qualitative research is
an inquiry process of understanding based on distinct methodological traditions
of inquiry that explore a social or human problem. The researcher builds a complex, holistic picture, analyzes words,
report detailed views of informants, and conducts the study in a natural
setting.”
Qualitative research should not be viewed as an easy substitute for a “statistical” or quantitative study. It demands a commitment to an extensive time in the field, engagement in the complex, time-consuming process of data analysis, writing of long passages, and participation in a form of social and human science research that does not have firm guidelines or specific procedures and is evolving and changing constantly. For reasons why one could conduct qualitative research, click here.
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Last revised: May 14, 2000