Qualitative study designs

Qualitative Designs - The 'Why' & 'How'

• Goal: Explores the 'why' & 'how' of decisions and behaviors, not just 'what', 'where', or 'when'.
• Data: Non-numerical, descriptive data from interviews, observations, and focus groups.
• Core Methods:
  • Phenomenology: Focuses on the lived experience.
  • Grounded Theory: Develops a new theory from data.
  • Ethnography: Studies a culture/group in their natural setting.
• Endpoint: Reaches "data saturation" when no new themes emerge from data collection.

⭐ Key Limitation: Findings provide deep, contextual insights but are not generalizable to a wider population.

Core Approaches - The Four Flavors

• Phenomenology: Explores the "lived experience" of individuals regarding a specific phenomenon.

  • Goal: To understand and describe the essence of an experience from the participants' point of view.
  • Method: In-depth interviews, personal writings.

• Grounded Theory: Develops a new theory that is "grounded" in systematically collected and analyzed data.

  • Goal: Inductive theory generation.
  • Method: Constant comparative analysis during data collection (interviews, observation).

• Ethnography: Studies the culture and social organization of a group in their natural setting.

  • Goal: To create a rich, holistic description of a cultural group.
  • Method: Participant observation, immersion.

• Case Study: In-depth investigation of a single "case" (e.g., a patient, a program, an organization).

  • Goal: To gain deep understanding of a complex issue in its real-world context.

⭐ High-Yield: Unlike quantitative studies that seek generalizability, qualitative research uses purposive sampling to select information-rich cases that illuminate the research question.

Data Gathering - Talk, Watch, Analyze

• Interviews: One-on-one conversations to explore personal experiences in-depth.

  • Types: Unstructured (conversational) vs. Semi-structured (guided questions).
  • Best for: Sensitive topics, detailed individual perspectives.

• Focus Groups: Small group discussions (typically 6-10 people) led by a moderator.

  • Purpose: Gathers collective views, explores group norms and social dynamics.
  • ⚠️ Pitfall: Risk of "groupthink" where dominant personalities can sway the discussion.

• Observation (Ethnography): Researcher watches & records behavior in a natural setting.

  • Key challenge: Hawthorne effect (participants alter behavior because they are being watched).

⭐ Data Saturation: The key principle where data collection continues until no new themes or information emerge from participants. This signals an adequate sample size.

Trustworthiness - Is It Legit?

• Credibility: Confidence in the truth of the findings.

  • Quantitative parallel: Internal Validity.
  • Achieved via prolonged engagement with participants & triangulation.

• Transferability: Results can be applied to other contexts/settings.

  • Quantitative parallel: External Validity.
  • Requires a "thick description" of the study context.

• Dependability: Findings are consistent and repeatable.

  • Quantitative parallel: Reliability.
  • Ensured by an "audit trail" (detailed process documentation).

• Confirmability: Results are shaped by subjects, not researcher bias.

  • Quantitative parallel: Objectivity.

⭐ Triangulation-using multiple data sources, methods, or investigators to corroborate findings-is a cornerstone for establishing credibility.

High‑Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

• Qualitative studies explore the "why" and "how" of human experience, not causality or incidence.
• Methods include in-depth interviews, focus groups, and observation to gather rich, non-numerical data.
• Sampling is purposive, not random, selecting participants who offer deep insights into the research question.
• Data analysis is thematic, identifying recurring patterns until data saturation is reached.
• Key designs: phenomenology (lived experience), grounded theory (developing new theories), ethnography (cultural patterns).