Qualitative Methods in Social Research - Essay Example

The social scientists are known to apply different research methodologies for different types of research, usually depending on the and area of concern. The major objective of all types of researches is to assess the impact of issues or facts on the people, either directly or indirectly. The various approaches to research are therefore important to identify, so to reach to a comparatively accurate results or outcome for the given research question or aim. Where quantitative research methodology would be appropriate for validating scientific theory, the issues and subjects that may be influenced by the emotion and feelings of the masses are generally more suitable for qualitative research methodologies. It is therefore surprising that even though, both the types of researches have their own specific relevance, qualitative research methodology sometimes seems to become less reliable, especially in terms of its validation by a small number of data as compared to the quantitative research which is backed by a large ‘number’. Qualitative research is a very important tool for evaluating trends and behavioural pattern of the people who are in a position to influence a set of defined parameters or vice versa. It is also a very means to analyse how the changes occur in our social lives and how and what the factors that affect our decisions are. It is especially true in the case of gauging trends in consumer behaviour or trying to evaluate public leaning to a political ideology or a burning political issue. It is the reason that social scientists use this methodology to go deeper into the emotional psyche of the public’s moods and attitude and thus try to identify the root cause for their current trends. Consequently, the numbers become irrelevant for the researchers and the emotions and feelings that dictate the attitudes and views of the public becomes primary criteria to the final selection of the research methodology. Hence main features and methodologies of the qualitative research would be discussed in detail so that we can come to some concrete decision regarding the usefulness and reliability of the qualitative methods. Main features of qualitative research The qualitative research is based on ‘grounded theory’ where the qualitative analysis of the data is used for generating theories that reflect the realities of life. Social scientists are therefore more inclined to use this type of research so that social changes and real life situations could be predicted with relative accuracy at unpredictable and unexpected circumstances. The generation and testing of such theories in areas that are defined by differentiation and polarisation have not only yielded results but the improvisation and further researches have been carried forward in these area in successive years which have strengthened the beliefs on qualitative research. Hargreaves (1967) and Lacey (1970), conducted qualitative research in secondary modern school and a grammar school respectively and generated a theory that suggested that students were differentiated by their abilities and then polarisation of attitude occurred. Abraham (1989), found that though polarisation occurred but there were more factors like career pressure, peer pressure, subjects option etc. which had considerable influence in polarising the students views. Hence it was easier for social scientists to build on the works of the previous researches so that a wider perspective and understanding could be reached in the changing social settings. Then again, some researchers believe that a detailed description of the emotional state of people is necessary for understanding the quality of social life. This detailed description is often referred as ‘thick description’ and may contain radical ideas and concepts which could facilitate better understanding of the issues under study. ‘It establishes the significance of an experience, or the sequence of events, for the person or persons in question. ‘In thick description the voices, feelings, actions and meanings of interacting individuals are heard’. (Denzin, 1989, p. 83). Another salient feature of this research is that it is conducted under natural environment where real life situations are the focus of the study and no assumptions or presumptions are made. The researchers are inclined to get deeply involved into the natural setting so as to better understand the complex nature of social life and the behavioral pattern of the subjects. Social life has many layers of meaning (Berger, 1966, p. 34), and the researcher must lift veils (Blumer, 1976, p. 15) to decipher the deepest meaning and interpret them in the right context. Methods of qualitative analysis Qualitative analysis comprises of a number of methods that are required so that a comprehensive understanding of social life and the factors that influence the attitude and behavioural pattern can be explored in detail. The following methods facilitate the analysis. Observation It is one of the most important methods of qualitative research as it gives the researcher a first hand opportunity to understand the real life situation of the subject. Researchers prefer to follow systemic observation where observation schedule is made according to predetermined criteria of the behaviour of the subjects. This allays the fear that he may get confused with hordes of other issues that might clash with his primary objective. With specific categories to observe, reliability is enhanced and the chances of misrepresentation is also reduced. Interviews It is another method that helps in understanding the subject’s innermost thoughts. Informal interview creates an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect that establishes the rapport which in turn prompts the subject to freely express his views and thoughts facilitating better understanding of the attitudes and behaviour of the subject. Active listener is another important aspect of the researcher. An informal chat can be followed by a focussed and structured interview that could give specific reaction of the subject on identified areas. Sampling It is highly crucial part of qualitative research mainly because the research is time consuming and relies primarily on interactive sessions and therefore sample needs to be small but the target group or the sample must encompass the essential factors and features to fulfil the basic criteria of the research. Hence, samples must be taken from different settings and situations keeping in mind the basic criteria. Representative sampling is difficult to identify so special care is required to include other factors like different time and different place that could help provide a wider scope of accuracy and efficiency to the sample. Because of the exploratory nature of the research, sampling becomes one of the most significant factors and therefore a judicious selection of sample becomes the mainstay of the research. Documents They are important for the research as the researcher needs to jot down the various observation and highlights of the interview. The documents in the research can be classified into two main groups. The official documents normally relate with the details that are designed to throw some light on the character and behaviour of the focussed group. It may include the registers, minutes of the meetings, timetable, newspapers and journals, confidential reports, files and statistics, letters etc. that may provide broader understanding of the character of the subjects. It must be understood that these documents do not necessarily provide information about the subject but the researcher must be able to conceptualise the details under the predefined situations to understand the broader perspectives. They are also needed to reconstruct events and decipher their social interactions with others. For example, Burgess (1985), found official letters indispensable in the course of his study giving a self evaluation of the subject. Personal documents refer to the documents that the subjects make for their own personal use like diaries, art book or sketch books, letters, notes etc. Though difficult to get, these types of personal documents are decisive in their content and disclose the innermost thoughts of the subjects. Diaries specially are important personal documents in qualitative research but utmost care must be taken to interpret the sometimes radical views of the subjects. Therefore the researcher must ascertain the basis and motivation under which it was written. Though intrinsic parts of quantitative research, questionnaires are not integral part of qualitative research and may constitute a form of document. They are sometimes used when there is need to explore the reasons for certain predefined facts and views, that seem to exert some influence on the overall public. Validity It is not the main concern of the qualitative research as the main purpose of the researcher is the deeper understanding of the views and thoughts of the persons rather than validation. According to Harry Wolcott (1994) ‘What I seek is something else, a quality that points more to identifying critical elements and wringing plausible interpretations from them, something one can pursue without becoming obsessed with finding the right or ultimate answer, the correct version, the Truth’. (Ibid. pp. 366-7). Therefore, in qualitative research, validity or authenticity normally depends on the following; The researcher does not disturb the natural settings of the subjects and wins their confidence so they are able to react naturally and express their opinions freely. The researcher is able to clearly understand the delicate nuances of the subjects under study and has correctly interpreted their experiences, problems and feelings. This can be validated if the researcher gives the detailed account to the subjects and ask them for their views on his interpretations. If their opinion corroborates with that of researcher’s, he has captured the subjects’ feelings correctly and is likely to come to correct research outcome. Usage of the concept of triangulation in the research methods that combines more than one method to explore the issue. When different perspectives are added to the same issue or primary focus, there is higher probability of accuracy and depth in the analysis of the issue. Sometimes using more than one researcher for the same research helps to identify the differences that may require closer inspection of the data and more visits and interaction with the subjects for further clarifications thus giving more teeth to the development of the new theory. Ethics Ethical consideration is most prominent part of the qualitative research. The covert and overt dimension of the research where the subjects’ right to privacy and the public’s right to know, clash over the ethical issues. The delicate line between the two is often contentious and it is important that the researcher does not transgress his ethical boundary to commit any serious offence that might lead to criminal proceedings. The researcher must at all times, remember that confidence building and mutual trust are foundation for the generation of an authentic and socially relevant theory that must stand the test of time. As Dean says that ‘a person becomes accepted as a participant observer more because of the kind of person he turns out to be in the eyes of the field contacts than because of what the research represents to them. Field contacts want to be reassured that the research worker is a good guy and can be trusted not to do them dirt with what he finds out’. (1954, p. 233). Conclusion The qualitative research promotes an approach to the research area that deals primarily with the feelings of the target subjects and hence requires something more than numbers to evaluate the emotional impact of their feelings on the issues and factors which are under study. It is therefore a strong contender for research studies that must take human feelings and different criteria of social relationships into the account. The qualitative methods are comprehensive in their understanding of the social relationships and try to evaluate behavioural pattern of the people or target subjects so as to evolve new theories that can correctly interpret the social changes. They are, at the same time, designed to consolidate the perspectives and experiences of the subjects to portray and reflect the behavioural pattern that may determines the aims and objectives of the research. The reliability of the qualitative research cannot be doubted when conducted under ethically defined parameters and implemented with the same sincerity. The empirical data, collected under natural environment with contextualized interpretation of the same, within the given scenario and self validated by the subject, ensure a high degree of authenticity and usefulness in generating a social theory. Reference Abraham, J. (1989) ‘Testing Hargreaves’ and Lacey’s differentiation-polarisation theory in a settled comprehensive’. The British Journal of Sociology. 40, 1, 46-81. Berger, P. L. (1966) Invitation to Sociology. New York. Doubleday. Burgess, R.G. (1985) The Whole Truth? Some Ethical Problems of Research in the Comprehensive School,’ in Burgess, R.G. (ed.). Field Methods in the Study of Education, Lewes. Falmer Press. Blumer, H. (1976) ‘The methodological position of symbolic interactionism’ in Hammersley, M. and Woods, P. (eds) The Process of Schooling. London. Routledge and Kegan Paul. Dean, J. P.(1954) ‘Participant observation and interviewing’ in Doby, J., Suchman, E.A., McKinnet, J.C., Francis, R.G. and Dean,, J.P. (eds) An introduction to Social Research. Harrisburg. Pa., The Stackpole Co., pp. 225-252. Denzin, N. (1989) Interpretive Interactionism. London. Sage. Hargreaves, D.H. (1967) Social Relations in a Secondary School, London. Routledge and Kegan Paul. Lacey, C. (1970) Hightown Grammar. Manchester. Manchester University Press. Wolcott, H.F. (1994) Transforming Qualitative Data: description, analysis, and interpretation. London. Sage. Read More