Qualitative Methods

  1. What are some ways that qualitative research characteristics are fundamentally different from quantitative research?
  2. Think of a research topic of interest and potential qualitative study. Comment on your reflexivity as a researcher. What are your past experiences with the research problem, participants, or setting? How might those experiences influence your interpretations?
  3. Consider a research study you might conduct. What is the role of gatekeepers?
  4. To what extent do you think having data analysis in qualitative research goes hand-in-hand with data collection, and write-up of findings may cause confusion for the researcher?
  5. Discuss the relative merits of hand coding as opposed to using computer software when completing qualitative data analysis.