What are the system’s boundaries and interrelationships, and how do these affect perspectives about how and why the system functions as it does?
Qualitative Research Methods Matrix
Submit in Week 2
| Approach | Disciplinary Roots | Focus of Central Research Question | Unique Terminology | Primary Data Sources | Sampling Issues | Analysis Plan Guidelines | References |
| Basic Qualitative Inquiry | Philosophy, history constructionism, phenomenology | · How can the experience of [an event, circumstance, program, a context] be described or explored?
· What is the meaning of [a process, program, or event] to the target individual(s) of interest? · What “practical” knowledge can be learned? |
Use of the words “describe,” “explore,” “experience,” and “meaning” in title and research questions | Interviews | Choice is a function of the question | Content analysis is a good choice as it is generic and exploratory | Elo et al., 2014 Merriam, 2009
Saldana, 2016 Worthington, 2013 |
| Qualitative Case Study | |||||||
| Grounded Theory and Realism | Emergence of theory, inductive, theoretical sampling, constant comparison, open coding, axial coding, saturation, memo writing | ||||||
| Phenomenology and Heuristic Inquiry | What is the meaning, structure, and essence of the lived experience of this phenomenon for this person or group of people?
What is my experience of this phenomenon and the essential experience of others who also experience this phenomenon intensely? |
Submit in Week 3
| Approach | Disciplinary Roots | Focus of Central Research Question | Unique Terminology | Primary Data Sources | Sampling Issues | Analysis Plan Guidelines | References |
| Social Constructivism and Narrative Inquiry | Select individuals who have directly experienced the phenomenon of interest | ||||||
| Systems Theory | How and why does this system as a whole function as it does?
What are the system’s boundaries and interrelationships, and how do these affect perspectives about how and why the system functions as it does? |
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| Ethnography and Autoethnography | Ellis, Adams & Bochner, 2011
Hoey, 2014 Rose, 1993 |
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| Interactive and Participatory Qualitative Applications | Action research, co-researcher, participant-researcher, learning organization, dialogue, appreciative inquiry |
The italics text indicates example response.
Modified from Patton, M.Q. (2014). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications
