"Qualitative research is a type of research that aims to gather and analyse non-numerical (descriptive) data in order to gain an understanding of individuals' social reality."
This topic covers the various qualitative research methods used in communication research, such as interviews, focus group discussions, and ethnography.
Qualitative research overview: An introduction to the nature of qualitative research, its principles, methods, and data collection techniques.
Epistemological and ontological perspectives: A discussion on the different ways of understanding the relationship between the researcher and the researched, and the nature of reality.
Ethical considerations: A discussion of ethical challenges in qualitative research, including informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, and power dynamics.
Research design: Various research design approaches to collecting and analyzing data systematically, such as case studies, ethnography, grounded theory, content analysis, and discourse analysis.
Sampling: Techniques to choose participants, such as purposive sampling, snowball sampling, and theoretical sampling.
Data collection methods: A comprehensive coverage of techniques for collecting data such as participant observation, interviews, focus groups, and document analysis.
Data analysis: Techniques such as content analysis, discursive analysis, narrative analysis, and interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Validity and reliability: The different types of validity in qualitative research, including internal, external, construct, and face validity, and issues around reliability.
Writing research reports: Writing up research and discussing how the findings relate to the research questions.
Mixed methods research: An overview of techniques for combining qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods in research.
Reflexivity and positionality: An exploration of how the researcher’s positionality and reflexivity may impact the research process and findings.
Research ethics committees and policy: Understanding the role of committees in approving and monitoring research projects, including the procedures for applying for ethical approval.
Current trends and emerging issues in qualitative research, including digital media research, visual research, and internet-mediated research.: Current trends and emerging issues in qualitative research encompass the exploration of new methodologies and strategies in studying communication phenomena, such as the integration of digital media, visual methods, and internet-mediated approaches.
Focus groups: In this method, a group of people are brought together to discuss a particular topic or issue. Their interactions and opinions are recorded and analyzed to derive insights.
In-depth interviews: This method involves one-on-one interviews with participants to elicit information about their experiences, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs about a particular topic.
Participant observation: This involves researchers immersing themselves in a particular environment, community, or culture to observe and understand the social dynamics and communication patterns within the group.
Ethnography: This is a type of participant observation that involves studying the culture of a particular group or society to understand their values, beliefs, and norms.
Case studies: This method involves an in-depth analysis of a particular event, situation, organization, or group.
Content analysis: This is a systematic examination of written, spoken, or visual communication to identify patterns and themes in the data.
Narrative analysis: This is a method of interpreting stories and narratives to uncover their underlying meaning and significance.
Discourse analysis: This involves the study of language use in social contexts, such as conversations or media communication, to understand the power dynamics and ideologies at play.
Phenomenology: This is a qualitative research method that seeks to understand people's subjective experiences and how they make sense of the world around them.
Grounded theory: This method involves the systematic analysis of data to generate theories or hypotheses about a particular phenomenon.
"...non-numerical (descriptive) data..."
"...attitudes, beliefs, and motivation."
"This type of research typically involves in-depth interviews, focus groups, or observations..."
"...data that is rich in detail and context."
"Qualitative research is often used to explore complex phenomena or to gain insight into people's experiences and perspectives on a particular topic."
"It is particularly useful when researchers want to understand the meaning that people attach to their experiences or when they want to uncover the underlying reasons for people's behavior."
"Qualitative methods include ethnography, grounded theory, discourse analysis, and interpretative phenomenological analysis."
"Qualitative research methods have been used in sociology, anthropology, political science, psychology, communication studies, social work, folklore, educational research, information science, and software engineering research."