Main Types of Qualitative Research

Attempts to shed light on a phenomena by studying indepth a single

Case study case example of the phenomena. The case can be an individual
person, an event, a group, or an institution.

Theory is developed inductively from a corpus of data acquired by a

Grounded theory
participant-observer.

Describes the structures of experience as they present themselves to

Phenomenology consciousness, without recourse to theory, deduction, or assumptions
from other disciplines

Focuses on the sociology of meaning through close field observation of

Ethnography sociocultural phenomena. Typically, the ethnographer focuses on a
community.

Systematic collection and objective evaluation of data related to past

occurrences in order to test hypotheses concerning causes, effects, or
Historical
trends of these events that may help to explain present events and
anticipate future events. (Gay, 1996)

Main Types of Qualitative Data Collection & Analysis

"Those who are not familiar with qualitative methodology may be surprised by the sheer volume of data and the detailed
level of analysis that results even when research is confined to a small number of subjects" (Myers, 2002).

There are three main methods of data collection:

People asked to verbally described their experiences of

Interactive interviewing
phenomenon.

People asked to write descriptions of their experiences of

Written descriptions by participants
phenomenon.

Descriptive observations of verbal and non-verbal

Observation
behavior.

Analysis begins when the data is first collected and is used to guide decisions related to further data collection.

"In communicating--or generating--the data, the researcher must make the process of the study accessible and write
descriptively so tacit knowledge may best be communicated through the use of rich, thick descriptions" (Myers, 2002).

The ultimate aim of qualitative research is to offer a perspective of a situation and provide well-written research reports
that reflect the researcher's ability to illustrate or describe the corresponding phenomenon. One of the greatest strengths
of the qualitative approach is the richness and depth of explorations and descriptions."

- Myers (2002)

There are four (4) main types of quantitative designs: descriptive, correlational, quasi-experimental, and experimental.
The research design is the structure of a scientific work. A good research design will obviously describe the strategy to be
employed for choosing samples, collecting data, managing costs along with other factors which are important for conducting
research.

The research methods which are employed and purpose of the research can also be utilized to classify the different types
of research designs. The method you select will influence your results and the way you conclude the findings. The majority
of researchers are curious about getting reliable observations which can help the understanding of a phenomenon. There
are different research designs that are utilized in research, all with certain benefits and drawbacks. Which one the
researcher employs, is dependent upon the goals of the study and the nature of the phenomenon. It is dependent on
following factors:
Exactly what information are you interested in? The objectives of the study.+
The type of the phenomenon Is it possible to gather the data, and if so, will it be valid/reliable?
How trustworthy should the information be?
Is it ethical to carry out the research?
The expense of the design
Is there little or much existing scientific theory and materials on the subject?
What are the Different Types of Research Designs Methods ?
It is crucial that you select a suitable research design before any research is started. Various types can be classified as:
1. Historical Research Design The idea is to gather, validate, synthesize evidence to establish facts which defend or
oppose your hypothesis. It makes use of primary sources, secondary sources, and a lot of qualitative data sources for
example logs, diaries, official data, reports, and so on. The issue is that the sources need to be both authentic and valid.
2. Case Study: It is an in-depth investigation of a specific research problem as opposed to a sweeping statistical survey. It
is usually employed to limit a very wide area of research into one or a few easily research-able examples. The case study
research design can also be helpful for testing whether a particular theory and model actually pertains to phenomena in real
life. It is a useful design if not much is known about a phenomenon.
3. Descriptive research: Descriptive research includes much government backed research such as the population census,
the gathering of a broad range of social indicators and economic information for example household expenditure patterns,
time use studies, employment and crime statistics.
4. Causal Design: Causality research could be regarded as understanding a phenomenon with regards to conditional
statements in the form, If A, then B. This kind of research is utilized to determine what affect a certain change may have
on present norms and assumptions. The majority of social scientists seek causal explanations which reflect tests of
hypotheses. Causal effect takes place when variation in one phenomenon, an independent variable, results in, on average,
in variation in another phenomenon, the dependent variable.
5. Longitudinal Research Design: A longitudinal study consists of a panel, which is a fixed sample of elements. The
elements could be shops, retailers, individuals, or other entities. The panel, or sample, stays relatively constant over time,
despite the fact that members may be added to replace dropouts or to keep it representative. The sample members in a
panel are calculated regularly over time, in contrast with the one-time measurement in a cross-sectional study.
6. Cross-Sectional Design: Cross-sectional research designs have 3 exclusive features: no time dimension, a reliance
upon present differences rather than change following intervention; and, groups are chosen according to existing
differences as opposed to random allocation. The cross-sectional design can only measure differences between or from
among a number of people, subjects, or phenomena instead of change. As a result, researchers employing this design can
only use a relative passive approach to making causal inferences based on findings.
7. Correlation or Prospective Research Design: It tries to discover relationships to make predictions. It uses one set of
subjects with a couple of variables for each.
8. Cohort Design: A cohort study is a research program looking into a specific group with a certain trait, and observes over
a period of time. A few examples of cohorts may be those who have taken a certain medicine, or have a medical problem.
9. Observational Design: This kind of research design draws a conclusion by evaluating subjects against a control group,
in situations where the researcher doesnt have control over the experiment. There are a couple of general types of
observational designs. In direct observations, people realize that you are watching them. Unobtrusive measures include any
way of studying behavior where individuals have no idea they are being observed. An observational study allows a good
insight into a phenomenon and eliminates the ethical and practical complications of establishing a large and cumbersome
research project.
10. Experimental Research Design: This design is best suited in controlled settings for example labs. The design
assumes random assignment of subjects and random assignment to groups (A and C). It tries to investigate cause and
affect associations where causes could be manipulated to generate different types of effects. Due to the requirement of
random assignment, this design can be challenging to carry out in the real world (non laboratory) setting.
11. Philosophical Design: This method makes use of the tools of argumentation based on philosophical traditions,
concepts, models, and theories to critically explore and challenge, for instance, the relevance of logic and evidence in
academic debates, to evaluate arguments about fundamental problems, or to discuss the cause of existing discourse about
a research problem.
Watch a Video on Different Types of Research Designs
12. Explanatory Research: It concentrates on why questions. For instance, it is one thing to describe the crime rate in a
nation, to analyze trends over time or to compare the rates in various countries. It is quite a different thing to develop
explanations regarding why the criminal activity rate is as high as it is, why some kinds of crime are growing or why the rate
is higher in some nations than in others.
Research design provides direction and systematizes the research. The research design details the real research problem
and the process for solving it.
The objective of a research design is to make certain that evidence obtained allows you to successfully address the
research problem as unambiguously as possible. Various types of research design methods have distinct pros and cons.

https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/tutorials/researchdesigns

Basic Research Designs

This module will introduce the basics of choosing an appropriate research design and the key factors that must be
considered.

Learning Objectives
Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Identify whether or research project is qualitative or quantitative in nature.
List the key factors that must be considered when choosing a research design.
Once the research question has been formulated, it is critical that the researcher select the appropriate research
methodology to answer the question. The type of research question will typically dictate the methodology that will be
employed. The reliability and validity of the results depends on upon proper selection of the research approach and design.

Forms of Research
Research is a systematic inquiry used to describe, explain, predict or control some observed phenomenon - the research
topic. Research can be classified into four main forms based on the specific purpose:

Basic Research - This research is descriptive in nature and is used to understand and explain a phenomenon. This
type of research is often conducted for the sake of increasing and advancing a knowledge base.
Applied Research - The purpose of this research is to provide information that can be used and applied in an effort to
help people understand and control their environment. This type of research is more prescriptive in nature and seeks
to offer potential solutions to problems.
Evaluation Research - The purpose of evaluation research is to examine the processes and outcomes associated
with a particular solution to a problem. The research may be formative in that it attempts to improve the intervention
or solution or it may be summative and attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of solution or program.
Action Research - This research is often conducted within a program, organization or community and the researchers
are involved in gathering data and studying themselves.
Regardless of the purpose of the research, the process is similar. Researchers begin by selecting a broad research topic
and conducting a literature review to build up the researcher's knowledge base and to ensure the significance of the
research. The researcher will then develop a research problem related to the topic and create a specific question. The
research design will then be developed and the procedures for analyzing the data will be identified. The results of the
research will hopefully lend themselves to the publication of a scholarly article.

Quantitative and Qualitative Designs

There are two main approaches to a research problem - quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative methods are
used to examine the relationship between variables with the primary goal being to analyze and represent that relationship
mathematically through statistical analysis. This is the type of research approach most commonly used in scientific
research problems. Qualitative methods are chosen when the goal of the research problem is to examine, understand and
describe a phenomenon. These methods are a common choice in social science research problems and are often used to
study ideas, beliefs, human behaviors and other research questions that do not involve studying the relationship between
variables. Once the main approach to the research problem has been determined, there are several research designs for
each type of approach that may be considered.

Choosing a Design
The following table lists and describes the most common research designs used at Grand Canyon University. Different
research books will use different terms for similar types of research. However, the research designs identified in this
document are fairly common in terms of their use and their terminology.

Types of Research Designs

Quantitative Designs Qualitative Designs

Design Focus Design Focus

Correlational Explore the relationship between two
or more variables through a
correlational analysis. The intent is to
determine if and to what degree the
variables are related. It does not
imply one causes the other.
Case Study Intent is to study and
understand a single situation,
And Historical which could be a leader, a
classroom, a process,
program, activity. Collect a
variety of material in a specific
and bounded time
period. This is also used for
historical studies, when
collecting historical data to
 understand and learn from the
past.

Causal Compare two groups with the intent Narrative Describe the lives of
Comparative of understanding the reasons or individual(s) to get meaning
causes for the two groups being from them.
different.

Experimental Test an idea, treatment, program to
see if it makes a difference. There is
a control group and a test group.
Individuals are randomly assigned to
the two groups. One group gets the
treatment (test group) and the other
group (control group) does not get
the treatment. There is a pre and
post-test for both groups in a
traditional experimental design.
Grounded Theory The focus is to develop an
understanding of a
phenomenon or situation in
order to be able to develop a
theory/model for items such
as factors, a form of
interaction, or a process.

Quasi- It is the same as experiment in that Phenomenology Studies a human experience

experimental there is a control and test group. at an experiential level such
However, current groups are used as as understanding what it
is rather than randomly assigning means for a woman to lose a
people to the two groups. Both child. It is about
groups receive the pre and post- test understanding the essence or
in a traditional design. meaning of the experience.

Mixed Research Designs

A mixed research design involves having both a quantitative design and qualitative design. Mixed designs is the
best approach if the study requires both quantitative and qualitative designs to address the problem statement.

Mixed design studies take significantly more time, more resources, and require the researcher to develop expertise
in qualitative analysis techniques and quantitative analysis techniques. Qualitative studies can use numbers,
counts and even descriptive statistics. Using numbers does not mean the study has to be quantitative or mixed
methods.

Version: May 2, 2012