{"id":165,"date":"2015-08-25T17:54:45","date_gmt":"2015-08-25T17:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/introductiontocommunication1xmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=165"},"modified":"2016-02-05T21:42:02","modified_gmt":"2016-02-05T21:42:02","slug":"qualitative-methods","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/alamo-introductiontocommunication-1\/chapter\/qualitative-methods\/","title":{"raw":"Qualitative Methods","rendered":"Qualitative Methods"},"content":{"raw":"Qualitative research methodologies draw much of their approach from the social sciences, particularly the fields of Anthropology, Sociology, and Social-Psychology. If you\u2019ve ever wished you could truly capture and describe the essence of an experience you have had, you understand the goal of qualitative research methods. Rather than statistically analyzing data, or evaluating and critiquing messages, qualitative researchers are interested in understanding the subjective lived-experience of those they study. In other words, how can we come to a more rich understanding of how people communicate?\r\n
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Steps for Doing Qualitative Research<\/b><\/h2>\r\nQualitative approaches break from traditional research ideals developed in the physical sciences. As a result, the steps for conducting qualitative research vary from the seven basic steps outlined above.\r\n
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  1. Planning is the first step for qualitative research. (Lindlof 176). You might want to study the communication of registered nurses. Obviously, the topic \u201cthe communication of registered nurses\u201d is too large so careful planning in regards to who should be the focus of study, in what context, what research questions should be asked, etc. are all part of the initial planning of research.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Getting in is the second step of qualitative research (Lindlof). Because qualitative research usually focuses on human communication in real-world settings, researchers must gain access to the people and contexts they wish to study. For example, would you want an audio or video recording of your interaction with a physician as you tell him\/her your medical problems (DiMatteo, Robinson, Heritage, Tabbarah, & Fox; Barry)?<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Observing and learning make up the third step of qualitative research. For example, researchers must decide whether or not to reveal themselves to those they are studying. A researcher may choose to conduct interviews, look at communication artifacts, observe communication as it occurs, write field-notes, and\/or audio or video record communication. Each of these choices has an impact on the outcomes of the research.<\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Analyze what you have observed. There are exhaustive methods for examining and analyzing qualitative data. Issues of right versus wrong ways of analysis can be addressed by recognizing that the goal of qualitative research is not to generalize findings to everyone, but to share the lived experiences of those who are researched.<\/li>\r\n\t
  5. Share conclusions of the research. Again, research should be shared with others so they can gain a greater understanding of the lived-experience of those researched.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nIn an attempt to define qualitative methods Thomas Lindlof states that qualitative research examines the \u201cform and content of human behavior\u2026to analyze its qualities, rather than subject it to mathematical or other formal transformations\u201d (21). Anderson and Meyer state that qualitative methods, \u201cdo not rest their evidence on the logic of mathematics, the principle of numbers, or the methods of statistical analysis\u201d (247). Dabbs says that qualitative research looks at the quality of phenomena while quantitative methods measure quantities and\/or amounts. In qualitative research researchers are interested in the, \u201cwhat, how, when, and where of a thing\u2026.[looking for] the meanings, concepts, definitions, characteristics, metaphors, symbols, and descriptions of things\u201d (Berg 2-3). Data collection comes in the form of words or pictures (Neuman 28). As Kaplan provides a very simple way of defining qualitative research when he says, \u201cif you can measure it, that ain\u2019t it\u201d (206).\r\n
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    Types of Qualitative Methods<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<\/div>\r\nWhile qualitative research sounds simple, it can be a \u201cmessy\u201d process because things do not always go as planned. One way to make qualitative research \u201ccleaner\u201d is to be familiar with, and follow, the various established qualitative methods available for studying human communication.\r\n