Qualitative Research Approaches Matrix,

Part 1

In order for you to select the qualitative research approach that best fits your research question, you will need to develop a deeper familiarity with the approaches available to you. This week’s Assignment is the first of a two-part activity designed to broaden and deepen your base of knowledge of qualitative research approaches. While the activity does not encompass all possible approaches, it does allow you to explore the eight most common approaches you are likely to encounter and may wish to consider for yourself.

For this Assignment, you will complete the first half of the Qualitative Research Approaches Matrix Template, which is designed to allow you to compare and contrast qualitative research approaches.

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Review this week’s readings, focusing on the differences among the following four types of qualitative research approaches:
  • Generic qualitative inquiry
  • Qualitative case study
  • Grounded theory and realism
  • Phenomenology and heuristic inquiry
• Locate the Qualitative Research Approaches Matrix Template in this week’s Learning Resources.
• Read the examples of research studies provided in this week’s Learning Resources.
• Select additional readings that focus on specific approaches (some suggestions have been provided for you in the Optional Resources).

Assignment: 

Complete the Qualitative Research Approaches Matrix Template for the four approaches highlighted this week. Some of the cells have been pre-populated with sample entries or with prompts to help you focus your comparisons.

Required Readings

Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Chapter 3, “Variety of Qualitative Inquiry Frameworks: Paradigmatic, Philosophical, and Theoretical Orientations” (pp. 85–168)
Chapter 4, “Practical and Actionable Qualitative Applications” (pp. 169–242)

Basic Qualitative Research

Bowers, B. J., Fibich, B., & Jacobson, N. (2001). Care-as-service, care-as-relating, care-as-comfort: Understanding nursing home residents’ definitions of quality. The Gerontologist, 41(4), 539–545. Retrieved from http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/
Care-as-Service, Care-as-Relating, Care-as-Comfort Understanding Nursing Home Residents’ Definitions of Quality by Bowers, B.; Fibich, B.; Jacobson, N., in The Gerontologist, Vol. 41/Issue 4. Copyright 2001 by Oxford University Press – Journals, The Gerontological Society of America. Reprinted by permission of Oxford University Press – Journals, The Gerontological Society of America via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Qualitative Case Study

Donnelly, C., Brenchley, C., Crawford, C., & Letts, L. (2013). The integration of occupational therapy into primary care: a multiple case study design.BMC family practice, 14(1), 1.

Grounded Theory

Barello, S., Graffigna, G., Vegni, E., Savarese, M., Lombardi, F., & Bosio, A. C. (2015). ‘Engage me in taking care of my heart’: a grounded theory study on patient–cardiologist relationship in the hospital management of heart failure. BMJ open, 5(3), e005582.

Heuristic Inquiry

Howard, A., & Hirani, K. (2013). Transformational change and stages of development in the workplace: A heuristic inquiry. Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, 8(1/2), 71–86.

Documents and Tools

Document: R8360 Guidelines for Reading and Evaluating Qualitative Research Articles (PDF)

Document: Example of How to Read and Evaluate a Qualitative Research Article (PDF)Qualitative Research Methods Matrix

	Approach	Disciplinary Roots	Focus of Central Research Question	Unique Terminology	Primary Data Sources	Sampling Issues	Analysis Plan Guidelines	References
Submit in Week 2	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	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?
	Ethnography and Autoethnography							Ellis, Adams & Bochner, 2011 Hoey, 2014 Rose, 1993
	Interactive and Participatory Qualitative Applications			Action research, co-researcher, participant-researcher, learning organization, dialogue, appreciative inquiry

Highlight indicates example response.

Modified from Patton, M.Q. (2014). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications

Qualitative Research Methods Matrix

 

 

Approach

 

Disciplinary Roots

 

Focus of Central Research

Question

 

Unique Terminology

 

Primary Data

Sources

 

Sampling Issues

 

Analysis Plan

Guidelines

 

References

 

Submit in Week 2

 

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

 

C

ontent analysis

 

is a good choice

as it is generic

and exploratory

 

E

lo 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

 

 

 

 

 

Qualitative Research Methods Matrix

Approach Disciplinary Roots Focus of Central Research

Question

Unique Terminology Primary Data

Sources

Sampling Issues Analysis Plan

Guidelines

References

Submit in Week 2

 

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