A500.6.3.RB Qualitative Research
In my relatively short life, I have been both a qualitative
and quantitative researcher. I have
observed the behaviors of those within a group and provided my interpretations
and perceptions of the behaviors in a qualitative manner. I have also done highly empirical and somewhat
boring experimental trials involving petri dishes, test tubes, microscopes,
really expensive lab equipment and glass pipettes that would shred into pieces
at the slightest wrong movement.
In my experience, qualitative research is much more
enjoyable. Especially at the mall or any
public venue. People watching, after all,
is quite amusing. Yet, by me watching
the individuals that walk by or that interact with one another, I am playing an
integral part of the environment.
Whether I realize it or not, those being observed may also realize they
have someone watching them. This is a
known variable at play with qualitative research, but it is still growing as a
desirable method for gathering data, with the greatest benefit being the
ability to minimize changes to the natural environment.
It is important to note that qualitative research requires
the use of methods that are not typically utilized is the dogmatic teaching of
scientific research methodology. The use
of anecdotal evidence and narrative is favored in the qualitative research method,
focusing not on the number of responses to a survey, or persons that completed a
desired behavior that verified the hypothesis.
Rather, qualitative research aims to capture all elements that
contribute to the singular instance of observational data.
I like to think of research like cookies. Everyone likes cookies. Who doesn’t like a cookie? Maybe there is that one person that doesn’t
like a cookie, but come now. Just by
hearing the word, you are already thinking of your favorite cookie. Now, let’s get down to business. Cookies come in all sorts of shapes and
sizes, textures and tastes. Much like
research. Some cookies are stiff and
rigid, similar to rigid research methods.
Other cookies are gooey and full of flavor. This is similar to qualitative research. In my mind, this research would be the
homemade cookie, in as natural and pure of a state as possible.
What do I know of homemade cookies? Well this week, I actually turned on the oven
(shocking) and made a batch of homemade cookies. I didn’t even burn the house down! Mind you, the product ended up tasting more like
cake than that of a cookie. The intent was to create as pure of a tasty treat
as possible. As with qualitative
research, my homemade cookies could have been created in a purer state. I could have had free-range chickens lay
organic eggs, milked a dairy cow fed off of organic foods with no chemical
additives. I could have made my own
flour, although I would have to research if that is even possible anymore. I could have created my own finely granulated
sugar from Florida canes. Yet, if I had
done all of that, I probably would have lost my interest in cooking and just
become a dairy farmer. Likewise,
qualitative research tries as much as possible to encapsulate the conditions
and variables at play in the data collection.
However, there is no feasible method to make sure the data collected is
100% pure.
Similar to the taste of a homemade cookie, the thought that
qualitative research is gaining support in academia is very refreshing. There is something to be said for the
analysis of real world data, of information that is collected outside of petri
dishes and test tubes, and study results produced outside of paid or unpaid
clinical trials. After all, how many
persons in the U.S. actively engage in clinically administered surveys and attend
clinical trials? Is the data really indicative of our populace? Food for thought, but for now…I really want
some cookies!
Reference
Hoepfl, M. C.
(1997). Choosing Qualitative Research: A Primer for Technology Education
Researchers. Journal of Technology Education, 9(1).
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