THE KINDS OF

QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH
PREPARED BY : RAYMOND D. AMBASA
MELC: The learner describes characteristics,
strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of qualitative
research CS_RS11-IIIb-1
Objectives:
1. Differentiate the kinds of qualitative research;
and
2. Explain the use of qualitative research in real-
life situations.
 TYPES OF QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH
Research design is the overall strategy that you choose to integrate
the different components of the study coherently and logically, thereby
ensuring you will effectively address the research problem.
Furthermore, a research design constitutes the blueprint for the
selection, measurement, and analysis of data. The research problem
determines the kind of research you should follow.
Qualitative research has a broad inquiry method that uses
unstructured data-collection methods, such as focus groups,
observations, interviews, surveys, or content analysis (collecting
existing data in the form of texts, documents, images, audio or video
recordings, etc.).
• (Source: Pritha Bhandari, “Qualitative research methods.” July 30, 2020, https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-research/.)
 The kind of research is dependent on
the researcher’s aim in conducting the
study and the extent to which the
findings will be used. The following are
the various kinds of qualitative research
design that a researcher may employ:
 1. ACTION RESEARCH
This is a participatory, democratic process concerned with
developing practical knowing in the pursuit of worthwhile human
purposes, grounded in a participatory worldview which we believe
is emerging at this historical moment. It seeks to bring together
action and reflection, theory and practice, in participation with
others, in the pursuit of practical solutions of pressing concern to
people and more generally the flourishing of individual persons
and their communities.
Example: Public Health Nurses conducts Community
Organizing Participatory Action Research (COPAR) that aims to
empower marginalized communities by allowing them to engage
in the research process (community organizing) where they play
an active role as participants
 2. CASE STUDY
A case study is used when we analyze and describe;
each person individually for his/her activity, special
needs, life situation, life history, etc.; a group of people,
such as a school department, teaching staff, etc., a
problem or several problems, process, phenomenon or
event in a particular institution, etc., in detail.
Example: A Mobile case study on Neutrogena’s new sun
activated advertising. Researchers studied all aspects of
the advertising techniques by Neutrogena on its weather-
and location-based technology to create a relevant,
engaging campaign that drove awareness and sales.
 3. ETHNOGRAPHY
It represents an approach in which the researcher
engages in prolonged observations from the group’s
everyday life. In this type of research behaviors, values,
and interactions among the members of the group are
deeply studied, described, and interpreted by the
researcher.
Example: In human service and education programs
that serve children, the researcher can't become a student
and therefore experience the setting as a child; it may be
possible, however, for the research observer to participate
as a volunteer, parent, or staff person in such a setting,
and thereby develop the perspective of an insider in one of
these adult roles.
 4. GROUNDED THEORY
This is an approach to the development of a theory that is
grounded/rooted in the data rather than empirical testing of the
theory. It is where data are collected and analyzed, and then a
theory is developed which is grounded in the data. The researcher
attempts to derive a general, abstract theory of a process, action,
or interaction grounded in the views of participants in a study.
Example: A researcher collects data from parents who have
pulled their children out of public schools and develop a theory
to explain how and why this phenomenon occurs, ultimately
developing a ‘theory of school supplement’.
 5. HISTORICAL RESEARCH
It is the systematic collection of data that happened
in the past, and subsequently to identify, classify,
arrange, clarify, evaluate, synthesize, elaborate, develop,
and publish them employing scientific methods. It also
helps both researchers and readers to analyze the
present events and realize future ones.
Example: A researcher studied an event in 1609,
where he clarified that Galileo trained his telescope for
the first time on the moon, and observed previously
unsuspected features, ones that he believed were not
very different from those on the earth.
 6. NARRATIVE RESEARCH
It is a method that includes the analysis of the
characteristics of the narrative text, and recently of the
meaning of inter-human relations in social, historical, and
cultural contexts. It focuses on people’s narratives either
about themselves or a set of events. Instead of looking for
themes that emerge from an account, it concentrates on the
sequential unfolding of someone’s story so there is an
emphasis on characters. It is time-consuming, and usually
includes a very small number of cases.
Example: A doctor takes interviews from a limited number
of patients, and the patients narrate the pros and cons of
the diseases; and pains and sufferings of the diseases
 7. PHENOMENOLOGY
It is an approach to explore people’s everyday
life experiences. It is used when the study is
about the life experiences of a concept or
phenomenon experienced by one or more
individuals. This type of research is used to study
areas in which there is little knowledge.
Example: A researcher takes an interview of
20 widows and asks them to describe their
experiences of the deaths of their husbands.
(Source: Haradhan Kumar Mohajan, “Qualitative Research Methodology in Social Sciences and Related Subjects.” Journal of Economic Development, Environment
and People Vol-7 Issue 01 2018: pp. 23-48 Accessed October 28, 2020. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/85654/1/MPRA_paper_85654.pdf)
(Sources: Jeff Sauro PhD, “5 Types of Qualitative research.” October 13, 2015, https://measuringu.com/qual-methods/. and Haradhan Kumar Mohajan, “Qualitative
Research Methodology in Social Sciences and Related Subjects.” Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People Vol-7 Issue 01 2018: pp. 23-48 Accessed
October 28, 2020. https://mpra.ub.uni muenchen.de/85654/1/MPRA_paper_85654.pdf
 SQ 02 –M3 KINDS
Directions: Listed in Column A are
specific ways of collecting data in each
design of Qualitative Research. Identify
which research design in Column B do
these data collection techniques may
be applied. Write the letter of your
choice.
COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. Stories from eyewitnesses, documents & artifacts A. Action Research
2. Observation, Questionnaire, Documents, & Text B. Case Study
3. Interviews, documents, reports, observations C. Ethnography
4. Observation and interviews D. Grounded Theory
5. Interviews, then open and axial coding E. Historical
F. Narrative
G. Phenomenology
 DIRECTIONS: LISTED IN COLUMN A ARE SPECIFIC WAYS OF COLLECTING DATA IN
EACH DESIGN OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH. IDENTIFY WHICH RESEARCH DESIGN IN
COLUMN B DO THESE DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES MAY BE APPLIED. WRITE THE
LETTER OF YOUR CHOICE.
COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. Interviews, Focus Group Discussion A. Action Research
2. Stories from individuals & documents B. Case Study
3. Stories from eyewitnesses, documents & artifacts C. Ethnography
4. Observation, Questionnaire, Documents, & Text D. Grounded Theory
5. Interviews, documents, reports, observations E. Historical
F. Narrative
G. Phenomenology
1. Grounded Theory
2. Action Research
3. Ethnography
4. Phenomenology
5. Narrative