Theme: Exploring Human Meaning, Context, and Experience through Non-Numerical Data
Duration: 1 week (self-paced)
Level: MA / MSc / PhD Preparation
Format: Fully self-contained lesson for independent study
🔷 7.1 Purpose of This Module
This module introduces the philosophy, principles, and techniques of qualitative research. You’ll learn to collect and interpret non-numerical data such as interviews, observations, and texts—building insight into lived realities and social meaning.
By the end, you will be able to:
- Define the scope and aims of qualitative research
- Differentiate among key qualitative methods
- Develop interview questions and observation guides
- Understand basic qualitative analysis techniques
- Evaluate the trustworthiness and ethical rigor of qualitative studies
📖 7.2 What Is Qualitative Research?
Qualitative research seeks to understand how people make sense of the world through words, meanings, behaviours, and contexts. It is used to study experiences, perspectives, emotions, and cultures, often through open-ended data like interviews, field notes, or documents.
✅ Key Features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Interpretive | Focuses on understanding rather than measuring |
| Contextual | Studies phenomena within their real-life settings |
| Inductive | Builds theory from patterns found in the data |
| Flexible | Adaptable to emerging themes and responses |
| Textual/Visual | Uses non-numerical data (e.g., transcripts, images) |
🧠 7.3 When to Use Qualitative Methods
Choose qualitative methods when:
- You want to understand experiences, not measure outcomes
- Your research question starts with “How”, “Why”, or “What is it like…”
- You aim to generate theories, not test them
- You are working within interpretivist or constructivist paradigms
📚 7.4 Core Qualitative Methods
| Method | Purpose | Example Research Question |
|---|---|---|
| Interviews (1-on-1) | To explore in-depth personal experiences | “How do students cope with academic pressure?” |
| Focus Groups | To study group beliefs or dynamics | “How do young adults perceive climate activism?” |
| Observation | To see behaviours and contexts naturally | “What patterns exist in classroom interactions?” |
| Ethnography | Long-term immersion in a cultural setting | “What does daily life look like in a refugee camp?” |
| Document/Text Analysis | To examine written or media materials | “How is disability framed in government policy?” |
| Case Study | Deep analysis of a single case (person, group, event) | “How did one school respond to a cyberbullying crisis?” |
| Narrative Inquiry | To study individual life stories | “How do trauma survivors rebuild identity?” |
🧰 7.5 Data Collection Techniques
✅ A. Interviews (Semi-Structured)
- Prepare open-ended questions, but allow flexibility.
- Use probes like “Can you tell me more?” or “What did that feel like?”
- Record and transcribe interviews for analysis.
Example Interview Guide Questions:
- “Can you describe your daily routine during lockdown?”
- “What was your experience using AI in your studies?”
- “How did that situation make you feel?”
✅ B. Observation
- Participant (you engage in the setting)
- Non-participant (you observe quietly)
- Record behaviours, interactions, and environment.
Example Observation Focus:
- Teacher-student interactions
- Rituals at a community event
- Group problem-solving discussions
✅ C. Document or Media Analysis
- Use public documents, reports, online forums, videos, or policies.
- Identify themes, language use, framing, or power dynamics.
Example Data Sources:
- Government white papers
- Social media threads
- NGO campaign videos
🔍 7.6 Analysing Qualitative Data
✅ Common Analytical Techniques:
| Method | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Thematic Analysis | Identifying themes and patterns | “Isolation” and “adaptation” in pandemic diaries |
| Content Analysis | Counting words or concepts in text | How often “freedom” appears in political speeches |
| Narrative Analysis | Examining structure of personal stories | Turning points in refugee life stories |
| Discourse Analysis | Analysing how language constructs reality | Framing of migrants in media headlines |
| Grounded Theory Coding | Building theory from data through constant comparison | Stages of identity reconstruction in ex-offenders |
✅ Data is typically coded, then grouped into themes or categories, then interpreted.
🔒 7.7 Trustworthiness and Ethical Considerations
| Concept | Definition | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Credibility | Does the data represent participants’ views accurately? | Member checking, thick description |
| Transferability | Can findings apply in other contexts? | Provide detailed context info |
| Dependability | Would similar results occur again? | Keep an audit trail |
| Confirmability | Is the interpretation unbiased and well-supported? | Reflexivity journal, peer review |
✅ Ethical Actions:
- Gain informed consent
- Ensure confidentiality and anonymity
- Be emotionally sensitive
- Consider power dynamics (especially in vulnerable settings)
🛠 7.8 Self-Learning Task Set (Independent Exercises)
✍️ TASK 1: Choose Your Qualitative Method
Based on your research topic:
- What qualitative method fits your aims?
- Who are your participants or sources?
- What kind of data will you collect?
Example:
- Topic: International students adapting to UK education
- Method: Semi-structured interviews
- Data: Transcripts of 6 in-depth interviews
🧠 TASK 2: Design an Interview Guide
Write 5–7 open-ended questions for your planned interviews. Include:
- 1 background question
- 3–4 experience-based questions
- 1–2 emotional or reflective questions
Example:
- “Can you describe where you’re from and your academic background?”
- “What surprised you most about studying in the UK?”
- “Tell me about a time you struggled with academic expectations.”
- “How did you overcome that situation?”
- “What advice would you give to new international students?”
📄 TASK 3: Create a Coding Plan
Choose a simulated short interview transcript (or create one). Then:
- Read it line-by-line
- Highlight key phrases or expressions
- Assign codes (e.g., “stress”, “support”, “adaptation”)
- Group codes into emerging themes
🧾 TASK 4: Reflect on Ethical Risks
Write 150–200 words identifying:
- 1–2 potential ethical risks in your study
- How you would minimise harm or protect participants
- Why ethical rigour matters in qualitative work
🧠 7.9 Summary of Key Takeaways
- Qualitative research is ideal for exploring experience, meaning, and culture
- It uses flexible, non-numerical tools like interviews, observation, and documents
- Analysis involves coding and thematic interpretation—not statistics
- Trustworthiness replaces “validity” through credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability
- Ethics are central, especially with human participants and sensitive topics
✅ End-of-Module Self-Evaluation Checklist
| Concept | Yes / No |
|---|---|
| I can define qualitative research and when to use it | ☐ |
| I chose a method and participant/data source | ☐ |
| I designed a basic interview guide | ☐ |
| I created codes and themes from a sample text | ☐ |
| I reflected on ethical risks and protections | ☐ |