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Qualitative research

About: Qualitative research is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 39957 publications have been published within this topic receiving 2390470 citations. The topic is also known as: Qualitative method.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The value of a framework suggested by Miles and Huberman is explored, to evaluate the sampling strategies employed in three examples of research by the authors, and how far the criteria Miles andHuberman suggest seem helpful for planning 'sample' selection in qualitative research.

651 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper conducted a systematic survey of the literature on sampling in qualitative research, focusing on three research traditions: grounded theory, phenomenology, and case study, and found that these are popular approaches or traditions used in many health-related disciplines, and are also sufficiently different to allow instructive comparisons to be made within each of the sampling topics.
Abstract: Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines sampling as "the act, process, or technique of selecting a representative part of a population for the purpose of determining parameters or characteristics of the whole population." This popular understanding, however, differs from some of the understandings held by researchers and scholars in the qualitative research domain. Influential qualitative methods authorities from diverse backgrounds have contributed to these latter understandings, and there is much natural variation in the sampling-related ideas they present. The existence of even subtle inconsistencies, ambiguities, or incomplete descriptions in the methods literature regarding certain sampling-related issues can be problematic for students and researchers seeking to develop a coherent understanding of sampling that is applicable to their research situation. This problem can be exacerbated by the fact that these individuals often lack the time to search, retrieve, and review the qualitative methods literature systematically and exhaustively to develop comprehensive and balanced knowledge of the available methods guidance. Even seasoned qualitative researchers, who are usually expertly versed in the methods of their chosen research approach or tradition, may come to prefer and become most intimately familiar with the ideas of a subset of methods authors within that tradition. Thus, they may not be comprehensively familiar with the full range of opinions across authors (including any inconsistencies among them) within their tradition regarding a specific methods issue --something that can only be revealed through systematic comparison. Systematic comparison in turn depends on systematic selection of the literature to be compared. Systematically searching and selecting the methods literature, however, is generally more burdensome than it is for the empirical findings literature. This is because a greater proportion of the methods literature is found in books and edited book chapters, which take substantially more time and effort to identify, retrieve, and scan for relevant content compared to journal articles. To fill the need for rigorous synthesis of the guidance on sampling in qualitative research, we conducted a systematic methods overview--our term for a defined approach to reviewing the methods literature from diverse sources, described here. This review method involved a rigorous and transparent, yet purposeful, approach to searching the methods literature aimed at selecting and reviewing the most influential publications--ones that students and researchers from multiple jurisdictions are most likely to encounter among the available writings that address sampling. We chose the literature of grounded theory, phenomenology, and case study because these are popular approaches or traditions used in many health-related disciplines, and are also sufficiently different to allow instructive comparisons to be made within each of the sampling topics addressed below. Our findings are organized under eight distinct topic sections corresponding to the major domains of sampling identified in the review process. In each section, we summarize how the topic is characterized in the literature reviewed, present a comparative analysis of differences among the three research traditions, and finally offer comments representing our analysis of the clarity, consistency and comprehensiveness of the available guidance from the authors reviewed on that topic and potential areas in which more clarity could be provided. Importantly, it is neither our aim nor our intention to convey personal opinions or recommendations about how to do sampling in this review. By unifying the findings and discussion within topic sections, we aim to make it convenient for readers to locate content for any single sampling topic in one place. The Three Research Traditions Reviewed Each of the three traditions whose methods literatures were reviewed is characterized by its unique approach to data collection and analysis, which in turn underlies important variation in researchers' approaches and attention to sampling. …

650 citations

Book
15 Jun 2009
TL;DR: This brief, inexpensive guide introduces students and novices to the key elements of qualitative research methods and works ideally with other qualitative textbooks to provide a comprehensive overview to qualitative methods for students.
Abstract: This brief, inexpensive guide introduces students and novices to the key elements of qualitative research methods. Written in a friendly, conversational style, replete with good examples from multiple disciplines, student exercises, and key points to remember, the volume works ideally with other qualitative textbooks to provide a comprehensive overview to qualitative methods for students. Chapters cover the essentials of theory building, research design, methods, data collection and analysis, writing, ethics, rigor and proposal writing.

648 citations

01 Jan 2014
TL;DR: Post-implementation research on technology acceptance by community-dwelling older adults is scarce and most of the factors in this review have not been tested by using quantitative methods, so further research is needed to determine if and how the factors are interrelated, and how they relate to existing models of technology acceptance.
Abstract: Purpose: To provide an overview of factors influencing the acceptance of electronic tech-nologies that support aging in place by community-dwelling older adults. Since technologyacceptance factors fluctuate over time, a distinction was made between factors in the pre-implementation stage and factors in the post-implementation stage. Methods: A systematic review of mixed studies. Seven major scientific databases (includingMEDLINE, Scopus and CINAHL) were searched. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) originaland peer-reviewed research, (2) qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research, (3)research in which participants are community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or older,and (4) research aimed at investigating factors that influence the intention to use or theactual use of electronic technology for aging in place. Three researchers each read the articlesand extracted factors. Results: Sixteen out of 2841 articles were included. Most articles investigated acceptance oftechnology that enhances safety or provides social interaction. The majority of data wasbased on qualitative research investigating factors in the pre-implementation stage. Accep-tance in this stage is influenced by 27 factors, divided into six themes: concerns regardingtechnology (e.g., high cost, privacy implications and usability factors); expected benefits oftechnology (e.g., increased safety and perceived usefulness); need for technology (e.g., per-ceived need and subjective health status); alternatives to technology (e.g., help by family orspouse), social influence (e.g., influence of family, friends and professional caregivers); andcharacteristics of older adults (e.g., desire to age in place). When comparing these results to qualitative results on post-implementation acceptance, our analysis showed that some factors are persistent while new factors also emerge. Quantitative results showed that a small number of variables have a significant influence in the pre-implementation stage. Fourteen out of the sixteen included articles did not use an existing technology acceptance framework or model. Conclusions: Acceptance of technology in the pre-implementation stage is influenced by multiple factors. However, post-implementation research on technology acceptance by community-dwelling older adults is scarce and most of the factors in this review have not been tested by using quantitative methods. Further research is needed to determine if and how the factors in this review are interrelated, and how they relate to existing models of technology acceptance.

646 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A number of commonly used methodologies and methods in qualitative research, namely grounded theory, case study, phenomenology, ethnography and narrative research, are explored, and the strategies to enhance the quality of qualitative research are compared to those of quantitative research.

646 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
20242
20236,582
202213,526
20213,149
20202,696
20192,694