Good Example Of Qualitative Research Approach Essay

In a qualitative research study, concepts and variables may be defined in interpretive terms. You begin the study with general research questions or a working hypothesis. It is important, however, not to over-develop concepts and variables and hold preconceived opinions of how they will relate to each other and your study. “While you will have a list of key concepts, and perhaps loosely defined variables, you want to remain open to the possibilities of how they are defined by your research participants and any relationship that your research participants may draw. In short you research participants will define the variables as your study progresses” (Chapter 6: The Qualitative Research Approach, p. 141).
There are some advantages and disadvantages of the interpretive approach to knowledge generation. The advantages of the interpretive research approach include: to “account for the complexity of group behaviors; reveal interrelationships among multifaceted dimensions of group interactions; provide context for behaviors; reveal qualities of group experience in a way that other forms of research cannot; help determine questions and types of follow-up research; reveal descriptions of behaviors in context by stepping outside the group; and allow qualitative researchers to identify recurring patterns of behavior that participants may be unable to recognize” (Chapter 6: The Qualitative Research Approach, p. 148-149). Thus, an interpretative research study may be useful to understand why a professor may have a tendency to call on certain students even though these students are not generally the most likely to be prepared.
There are also some significant disadvantages to the interpretative approach to research and knowledge generation. The likelihood of bias entering into the study, data gathering, or interpretation are high. Furthermore, there are reliability issues presented with the way the data is collected. Some of the disadvantages of the interpretative research method include: “researcher bias can bias the design of a study; researcher bias can enter into data collection; sources or subjects may not be equally credible; background information may be missing; too little data can lead to false assumptions about behavior patterns; and narrative inquiries are considered unreliable by experimentalists” (Chapter 6: The Qualitative Research Approach, p.149).
Using the qualitative research method, an interpretative research study can be designed to look at whether students from lower-income backgrounds put as much focus into schoolwork and achievement as students from higher-income backgrounds. Student of all races and ethnicities can be studied so that the main variable is socio-economic background. The study can focus on students at a high school level and assess grades and standardized test scores.