Designing qualitative

research and
Data Collection
Prepared for:
Dr. Mardzelah binti Makhsin
Prepared by:
Nor Hamisah binti Rahaman
(816990)

Introduction
According to Ritchie, Lewis, Nicholls,
& Ormston (2013) qualitative
research can be describe as a
naturalistic, interpretative approach,
concerned with exploring phenomena
from the interior and taking the
perspectives and accounts of
research participants as starting
point.

Characteristics of qualitative
Aims and objectives that are directed at
providing an in-depth and interpreted
understanding of the social world of
research participants
Data that are detailed, rich and complex
Analysis that retains complexity and
nuance.
Openness to the emergent categories
and theories at the analysis and
interpretation stage

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Output that include details
description of the phenomena
A reflexive approach where the role
and perspective of the researcher in
the research process is
acknowledged.
(Ritchie, Lewis, Nicholls, & Ormston,
p.4, 2013)

Design Issues
There are several issues in research design such
as:
Defining the research questions, Choosing a
data collection method, Selecting the time
frame for research, Building comparison into
research design, Participatory action research,
Resourcing and timetabling qualitative research
studies
(Ritchie, Lewis, Nicholls, & Ormston, p.49, 2013)
In addition, Sapsford and Jupp (2006) said that
the evidence of the data must valid and survey
sampling must wisely choose.

Research Design
Elements
1. The Research Topic
2. The research question
3. data collection
4. data handling and analysis
(Gregovia & Davidson,pp. 16-22,
2008)

The research topic

(Gregovia & Davidson,p.16, 2008)

The research question

(Gregovia & Davidson,p.17, 2008)

Data collection

(Gregovia & Davidson,p.20,

2008)

Data handling and analysis

(Gregovia & Davidson,p.22, 2008)

Design Framework
Step 1 : Review the research protocol
Step 2 : The unit of analysis, the unit
observation and attribute variables
Step 3: The types of data collected
Step 4: Setting up the analytical files
(Gregovia & Davidson,pp. 28-31,
2008)

Step 1 : Review the research protocol

The
The
The
The
The
The
The

unit of analysis
unit of observation
attributes variables
conceptual framework
types of data collected
sequence of data collection
time frame

Step 2 : The unit of analysis, the unit

observation and attribute variables

The unit of analysis or unit of

observation is same, it can be
Individuals, Groupings of individuals,
Organizations, Departments within
organizations, Programmers and
events.
Attributes variables can be
demographic information about
individuals, characteristics of
organizations, responses to survey

Step 3: The types of data

collected
Textual data Includes:
1. Primary data
(Interview transcripts, diaries)
2. Secondary data
(Newspaper, magazine, government
reports)
3. Tertiary data
(Publish research report, summarized table
of data)

Step 4: Setting up the analytical files

This step is usually but not always

develop in an emergent way over the
life of the project.
There are exceptions because studies
which are based on earlier work can
simply import the analytical filling
system that was used before.
A study may be very structured so
that the major analytical categories
are already known.

Design approaches

Phenomenology
Ethnography
Inductive Thematic Analysis
Grounded Theory
Narrative Analysis

Phenomenology
attempting to understand how
participants make sense of their
experiences (it does not assume that
participants accounts refer to some
verifiable reality) but it recognises
that this involves a process of
interpretation by the researcher.
It is an approach popular in
psychology and in some areas of
nursing.

Ethnography
Ethnography has a background in anthropology.
The term means portrait of a people and it is
a methodology for descriptive studies of
cultures and peoples (Hancock, Ockleford &
Windridge, 2009).
The cultural parameter is that the people under
investigation have something in common.
Examples of parameters include geographical,
religious, social and shared experience
(Marshall, & Rossman, 1999).

Inductive Thematic Analysis

A qualitative analytic method for
identifying, analysing and reporting
patterns (themes) within data.
It minimally organises and describes
data set in detail.
However, frequently it goes further
than this, and interprets various
aspects of the research topic
(Marshall, & Rossman, 1999).

Grounded Theory
The main feature is the development of
new theory through the collection and
analysis of data about a phenomenon
(Hancock, Ockleford & Windridge, 2009
and Marshall, & Rossman, 1999).
Example of grounded theory is Social
learning theory Bandura which is
people from one another via
observation, imitating and modelling.

Narrative Analysis
This focuses on peoples narratives/stories
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 someones story so
there is an emphasis on employment and
characters (Marshall, & Rossman, 1999).
It is time-consuming and usually includes a
very small number of cases.

Data Collection
There are various type of data
collection which are:
1. More structured Observation
2. Less structured Observation
3. Questionnaires
4. In-Depth Interview
5. Interview and focus group

More structured Observation

We can call it systematic
observation.
This aim is to produce the accurate
and objective measurement of
observable human behavior
(Sapsford & Jupp, 2006).
Example : to record aspects of
teacher-pupil interaction in
classrooms.

Less structured Observation

It has emphasized studying the
perspectives of social actors such as
idea, attitudes and motives.
This aim to produce detailed,
qualitative descriptions of human
behavior that illuminates social
meanings and shared culture (Sapsford
& Jupp,2006).
The characteristics are minimum
prestructuring and has flexibility.

Questionnaires
This types of method is more cheap than
other method because it can do online
such as using survey monkey or planet
survey tools.
Both closed and open-ended questions
may be used in questionnaires.
It may not be the required respondent
who actually complete the questionnaires.
Different sorts of bias may arise in the use
of self-completed questionnaires (Sapsford
and Jupp, 2006).

In-Depth Interview
Interviewing remains a core and
effective method of qualitative data
collection (Ritchie, Lewis, Nicholls, &
Ormston, 2013).
However, as interviewers should
have training or experiences, are
encouraged to adopt a positive tone
of voice and to smile or nod as a way
of encouraging the respondent
(Sapsford and Jupp, 1996).

Interview and focus group

Data generated via this method are
based verbal communication and spoken
narratives.
This is usually useful for there to be
commonality between people in their
relationship to research topic(Ritchie,
Lewis, Nicholls, & Ormston, 2013).
According to Sapsford and Jupp (1996)
said that standardized interview should
have as following:

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The same questions should be asked of
every respondent using the same wording.
There is an assumption that all
respondents will understand the questions
in the same way.
The respondent should feel motivated to
continue answer further questions.
The interviewer should be able to
categorize the responses to any question
into a set of mutually exclusive and
exhaustive categories.

Conclusion
The use of qualitative method in the
twentieth century was much more
evident in research that was
concerned with developing social
theory than in more applied settings.
Although there has been
considerable growth in the use of
qualitative research within this sector
in recent decades, there are still
areas where it is underutilized.

References
1. Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B.,
(1999).Designing qualitative research
questions (3rd Ed.) .Thousand Oaks,CA:
SAGE Publication Ltd.
2. Sapsford, R., & Jupp, V., (2006).Data
collection and Analysis (2nd Ed.).
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publication Ltd.
3. Gregovia, S. D., & Davidson, J.,
(2008).Qualitative Research Design for

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4. Hancock, B., Ockleford, E., & Windridge,
K., (2009).An introduction to qualitative
research.Nottingham, UK: NIHR RDS.
5. Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., Nicholls, C. M., &
Ormston, R., (2013).Qualitative research
practice: A guide for social science
students and researchers (2nd Ed.) .
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publication Ltd.

Thank You Very

Much

Dr. Mardzelah