Qualitative Research Overview
Qualitative research is a systematic inquiry into human experiences, meanings, behaviors, and contexts using non-numerical data (words, text, images, observations). Unlike quantitative research, which seeks to measure variables and test hypotheses numerically, qualitative research prioritizes depth, contextual richness, and understanding of 'how' and 'why.' Major approaches include phenomenology (lived experiences), grounded theory (theory development from data), ethnography (cultural understanding through immersion), case study (in-depth investigation of a specific case), and narrative inquiry (personal stories). Creswell (2017), Braun and Clarke (2006), and Patton (2015) provide contemporary frameworks for qualitative design, data collection, and analysis.
Source record
Citations copied verbatim from the method’s source record. No claim-level verification is inferred from them.
- Creswell, J. W. (2017). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. · URL
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. · DOI 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
- Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. · URL
Curated claims
Claims persisted in the evidence ledger, each with its own assessment.
This view does not invent a claim assessment when the ledger has none.
Related methods
Generated from the method graph and shown as machine-suggested relations — no evidence claim is inferred.