ScholarGate
Explore
LibraryBookshelfDeskPreflightAssistant
Your tools
Compare
Build your library

Save methods, organize collections, and carry them to your desk.

Create account
Library / QualitativeSearch the library…⌘K
Sign in
Library/Fields/Qualitative

Qualitative

279 methods
16 method families

MOST CONNECTED IN QUALITATIVE

Ethnography
93 connections in this field
Phenomenology
82 connections in this field
Narrative Analysis
81 connections in this field
Case Study
62 connections in this field
Content Analysis
44 connections in this field
Critical Discourse Analysis
39 connections in this field
Digital Ethnography
37 connections in this field
Comparative Case Study
33 connections in this field
Netnography
33 connections in this field
Participatory Action Research
33 connections in this field

Showing 279 of 279 methods

Qualitative design / analysis230 methods
Comparative autoethnographyComparative Biographical ResearchComparative Case StudyComparative classic grounded theoryComparative Constructivist Grounded TheoryComparative Content analysisComparative Conversation AnalysisComparative Digital EthnographyComparative Discourse AnalysisComparative Document AnalysisComparative EthnographyComparative grounded theoryComparative Institutional EthnographyComparative Interpretative Phenomenological AnalysisComparative Life history researchComparative Multiple case studyComparative Narrative ResearchComparative NetnographyComparative Oral historyComparative phenomenologyComparative Qualitative content analysisComparative Reflexive Thematic AnalysisComparative Semiotic AnalysisComparative Straussian Grounded TheoryComparative Thematic AnalysisComparative Visual analysisCritical AutoethnographyCritical case studyCritical constructivist grounded theoryCritical Content AnalysisCritical Digital EthnographyCritical Document AnalysisCritical Hermeneutic PhenomenologyCritical Institutional EthnographyCritical Interpretative Phenomenological AnalysisCritical life history researchCritical Metaphor AnalysisCritical Narrative InquiryCritical NetnographyCritical oral historyCritical phenomenologyCritical Semiotic AnalysisCritical single case studyCritical Straussian Grounded TheoryCritical Thematic AnalysisDigital AutoethnographyDigital Case StudyDigital Classic Grounded TheoryDigital Constructivist grounded theoryDigital Content analysisDigital Conversation AnalysisDigital Critical Discourse AnalysisDigital Document AnalysisDigital Grounded TheoryDigital Hermeneutic PhenomenologyDigital Institutional EthnographyDigital Interpretive phenomenological analysisDigital Life History ResearchDigital Metaphor analysisDigital Multiple case studyDigital Narrative ResearchDigital Oral HistoryDigital PhenomenologyDigital Qualitative Content AnalysisDigital Reflexive Thematic AnalysisDigital Semiotic AnalysisDigital Straussian Grounded TheoryDigital Thematic AnalysisDigital Visual AnalysisField-based autoethnographyField-based case studyField-based classic grounded theoryField-based constructivist grounded theoryField-based Content AnalysisField-based Conversation AnalysisField-based Critical Discourse AnalysisField-based digital ethnographyField-based Discourse AnalysisField-based Document AnalysisField-based ethnographyField-based Grounded TheoryField-based hermeneutic phenomenologyField-based institutional ethnographyField-based Interpretive Phenomenological AnalysisField-based Life History ResearchField-based Metaphor AnalysisField-based Multiple Case StudyField-based narrative inquiryField-based netnographyField-based Oral HistoryField-based phenomenologyField-based qualitative content analysisField-based Reflexive Thematic AnalysisField-based Semiotic AnalysisField-based single case studyField-based Straussian Grounded TheoryField-based visual analysisHermeneutic phenomenology in education researchInterpretive autoethnographyInterpretive biographical researchInterpretive case studyInterpretive classic grounded theoryInterpretive Constructivist Grounded TheoryInterpretive content analysisInterpretive conversation analysisInterpretive critical discourse analysisInterpretive digital ethnographyInterpretive Discourse AnalysisInterpretive document analysisInterpretive grounded theoryInterpretive Hermeneutic PhenomenologyInterpretive Institutional EthnographyInterpretive life history researchInterpretive Metaphor AnalysisInterpretive multiple case studyInterpretive Narrative InquiryInterpretive netnographyInterpretive oral historyInterpretive phenomenologyInterpretive qualitative content analysisInterpretive Reflexive Thematic AnalysisInterpretive Semiotic AnalysisInterpretive single case studyInterpretive Straussian grounded theoryInterpretive Thematic AnalysisInterpretive Visual AnalysisLongitudinal AutoethnographyLongitudinal Biographical ResearchLongitudinal Case StudyLongitudinal Classic grounded theoryLongitudinal Constructivist Grounded TheoryLongitudinal Critical Discourse AnalysisLongitudinal Discourse AnalysisLongitudinal document analysisLongitudinal EthnographyLongitudinal Grounded TheoryLongitudinal Institutional EthnographyLongitudinal Interpretive Phenomenological AnalysisLongitudinal Life history researchLongitudinal Metaphor AnalysisLongitudinal Multiple case studyLongitudinal Narrative ResearchLongitudinal NetnographyLongitudinal Oral HistoryLongitudinal PhenomenologyLongitudinal Qualitative Content AnalysisLongitudinal Reflexive thematic analysisLongitudinal Single Case StudyLongitudinal Straussian Grounded TheoryLongitudinal Thematic AnalysisLongitudinal Visual AnalysisMultiple case-based autoethnographyMultiple case-based biographical researchMultiple case-based case studyMultiple Case-Based Classic Grounded TheoryMultiple Case-Based Constructivist Grounded TheoryMultiple case-based conversation analysisMultiple case-based critical discourse analysisMultiple case-based digital ethnographyMultiple Case-Based Discourse AnalysisMultiple case-based ethnographyMultiple Case-Based Grounded TheoryMultiple Case-Based Hermeneutic PhenomenologyMultiple case-based institutional ethnographyMultiple case-based interpretive phenomenological analysisMultiple case-based life history researchMultiple Case-Based Metaphor AnalysisMultiple case-based narrative inquiryMultiple case-based netnographyMultiple case-based oral historyMultiple case-based phenomenologyMultiple Case-Based Reflexive Thematic AnalysisMultiple Case-Based Semiotic AnalysisMultiple Case-Based Single Case StudyMultiple case-based Straussian grounded theoryMultiple Case-Based Thematic AnalysisMultiple Case-Based Visual AnalysisParticipatory Biographical ResearchParticipatory Case StudyParticipatory Content AnalysisParticipatory Conversation AnalysisParticipatory Critical Discourse AnalysisParticipatory Digital EthnographyParticipatory Discourse AnalysisParticipatory Document analysisParticipatory EthnographyParticipatory Hermeneutic PhenomenologyParticipatory Institutional EthnographyParticipatory Interpretive Phenomenological AnalysisParticipatory Multiple case studyParticipatory Narrative ResearchParticipatory NetnographyParticipatory Oral HistoryParticipatory PhenomenologyParticipatory Qualitative content analysisParticipatory Reflexive thematic analysisParticipatory Semiotic AnalysisParticipatory Single Case StudyParticipatory Straussian grounded theoryParticipatory Visual analysisPhenomenology in education researchVisual analysisVisual Elicitation AutoethnographyVisual Elicitation Biographical ResearchVisual Elicitation Case StudyVisual elicitation classic grounded theoryVisual elicitation content analysisVisual Elicitation Conversation AnalysisVisual Elicitation Critical Discourse AnalysisVisual Elicitation Digital EthnographyVisual Elicitation Discourse AnalysisVisual Elicitation Document AnalysisVisual elicitation ethnographyVisual Elicitation Grounded TheoryVisual elicitation hermeneutic phenomenologyVisual Elicitation Institutional EthnographyVisual Elicitation Interpretive Phenomenological AnalysisVisual Elicitation Life History ResearchVisual Elicitation Metaphor AnalysisVisual Elicitation Multiple Case StudyVisual Elicitation NetnographyVisual Elicitation Oral HistoryVisual Elicitation PhenomenologyVisual elicitation qualitative content analysisVisual elicitation reflexive thematic analysisVisual elicitation semiotic analysisVisual Elicitation Single Case StudyVisual elicitation Straussian grounded theoryVisual Elicitation Thematic AnalysisVisual Elicitation Visual Analysis
process-pipeline8 methods
Case StudyContent AnalysisDelphi MethodEthnographyFocus GroupMixed Methods ResearchNarrative AnalysisPhenomenology
Ethnography6 methods
AutoethnographyCritical EthnographyDigital EthnographyFocused EthnographyInstitutional EthnographyNetnography
Case Study5 methods
Embedded Case StudyInstrumental Case StudyIntrinsic Case StudyMultiple-Case StudySingle-Case Study
Grounded Theory4 methods
Classic Grounded TheoryConstant Comparative MethodConstructivist Grounded TheoryStraussian Grounded Theory
Interview Methods4 methods
Expert InterviewIn-Depth InterviewSemi-Structured InterviewUnstructured Interview
Qualitative Coding4 methods
Axial CodingIn Vivo CodingOpen CodingSelective Coding
Discourse Analysis3 methods
Conversation AnalysisCritical Discourse AnalysisFoucauldian Discourse Analysis
Narrative Inquiry3 methods
Biographical ResearchLife History ResearchOral History
Phenomenology3 methods
Descriptive PhenomenologyHermeneutic PhenomenologyTranscendental Phenomenology
Textual Analysis3 methods
Framework AnalysisMetaphor AnalysisSemiotic Analysis
Critical Inquiry2 methods
Feminist Research MethodologyPostcolonial Analysis
Action Research1 method
Participatory Action Research
Consensus Methods1 method
Nominal Group Technique
Qualitative design and analysis1 method
Longitudinal Content Analysis
Thematic Analysis1 method
Reflexive Thematic Analysis

FIELD AT A GLANCE

Methods279
Method families16
Connected methods10+

OTHER FIELDS

Decision Making573 methodsEconometrics409 methodsDeep Learning336 methodsMachine Learning298 methodsExperimental Design289 methodsStatistics288 methodsCausal Inference211 methodsResearch Design203 methodsAll fields →
ScholarGate

A content-first reference library for research methods — what each one is, how it works, and where it comes from.

Open data (CC-BY)

Explore

  • Library
  • Search the library…
  • Browse by field
  • Fields
  • Journey
  • Compare
  • Which method?

Reference

  • Subjects
  • Atlas
  • Glossary
  • Methodology
  • Philosophy

Your tools

  • Bookshelf
  • Desk
  • Chat

Company

  • About
  • Pricing
  • Contact
  • Suggest a method

Entries are compiled from published sources for reference. Verifying the accuracy and suitability of any information for your own use remains your responsibility.

© 2026 ScholarGate · A research-method reference library
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Terms
  • Delete account