เปรียบเทียบวิธี

	ภาพรวมการวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพ	การกำหนดคำถามวิจัย
สาขาวิชา	ระเบียบวิธีวิจัย	ระเบียบวิธีวิจัย
ตระกูล	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
ปีกำเนิด	1900	1950
ผู้ริเริ่ม	Ethnographers (Boas), grounded theorists (Glaser & Strauss, 1967), phenomenologists, and interpretivists (1900s–1980s)	Kerlinger, Campbell, & Fisher (1950s–1990s research methodology literature)
ประเภท	Framework	Framework
แหล่งต้นตำรับ	Creswell, J. W. (2017). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.	Kerlinger, F. N., & Lee, H. B. (1999). Foundations of Behavioral Research (4th ed.). Wadsworth.
ชื่อเรียกอื่น	qualitative inquiry, exploratory research, interpretive research	RQF, research question design
ที่เกี่ยวข้อง	3	2
สรุป	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.	Research question formulation is the process of defining clear, focused, and answerable questions that guide a research study. A well-formulated research question specifies what a researcher seeks to investigate, distinguishing between independent and dependent variables (or phenomena), and sets the scope for literature review, methodological design, and data collection. Established in behavioral research literature in the mid-20th century, this framework remains foundational because it transforms vague research interests into testable, empirically grounded inquiries.