Characteristics of Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is a collection of non-numerical data such as videos and text for analysis to understand a certain statement, opinion, or experiences. In addition, qualitative research can be used for in-depth inquiry of a problem or generation of new research ideas. Qualitative research has the following characteristics:
Natural setting. Qualitative research involves studying real-life situations in their natural state without any interference or control. In this article by Song, the research wants to understand the various perspective bereaved surrogates of dialysis patients have on the process and impact of an advance care planning intervention among African-Americans and the Whites. For the good study, bereaved surrogates of dialysis patients from both the whites and the African-American were interviewed, giving out their opinion concerning the subject matter.
Researchers are the key instrument in collecting data. Being a prevalent characteristic in qualitative research, the researcher gets inducted into the group. It is the researcher who collects the data for the study. For example, the researcher would want to know to whom between the Whites and African American patients, and the interventions were being administered to most, so he finds himself from the field.
Participants multiple perspectives and meanings held about the problem or the issue. In this characteristic, the researcher views a little action or perspective or opinion as part of the whole or the entire community under study. For instance, there is a bad relationship between dialysis patients and their surrogates.
Context-dependent of participants and sites. In this characteristic, the researcher has to be part of the group to get in-depth study without being bias or taking sides. For instance, in this article, the research wants to know the extent to which the intervention impact has to the whites and the African-American beavered surrogates and dialysis patients.
Dynamic systems. The fact that the researcher is not confined to getting one answer but rather a couple of them if they arise is key to qualitative research’s dynamism. For example, the researcher should not be confined to know the impact of advance care planning interventions experienced by beavered surrogates of dialysis patients, but he also examines the impact on the general community who the recipient of these dialysis patients.
Unique case orientation. The researcher needs to realize that each qualitative study has a unique case of interest, which should not be mixed with other cases. In our case study, the researcher is focused on examining the processes and impacts that advance care planning intervention has on patients’ surrogates.
Content sensitivity. In this characteristic, the researcher must realize the different variables, such as values and beliefs, that surrogate. Since this study involves interventions being applied, it is important to determine the variables used in this context. For instance, the time taken for an intervention to be effective and desired results from SPIRIT’s two themes.
Empathic neutrality. Basically, researchers urged to be as neutral as possible and to be judgmental when compiling findings. However, complete neutrality is impossible, making this characteristic is a controversial aspect of qualitative research. For example, the researcher in this study should be neutral while compiling findings of how the interventions were being administered between the whites and Africa-American patients since he would sound racist.
Design flexibility. In the case of emerging topics or questions from the initial research, researchers have the leeway of continuing to research those other topics or questions. Therefore, the researcher can do any other emanating question or topic from the research topic or question. This helps the researcher to expound more on the main topic or research question. For example, in this topic, another question would be how many patients had received advance care planning intervention, SPIRIT (Sharing Patient’s Illness Representations to Increase Trust) before this study. This would help establish the number of patients in the community under study.
Qualitative data. As the name suggests, qualitative data involves non-numeric data, which gives a detailed description of why a certain phenomenon is a way it. Data gathering methods, such as field notes, interviews, writing samples, and other data helps determine the phenomenon of a group under study. For example, in this study, fields, notes, and interviews conducted on the surrogates and the patients are the data that was used for analysis.
In conclusion, qualitative research is important when the researcher wants to answer some questions and opinions or experiences in a society since it does not require any calculations but rather analysis of reports of interviews and field notes of what was observed.
References
Song, M. K., Metzger, M., & Ward, S. E. (2017). Process and impact of an advance care planning intervention evaluated by bereaved surrogate decision-makers of dialysis patients. Palliative medicine, 31(3), 267-274.