6 examples of qualitative research (explained)

Examples of qualitative research that address different areas of knowledge.

Depending on the characteristics of our object of study, we will sometimes conduct qualitative research and sometimes quantitative.

On this occasion we will focus on the first of these modalities, thus discovering what characterizes it and distinguishes it from the other typology, what its advantages and disadvantages are, and of course we will see some examples of qualitative research to be able to easily understand what it is.

Understanding qualitative research

Before we begin to list the different examples of qualitative research, it is useful to make a small introduction to help understand what this methodology consists of. Qualitative research is a type of study that, based on the scientific method, is dedicated to recording certain characteristics that cannot be measured by numbers at the outset..

To make such records, researchers use a series of techniques such as simple observation, whether participant or not, surveys and interviews, or focus groups. What is done with these tools is to obtain complete speeches from the participants and then analyze the content carefully in order to draw conclusions.

These techniques are appropriate for this type of work, as we will see later in the different examples of qualitative research. Quantitative research, on the other hand, uses experiments. Qualitative research is very much oriented towards disciplines that generally fall within the social sciences, although it may be the case that the field of study is different.

As we will discover when reviewing the examples of qualitative research, this type of work seeks to study the phenomenon in its natural context.. Once this has been observed, the researcher's task is to interpret all the data he has been able to record in order to provide them with a meaning that explains the specific quality he has been studying.

What he would be doing is a process of induction, since he would start from the cases that he has been able to observe during the investigation and from the data studied in them, he would reach the conclusions applicable to the generality of all cases. For this reason, moreover, in this type of research it is not usual for the scientist to establish a priori hypotheses.

The studies carried out to give rise to the different examples of qualitative research are with small samples.. No statistical analysis of the data obtained is performed. That is a task left for quantitative research cases.

Different examples of qualitative research

Now that we have the necessary theoretical basis to be clear about the characteristics of these studies, we will go on to see a list of examples of qualitative research that will complement the data seen in the introduction and we will thus have a global vision of this concept.

1. Voting intention survey

One of the first examples of qualitative research that we can easily find is related to voting intention surveys. These studies are usually carried out with a random population sample whose subjects are asked questions aimed at finding out what will be their preferred voting option. in the upcoming elections, if you have any.

It is also common to ask about the opinion of the different political leaders of the main parties. Similarly, other surveys ask questions to find out what are the main concerns about the elements that surround the society in which they live, whether they refer to internal issues, such as the unemployment rate or a political scandal, or external ones, such as a global economic crisis.

These types of studies provide insight into the general thoughts of a given population on a specific issue. Therefore, although the example is that of voting intentions, since it is one of the most recurrent motives, we should know that the methodology is applicable to practically any subject that the researcher is interested in knowing in order to carry out his study.

2. Relationships between colleagues

Continuing with the list of examples of qualitative research, we can also observe numerous studies whose purpose is to find out what are the social relationships established between a certain group of people. For example, the observation scenario can be a school, verifying the behavioral patterns of children at certain ages..

Continuing with this example, an observer who is integrated into the daily routines of the class and can appreciate the behavior of the children without interfering in them, can easily find out what are the social relationships that have been built between them, friendship, enmity, participation in activities and sports, etc.. You will also see how these ties evolve over time, strengthening, weakening or disappearing.

The school is only one of the possible scenarios, because in reality we can observe the behavior of human beings in any type of scenario, whether in their workplaces, in stores, in leisure premises or any other we can think of. Human behavior is so complex that any new area of observation that the researcher can think of will provide him with a wealth of information to continue unraveling its secrets.

3. Animal behavior

But we can not only observe human beings. For many purposes, we are also interested in the behavior of different animal species. Observation can be done both in the natural habitat, if possible, and in captivity, either in zoos or zoological parks.Whether in zoos or other enclosures where the animal is kept.

We can observe and learn from any animal species, but depending on the purpose of the research, some will be more interesting than others. For example, practitioners of ethology and primatology seeking to conduct a comparative study of animal behavior with human behavior will likely find observations of primates more interesting, and the closer they are genetically to humans, the better.For example, practitioners of ethology and primatology seeking to conduct a comparative study of animal behavior with human behavior will probably find observations of primates more interesting, and the closer they are genetically to humans, the better.

In this case, a good example could be the observation of chimpanzees in their natural environment, and its greatest representative could be none other than Jane Goodall, who has dedicated no less than 60 years to carry out this type of study with wild chimpanzee populations in Africa. The field of qualitative research in primatology would not be the same without the contributions of this ethologist.

4. Traditions of a given culture

When we talk about human behavior, we must not forget that, although one part is innate, another part corresponds to the sociocultural construction of the individual we are observing.. For this reason, another of the most important examples of qualitative research is that of the traditions possessed by a given culture.

To focus the example, we can simply think of the very different rites that take place when a human being is born, when he or she marries or dies, depending on the country or culture in which he or she lives. Generally, these types of issues are deeply rooted in religions, as they have marked the behavior of people in many aspects for centuries, and have even left an important mark in those societies that today are called secular.

5. Consumption habits

Of course, in a society based on capitalism, companies are going to invest large amounts of money to get to know their potential customers in depth.. Therefore, another example of qualitative research that we should not lose sight of is consumer habits. There can be as many studies as there are products or services on the market.

Each company or sector will be responsible, to a greater or lesser extent, for studying the population in which its potential consumers are found. They will check what attracts their attention to the product, at all levels, from its packaging or its location in the corresponding store to the design, the materials or the utilities themselves. Every little detail can make a difference and translate into huge profits or losses.

That's why this is probably one of the areas where this is probably one of the areas where qualitative research has the most weight.The marketing of any company is based, or should be based, on a high level of knowledge of the public to which its service or product is directed.

6. Study of behaviors associated with psychopathologies

To close the list of examples of qualitative research, we cannot forget a very particular type of human behavior, which is associated with different psychopathologies.. In order to correctly understand the implications of a given psychological illness, it is essential that we know in detail the behavioral alterations it entails on a daily basis: hallucinations, delusions, states of agitation, etc.

Therefore, all those qualitative investigations aimed at shedding light in this sense will be relevant, and thanks to which, mental health professionals can do their work with increasing efficiency.

Bibliographical references:

• Flick, U. (2012). Introduction to qualitative research. Morata.
• Pathak, V., Jena, B., Kalra, S. (2013). Qualitative research. Perspectives in clinical research.
• Patton, M.Q. (2005). Qualitative research. Encyclopedia of statistics in behavioral science. Wiley Online Library.
• Serrano, G.P. (1994). Qualitative research: challenges and questions. Aula Abierta.