Qualitative research

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is a broad term that covers many methods of gathering information. There are two major themes that link all qualitative research methods together: the phenomena is studied in its natural setting and the phenomena are studied in all their complexity (1). The goal of qualitative research is often to determine the perspectives of the individuals involved with a phenomena, identifying common themes that tie the situation together.

Qualitative methods are chosen when the researcher wishes to describe, interpret, verify, or evaluate a situation (1). It is important to note that qualitative research rarely allows for a researcher to define a cause-and-effect relationship (1). Qualitative research can answer more abstract questions, such as are the physicians happy with the new CPOE system or do the patients feel that the surgery they underwent has improved the quality of their lives.

Qualitative vs Quantitative Research

Qualitative and quantitative research differ in several significant ways. One difference is that quantitative studies usually require a larger sample size. Qualitative studies can research "Saturation" much sooner, the point where additional information adds very little value as all of the major themes have been identified. Quantitative studies, due to their more objective nature and larger sample size, can often be generalized to a larger population, whereas qualitative studies are specific to the group studied.

Another difference is that qualitative studies aim to answer the why and how, while quantitative research answers the what, where, and when (2). Quantitative research is almost always based in numbers, but qualitative research does not have that constraint. Often opinions and other more abstract data are the results of qualitative research. These differences highlight that in quantitative research there is a single "truth" or correct measurement, such as the true average weight of all babies born in California, that quantitative researchers attempt to accurately predict. In qualitative studies there may not be a "correct" answer, the goal of the research is simply to reveal the multiple perspectives of those involved (1).

Despite their differences, both qualitative and quantitative research methods are powerful tools used to understand a phenomenon. The two systems can also be combined to create mixed-method studies.

Qualitative Research in Clinical Informatics

Qualitative studies are very useful in the clinical setting, as issues are either too complex to study or too prohibitively expensive to conduct using quantitative methods. In qualitative research, the potential sources of information are only limited by the researcher (1). Conducting interviews allows the research group to identify previously unconsidered issues, and can gauge the success of a project in more human terms.

See the paper by Sittig for an example of a qualitative study.

Types of Studies

There are many types of qualitative studies, several of which are listed below.

Case study - a study of a specific individual, program, or event.

Ethnography - a study of an entire group.

Phenomenological study - a study of the perceptions, perspectives, and understandings of the individuals involved in a particular situation (1).

Content analysis - a study to examine the contents of a specific body of material to systematically identify patterns, themes, or biases (1).

References

1. Leedy PD, Ormrod JE. Practical research planning and design. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc; 2010.

2. Wikipedia (2011). Qualitative research. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_research

3. Sittig DF, Krall M, Kaalaas-Sittig J, Ash JS. Emotional aspects of computer-based provider order entry: a qualitative study. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2005 Sep-Oct; 12(5): 561-7.

Other Links

Qualitative technique: Case Study Research [1]

Emotional aspects of Computer Provider Order Entry: a qualitative study.[2]

Submitted by Bjorn Vanberg