Qualitative research methods and applications

¶ … Social Media on the Advertising Competitiveness of Small Businesses

In conducting qualitative research projects, care must be taken in terms of research focus, as qualitative studies are appropriate for specific kinds of objectives distinct from quantitative research. In studies that require in-depth analysis of a topic or phenomenon, wherein insights from specific kinds of individuals, groups and other units of analysis are necessary, then qualitative is the appropriate research design.

Within the qualitative research paradigm, Integrity, Triangulation, Transferability and Trustworthiness are critical concepts that define the rigor of data collection and analysis when conducting qualitative studies. Integrity is particularly critical at the data collection and analysis stages of the research process. Integrity is the honesty of the researcher in ensuring that information and data collected are in their truest form, without any modification or biases. At the data analysis stage, integrity is also important because the researcher will have to ensure as well that the analysis remains true to the framework of the study. Further, data quality checks are done to determine the validity and authenticity of the information generated, as these data qualities are the most important ones in qualitative studies.

Triangulation is a practice in research wherein studies utilize more than one method as a check-and-balance measure in identifying the validity and/or reliability of the results generated from the data collected and analyzed. In qualitative studies, a researcher might use quantitative results to conceptualize a qualitative study, or vice versa. Alternatively, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions could be done on the same topic or phenomenon to explore all available dimensions to the issue being discussed. Transferability, meanwhile, talks about the ability of generated results in qualitative studies to be applied in other groups or individuals experiencing the same phenomenon. The objective of course in transferability is not to generalize, but to determine if indeed, the same results will hold true for other groups that share the same characteristics from which the results of the study came from (e.g., cultural sub-groups within the American Indian culture) (Babbie, 2003:211). Lastly, Trustworthiness is the establishment of the researcher's credibility and trust between him/her and the study's informants / interviewees / discussants. Trust leads to rapport, which will make the informant at ease, disclose more, and impart useful insights about the topic/phenomenon under study.