Qualitative study differs from quantitative studies, and qualitative studies focus on the qualitative aspects of data. Qualitative studies rely on opinions, ideas, and people's experiences to generate insights into an issue. It does not involve quantitative data. Qualitative studies at the PhD level can be conducted in disciplines such as arts, humanities and social sciences. It requires careful planning and a strong research design. This article will tell you how to work on a qualitative study at PhD level.
What Is A Qualitative Study?
Qualitative study is one of the most intriguing and enriching experiences for researchers. It is a fruitful exercise since it involves researchers working on many crucial aspects of human life. Qualitative research helps researchers examine a wide range of social issues, such as the composition and morphology of social life and historical and political developments. Moreover, researchers employ qualitative practices to comprehend people's opinions, experiences, ideas, beliefs and attitudes. These insights provide a rich and detailed account of human life. It provides a nuanced and varied account of research participants' thoughts and experiences, unlike quantitative research that seeks to quantify to classify humanity in a straitjacket of fixed numbers and entities.
Human experience is rich, diverse, subtle and nuanced; therefore, it cannot be quantified objectively. Qualitative study seeks to capture the rich essence of human life through non-numerical approaches and seeks to understand people's underlying assumptions, emotions and feelings. Furthermore, qualitative research helps researchers decipher the social processes and their linkages with the development of social discourse and how power dynamics influence the discourse. Qualitative approaches value variety, subtlety and the dynamic nature of human life.
How To Do Qualitative Study At PhD Level?
Step 1: Select a Suitable Topic
The first step to conduct a qualitative study at PhD level is to select a suitable topic. Topic selection entails some preliminary research on the issue and gap identification. You must review contemporary research and the latest developments in your field. The topic must be unique and touch upon unexplored issues and problems. The entire purpose of research is to add value to the literature and shed light on underexplored or ignored problems surrounding human life. Therefore, your topic must be unique and not just replicate previous studies. You must read the latest research papers and especially read the recommendations section. In the recommendations section, every researcher signals future studies that can be conducted to explore more about the issue. Make sure that you select a topic that matches your interests because otherwise, you might lose interest halfway through the research.
Step 2: Do Some Brainstorming
Once you identify the potential topics, the next step to conduct a qualitative study at PhD level is to narrow down the scope of your topic. Your topic's scope must be limited yet broad enough to cater to the needs of PhD dissertation word count at PhD level. It should not be too broad or too narrow but a balanced topic that focuses on the crucial aspects of an issue. Brainstorming helps you limit the scope of your topic. Write down as many ideas as you can that you have gathered during the preliminary research and let your thoughts flow freely. Once you are done with this exercise, you will be able to narrow down the scope of your topic to one or two important aspects.
Step 3: Formulate a Research Problem
A research problem is your key stance on the issue, and the entire research revolves around the central issue. The research problem is the gap you have identified in the literature. In your research problem, you state the issue, its significance and how your research will address the gap. It is imperative to take a strong stance on the issue and compose a coherent statement. Your research problem must not be vague because it will give an impression to the reader that you are not sure of what you are doing.
Step 4: Choose an Approach
Qualitative study at PhD level encompasses choosing an approach for addressing the research problem. Qualitative studies involve the following approaches: grounded theory, ethnography, action research, phenomenological research, and narrative research. Grounded theory approach entails gathering data on the issue and using an inductive method to generate a theory. Ethnographic approach entails researcher engagement with the research participants and attempting to understand their lived experiences and culture. Similarly, action research involves charting out a practical course of action for addressing a research problem. Phenomenological research attempts to understand people's experiences and phenomena. Narrative research attempts to evaluate how people create meaning through their experiences. So, deciding which approach is best suited for addressing your research problem is imperative.
Step 5: Research Questions
Research questions are important to compose in a qualitative study. Research questions are a logical extension of the research problem. They must be specific and straightforward. The questions should not be vague and should be formulated in a manner as to address the research problem properly.
Step 6: Select a Data Collection Method
A qualitative study requires selecting a data collection method. Observations, interviews, focus groups, surveys and secondary research are useful approaches for gathering data. Primary research requires collecting first-hand data, whereas, in secondary research, you can rely on secondary sources such as books, articles and archival documents. Data collection for PhD research is lengthy, and novice researchers often encounter difficulties in collecting valid data for their research. If you need any help in data collection for your research, you can always approach expert writers to get PhD dissertation help.
Step 7: Define the Sample Size
When doing primary research, it is imperative to define the sample size. Different sampling strategies help define a sample size, such as probability sampling, non-sampling and snowball techniques.
Step 8: Organise The Data
Once you collect the data, it is imperative to organise it using codes and labels. The initial raw data does not make sense since it is disjointed and scattered. You must organise and sort it to convey meaning.
Step 9: Select A Data Analysis Approach
Once you organise the data, the next step is to select a data analysis approach. Qualitative data analysis encompasses thematic, content, textual, and discourse analysis. The most important aspect of all these approaches is that they seek to identify the recurring themes and patterns in the data.
Step 10: Keep A Check On Your Biases
In qualitative studies, it is common that researcher biases often seep into the studies and compromise the data. Therefore, it is imperative to keep a check on your biases and ensure that the data is analysed objectively and impartially.
Conclusion
Qualitative study at PhD level is a long and arduous research project which requires patience. Researchers often get frustrated with the lengthy process; however, it is normal because research takes time. You can refer to the above-mentioned guidelines for doing qualitative research.
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