The Personal Nature of Qualitative Research

Abstract

You already have some familiarity with qualitative research methods, whether you realize it or not. Regardless of how many courses you've taken, much of your life has been spent investigating issues and subjects that intrigue or confuse you. You set upon a mission to read what you can on the subject, talk to people who might know things that are relevant and useful, observe circumstances and contexts in which this phenomenon is often present, and compare what you have learned to what you think you already know. Then you try to make sense of everything you've collected and arrive at some sort of theory or syntesis to explain what you sought to understand. This process is not much different from what you will learn in this book. We aim to teach you a more systematic, strategic, and effective way to go about researching what you most want to know and understand. In this first chapter, after introducing ourselves to you through our own personal qualitative journeys, we will review some of the basic concepts and principles that are part of this research strategy. Although this book can stand alone as a text or resource, you will need to consult other sources to learn the more practical dimensions of actually conducting your own studies. Our goal is to increase your understanding of qualitative research by capturing your interest within the stories of two dozen journeys undertaken by students, and the methods they used. Each narrative highlights some of the most important ideas regarding the conceptual and pragmatic challenges that you will face.