View/Open - ARAN - National University of Ireland, Galway

3.4 Research Methodologies/Strategies
82
Chapter 3 Research Framework
This section will look at the various research methodologies/strategies available to
the researcher. It will begin with an overview of qualitative research and then outline
some of the key approaches used within this domain. It will then give an overview of
quantitative research and some of the key approaches used within that domain.
Very broadly speaking the main research methodologies/strategies can be classified
as either qualitative or quantitative approaches. Morse and Field (1996) stated that
qualitative research constructs theory and quantitative research tests theory. Denzin
and Lincoln (1994) stated that qualitative researchers stress the socially constructed
nature of reality, the relationship between the researcher and what is being studied
and the situational constraints that shape inquiry. In contrast, Denzin and Lincoln
(1994) stated that quantitative research emphasises the measurement and analysis of
causal relationships between variables, not processes.
3.4.1 Qualitative Research
The goal of qualitative research is to yield rich, in-depth descriptions of phenomena.
Qualitative inquiry is a process of documentation, description, identification of
patterns and concepts, identification of the relationship between concepts, and
creation of theoretical explanations that explain reality (Morse and Field, 1996).
Qualitative research is inductive. Inductive theory is directed towards bringing
knowledge into view. It is generally descriptive, naming phenomena and positing
relationships. It is frequently conducted in the naturalistic setting and considers
context as part of the phenomenon. The goal of the researcher is to identify patterns
or commonalities by inference from examination of specific instances or events
(Morse and Field, 1996).
According to Polit, Beck and Hungler (2001), qualitative research is flexible. It
sometimes involves a merging together of various data collection strategies or
methods. It tends to be holistic, and requires the researcher to become intensely
involved and remain in the research field for long periods of time. Burns and Grove
(2001) stated that qualitative researchers believe there is no single reality, that reality
changes over time and that meaning is contextual and situational.