Advanced qualitative research methods mean conducting research studies based on field observations and personal interviews to obtain the required information and data without resorting to statistical uses.
Advanced qualitative research often requires the participation of community members in the research activities carried out by the scientific researcher, and qualitative research varies according to factors in the field, as some research requires concealing the identity of the researcher.
While other research requires showing the identity of the researcher, the advanced qualitative research methods syllabus often refers to ethnographic research and involves collecting a lot of information over a long period of time.
Also, advanced qualitative research methods can be applied to past and current incidents. If such research was applied in the past, it refers at that time to historical research, and when applied in reality, it refers to advanced qualitative research.
What is advanced qualitative research?
Scientists have defined advanced qualitative research methods as \”a type of scientific research that relies on the study of human behavior and attitudes, and in order to do so, information and data are collected through a set of means such as interviews and observations.\”
Through the previous definition, it becomes clear that advanced qualitative research is scientific research that relies on qualitative data, in which the researcher provides comprehensive explanations for the topic or problem of scientific research, and there is no room for statistical or numerical results. Rather, the results are represented in explanatory sentences or audible language.
The advanced qualitative research methods syllabus is used in many fields in which statistical or quantitative measures cannot be used, due to the futility of this in enabling the researcher to secure and interpret the problems or phenomena presented by quantitative means.
For example, in the case of writing scientific research on excellence and innovation, and choosing a sample from the community; In order to derive information from them.
Advanced qualitative research cannot bear fruit in obtaining results, and the qualitative approach is an innovative type of scientific research methodology, and it is often used in social and psychological sciences, and everything related to human activity at the level of society.
What are the methodologies of advanced qualitative research?
The advanced qualitative research methods rely on a set of tools that are used to collect scientific material from data and information as follows:
1- The personal interview: It is an important tool for collecting information in advanced qualitative research, and through it the scientific researcher learns about the views, feelings, and ideas of the respondents, and thus arranges social events that he could not identify through the information he possesses, or through previous studies that he read.
Among the most prominent types of interviews:
A- The regular interview, through which the scientific researcher asks a set of questions that he has prepared in advance, and he may use specific questions or open-ended questions, and the scientific researcher presents the same questions to all members of the sample in the same way and order.
And the method of answers depends on the rational method away from bias Therefore, the scientific researcher should be careful in the way the questions are formulated. To get answers that enrich the scientific research plan.
B- The irregular interview, which is characterized by deep or open questions, and relies on dialogue in order to understand the behaviors and way of thinking of the participants, without putting any projections that limit the answers given by the respondents.
C- The group interview, which depends on asking questions to a group of people at the same time, and the scientific researcher has a pivotal role in managing the dialogue.
Interacting with the participants in their viewpoints, and that process requires that the scientific researcher be familiar with the skills of managing the dialogue and directing toward the desired.
This type of interview may be regular or irregular, and the group interview contributes to identifying a number of things that other types of interviews do not show.
And the interaction between the participants has a great role due to what it does in provoking ideas and encouraging each other to answer, unlike the interview Personality which may be tinged with some shyness, and not give some details on the part of the respondents.
2- Observation:
Observation is one of the oldest means on which advanced qualitative research methods syllabus depends on obtaining data, especially in the social field, where the researcher identifies the dimensions of the research problem in its natural environment.
And listens then records everything that is going on in reality, and the observation may be quantitative at times, In it, the researcher collects measurable data.
While the observation that is used in the qualitative approach is less organizational, and no standard patterns or classifications are used. Rather, the researcher records and communicates openly, by writing down the reality as it is.
Observation may be quantitative (organized) or qualitative (unorganized). In quantitative observation, the researcher observes and seeks to gather numerical (quantitative) information, often by means of a pre-prepared tool.
For example, it records the number of questions asked by the teacher, the number of students participating in the class, or the time spent by the teacher in speaking, and so on.
The observer/researcher is often interested in record numbers, and he has previously prepared models for that.
As for advanced qualitative research methods, it is less organized than that. The observer/researcher does not use predetermined classifications and patterns, but rather records his observations in a natural, continuous, and open manner, recording reality as it happens.
The basic idea here is that the classification and characterization of the information produced by observation will emerge after the information has been collected and analyzed, rather than being arbitrarily imposed on the information during the observation process.
When observation is not organized, the process of observation arises through a series of different processes. It begins by choosing the position to be observed and determining the way to access it, then starting the process of observation and recording.
With the progress of the study or research, the nature of the observation changes so that it becomes more focused, which leads to more accuracy and clarity in the research questions, and this in turn also leads to more accuracy in choosing the points of observation.
Moreover, observation and information collection continues until the researcher gets what is called theoretical saturation, which is the state in which the researcher feels that observation no longer brings anything new, but rather a repetition of what preceded.
3- documents:
This method of advanced qualitative research relies on collecting data and information collected from the documents, and this is represented in the reports written by the specialists and the directions they give in the records.
As well as the notes and reports are written by the experts and the directives that are formally issued, as documents that are important to the scientific researcher.
Through this, it is possible to study and analyze the dimensions of the problem under study, and then reach useful results for the scientific research method.
4- Information and data analysis:
Some may be surprised that the process of analyzing information and data related to advanced qualitative research begins with the beginning of collecting scientific material, for experienced researchers who have experience in the qualitative field, that process requires doing some analytical things, even if initially.
This is so that the scientific researcher does not forget some important matters that he learns about by dealing with the respondents on a daily basis during the study of the sample.
Unlike beginners who collect scientific material, and then carry out the analysis process, that may involve some problems related to forgetting some behaviors and impressions of the respondents.
The data collection phase usually ends with a large and varied amount of data, including transcripts of interviews, field notes, and initial comments on them, in addition to many various documents related to the research topic.
At first glance, the analysis and interpretation of the collected materials and extracting their meanings seem daunting. Often, the novice researcher finds himself dazed and perhaps frustrated by the vast amount of data.
But for the expert researcher who is familiar with the subject of his research, it is a wealth of information and a source of creativity and in-depth analysis.
Data analysis is the organized process of researching texts of interviews, field notes, and other materials through which data was collected and organized to increase the researcher’s understanding of it and to be able to present what he discovered to others.
The analysis involves working with data, arranging it, breaking it down into manageable units, looking for patterns and patterns, and discovering what is important and what can be gained from that data.
What are the types of advanced qualitative research?
Among the most important and common methods of research design in the advanced qualitative research methods syllabus are the following:
1- First, the method of historical studies:
The method of historical studies is one of the methods of designing research in advanced qualitative research methods, which is concerned with ancient studies and past phenomena.
As studying past events is useful in forming a greater understanding of current phenomena, and forming possible expectations about future phenomena. So the topic of historical research is chosen according to the phenomena related to the topic.
And the availability of appropriate sources of information, verification of its reliability and objectivity, and the historical method is based on collecting as much information as possible on the subject of research.
And studying it in an accurate, logical, and detailed manner, and finding closed formulas for conflicting information on the subject.
2- Second, the case studies method:
The case study method is one of the research design methods in advanced qualitative research, which is concerned with deep and detailed studies of the development of a particular scientific phenomenon.
It studies its details and parts, the variables that enter into it, and the relationships between those variables in the event of an increase or decrease in one of them, from the moment that phenomenon was discovered to the present time.
When researchers choose this method to explore and scrutinize complex phenomena, the first step in the case studies method is to identify the scientific topic.
Then collect data and information about the phenomenon and its sources, and researchers collect information about the phenomenon from actual reality in the vast majority of cases.
3- Third, the method of designing the phenomenon or phenomena:
This method constitutes one of the methods of research design in the advanced qualitative research methods syllabus, the main purpose of which is to collect data about the point of view of the participants in the research and try to understand and assimilate their experiences in life.
This method consists of a set of interviews and questionnaires with the respondents, to get to know their opinions and passions On the topic of research and trying to discover human experiences from the data that scientific researchers collect.
4- Fourth, the ethnography method, which is known by another name, the human race method:
The method of ethnography is one of the methods of research design in advanced qualitative research methods, and ethnography means a group of methodologies used to study human society and human culture, where scientific researchers collect data.
By conducting interviews with samples from the specific study community, researchers analyze data and record their observations and transfer This data is based on information and facts based on scientific foundations.
5- Fifth, deductive method:
This method is also one of the research design methods in qualitative research, and it is based on deducing the results from the interviews and data that were collected. This method is not considered to have borne fruit unless it reached reliable and logical scientific results from the research that was conducted.
6- Sixth, the theoretical foundations method:
The method of theoretical foundations is considered one of the research design methods in advanced qualitative research, and it relies on the theoretical principle as a basis for research, and it is based on collecting information to be used later as a basis for studies or research.
And researchers collect data and information through personal and group interviews, then the researchers write down This information within certain sections, chapters, and parts, which are later used as a basis for scientific research.
What are the most common advanced qualitative research data collection methods?
The methods of collecting data in advanced qualitative research methods vary, and among the methods of collecting data in this field are the following:
1- Observation: It is considered an important method and is used to accurately observe phenomena in order to interpret them, find the underlying relationships in them, and collect data related to the behavior of individuals.
It is also used to study and examine personality in life situations to monitor interactions. Moreover, observation varies between direct, external, subjective, and restricted observation.
2- The interview: It is considered an essential and necessary tool for any researcher, as a set of questions is prepared in order to be asked in individual or group interviews face to face.
While observing the behavior and gestures of the respondents in order to obtain specific answers for analysis in order to reach the final results.
It consists in preparing appropriate questions related to scientific research, providing an appropriate introduction to the respondent, and preparing a comfortable place at a time that suits the circumstances of the respondent.
3- Questionnaire: It is considered one of the most important and common data collection tools. It is a reliable tool for obtaining information and facts as well as measuring past experiences, trends, and opinions in order to link them to current behaviors.
And then it is presented in the form of a pre-prepared form that contains a number of questions to analyze its results.
The questionnaires vary to include pictorial, open, closed, and closed-open questionnaires, in addition to questionnaires that are sent either by hand-delivering or e-mail.
4- Tests: A set of questions that are asked of the respondent to describe the current behaviors and the changes that occur to them as a result of exposure to external influences. They are also used to measure the levels of intelligence and abilities of all kinds.
5- Sources and references: It is considered one of the most important ways of presenting data in the advanced qualitative research methods syllabus, as it presents the studies that have been conducted and presented over the years and times to benefit from them during the research.
Why is advanced qualitative research important?
Advanced qualitative research methods are characterized by presenting a set of important matters in the field of scientific research, which focus on the following:
- Being able to explain deep and comprehensive scientific phenomena.
- The ability to collect a large amount of information in a detailed manner from a small number of samples and does not aim to generalize the final results.
- Focusing on words or pictures instead of focusing on numbers, and thus it differs from advanced qualitative research because it is concerned with studying people rather than numbers.
- Provide comprehensive explanations and analyses about social processes or events.
- Trying to discover the hidden causes behind complex social phenomena.
- Advanced qualitative research methods help theory building in areas where previous theories do not exist or where there may be insufficient theories.
- Disclosure of interesting research questions or related questions and issues associated with the study problem.
- The study of scientific phenomena in their circumstances and the natural context in which individuals live.
- Providing insights that help explain social behavior and making sure to use a group of sources instead of relying on a single source.
In conclusion,
advanced qualitative research methods is an investigative method adopted in many different academic disciplines traditionally within the social sciences but also advanced qualitative research is used in conducting market research and other contexts. Where the researchers aim to delve into the understanding of human behavior, and the factors and reasons that govern and drive this behavior.
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