Qualitative Research Methodology in Social Sciences
Downloads
The objective of this study is to provide a guide to qualitative research methodology in social sciences. It is the result of the observation that research in Management Sciences in most Universities in Cameroon is still dominated by the quantitative approach supported by economists who handle most research methodology courses. In an environment of oral tradition and the difficulties to have access to data, emphasising purely quantitative research may leave aside many aspects of the environment and several areas of human behaviour that make its specificities. Therefore, there is a need to generalise the use of qualitative research to enable researchers to always have a good insight into phenomena not yet clarified before thinking of any generalisation which is the main objective of quantitative research: this gives room to the contextualisation of research which results can easily be applied in its context, thus, enhancing development.
Downloads
Agar, M. H. (1986). Speaking of ethnography (Vol. 2). Sage.
Aikenhead, G. S. (2003). Review of research on humanistic perspectives in science curricula. European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) Conference, Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands.
Aikenhead, G. S., and Jegede, O. J. (1999). Cross-cultural science education: A cognitive explanation of a cultural phenomenon. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(3), 269–287.
Alharahsheh, H. H., and Pius, A. (2020). A review of key paradigms: Positivism VS interpretivism. Global Academic Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(3), 39–43.
Ali, S., and Farooqi, Y. A. (2014). Effect of work overload on job satisfaction, effect of job satisfaction on employee performance and employee engagement (a case of public sector University of Gujranwala Division). International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences and Engineering, 5(8), 23–30.
Almås, H., Pinkow, F., and Giæver, F. (2023). Reimagining how to understand learning game experiences: A qualitative and exploratory case study. Smart Learning Environments, 10(1), 14.
Alvi, M. (2016). A manual for selecting sampling techniques in research.
Anadón, M., and Guillemette, F. (2006). La recherche qualitative est-elle nécessairement inductive? Recherches Qualitatives, 5, 26–37. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lorraine_Savoie-Zajc/publication/237504691_Comment_peut-on_construire_un_chantillonnage_scientifiquement_valide/links/560951f408ae1396914a0131.pdf#page=29
Antwi, S., and Kasim, H. (2015). Qualitative and Quantitative Research Paradigms in Business Research: A Philosophical Reflection. European Journal of Business and Management.
Arora, M., and Sharma, R. L. (2023). Artificial intelligence and big data: Ontological and communicative perspectives in multi-sectoral scenarios of modern businesses. Foresight, 25(1), 126–143.
Atangana-Abe, J. (2003). Legitimite et prise de decision strategique dans les systemes d’entraide communautaires: Le cas du systeme Centraide du Grand Montreal (French text).
Bluff, R. (2005). Grounded theory: The methodology. Qualitative Research in Health Care, 147–167. http://books.google.com/books?hl=enandlr=andid=qXAwqGCl9rMCandoi=fndandpg=PA147anddq=%22that+is+appropriate+to+use+when+there+is+a+lack+of+knowledge+or+theory+of%22+%22that+the+development+of+theory+is+facilitated+through+an+interactive%22+andots=8dmZg9oQdAandsig=q7o3-rA4_sUZkDaU34X-2CdR3Sw
Bogdan, R., and Biklen, S. K. (1997). Qualitative research for education. Allyn and Bacon Boston, MA.
Bonache, J. (2021). The challenge of using a ‘non-positivist’paradigm and getting through the peer-review process. Human Resource Management Journal, 31(1), 37–48.
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal.
Candy, P. C. (1991). Self-Direction for Lifelong Learning. A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice. ERIC.
Cardno, C., Rosales-Anderson, N., and McDonald, M. (n.d.). DOCUMENTARY ANALYSIS HUI.
Carlson, D. (2020). Interview Guide. In Christianity and Conversion among Migrants (pp. 265–265). Brill.
Carry, M. G., and Mijares, A. (2019). Designing (and Negotiating) an Interview Guide with Multiple Stakeholders for a Rapid Ethnographic Assessment.
Cherdymova, E. I., Ukolova, L. I., Gribkova, O. V., Kabkova, E. P., Tararina, L. I., Kurbanov, R. A., Belyalova, A. M., and Kudrinskaya, I. V. (2018). Projective techniques for student environmental attitudes study. Ekoloji, 27(106), 541–546.
Choudrie, J., Manandhar, N., Castro, C., and Obuekwe, C. (2023). Hey Siri, Google! Can you help me? A qualitative case study of smartphones AI functions in SMEs. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 189, 122375.
Ciesielska, M., Boström, K. W., and Öhlander, M. (2018). Observation methods. In Qualitative methodologies in organization studies (pp. 33–52). Springer.
Creswell, J. W., Hanson, W. E., Clark Plano, V. L., and Morales, A. (2007). Qualitative research designs: Selection and implementation. The Counseling Psychologist, 35(2), 236–264.
Crotty, M. (2020). The foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process. Routledge.
Cruz, D. (2022). Documentary Research in the Asian Context. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research in the Asian Context, 190.
Daepp, M. I., Binet, A., Gavin, V., Arcaya, M. C., and Consortium, H. N. R. (2022). The moving mapper: Participatory action research with big data. Journal of the American Planning Association, 88(2), 179–191.
Daniel, S., Venkateswaran, C., Singh, C., Hutchinson, A., and Johnson, M. J. (2021). “So, when a woman becomes ill, the total structure of the family is affected, they can’t do anything…” Voices from the community on women with breast cancer in India: A qualitative focus group study. Supportive Care in Cancer, 1–13.
De Oliveira, B. (2023). Participatory action research as a research approach: Advantages, limitations and criticisms. Qualitative Research Journal, 23(3), 287–297.
de Sousa, L., Pinto, I. R., Clemente, F., and Maciel, G. G. (2020). Using a three-stage focus group design to develop questionnaire items for a mass survey on corruption and austerity: A roadmap. Qualitative Research Journal.
Deetz, S. (1996). Commentary: The positioning of the researcher in studies of organizations: De-Hatching literary theory. Journal of Management Inquiry, 5(4), 387–391.
Deslauriers, J.-P., and Kérisit, M. (1997). Le devis de recherche qualitative. La Recherche Qualitative: Enjeux Épistémologiques et Méthodologiques, 85–111.
Dhaliwal, K. K., Hirst, S. P., King-Shier, K. M., and Kent-Wilkinson, A. (2021). The implementation of correctional nursing practice—Caring behind bars: A grounded theory study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77(5), 2407–2416.
Dingsøyr, T., Bjørnson, F. O., Schrof, J., and Sporsem, T. (2023). A longitudinal explanatory case study of coordination in a very large development programme: The impact of transitioning from a first-to a second-generation large-scale agile development method. Empirical Software Engineering, 28(1), 1–49.
Donalek, J. G. (2004). Choosing among qualitative traditions. Urologic Nursing, 24(5), 409–410.
Dowling, M., and Cooney, A. (2012). Research approaches related to phenomenology: Negotiating a complex landscape. Nurse Researcher, 20(2).
Ehrmin, J. T., and Pierce, L. L. (2021). Innovative qualitative research data collection and analysis activities that engage nursing students. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(1), 38–42.
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 532–550.
ELLIS, P. (2021). Sampling in qualitative research (3). Wounds UK, 17(1).
Engward, H. (2013). Understanding grounded theory. Nursing Standard (through 2013), 28(7), 37.
Farzanfar, R. (2005). Using qualitative research methods to evaluate automated health promotion/disease prevention technologies: A procedures’ manual. Boston University. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Farzanfar, R., Frishkopf, S., Migneault, J., and Friedman, R. (2005). Telephone-linked care for physical activity: A qualitative evaluation of the use patterns of an information technology program for patients. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 38(3), 220–228.
Fekede, T. (2017). Teachers professional development in schools: Reflection on the move to create a culture of continuous improvement. Journal of Teacher Education and Educators, 6(3), 275–296.
Fischer, E., and Guzel, G. T. (2023). The case for qualitative research. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 33(1), 259–272.
Flick, U. (2022). An introduction to qualitative research. sage.
Forman, C., Ghose, A., and Wiesenfeld, B. (2008). Examining the relationship between reviews and sales: The role of reviewer identity disclosure in electronic markets. Information Systems Research, 19(3), 291–313.
Frechette, J., Bitzas, V., Aubry, M., Kilpatrick, K., and Lavoie-Tremblay, M. (2020). Capturing lived experience: Methodological considerations for interpretive phenomenological inquiry. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1609406920907254.
Frick, P. J., Barry, C. T., and Kamphaus, R. W. (2020). Projective techniques. In Clinical assessment of child and adolescent personality and behavior (pp. 185–207). Springer.
Fukuzawa, M., Sugie, R., Park, Y., and Shi, J. (2022). An exploratory case study on the metrics and performance of iot investment in Japanese manufacturing firms. Sustainability, 14(5), 2708.
Gagnon, Y.-C. (2012). L’étude de cas comme méthode de recherche (2nd ed). Presses de l’Université du Québec.
Gentry, M. (2022). An Instrumental Case Study of the Impact of a Required Physical Activity Course Among Community College Students in Texas [PhD Thesis]. Northcentral University.
Gephart Jr, R. P. (2004). Qualitative research and the Academy of Management Journal. In Academy of management journal (Vol. 47, Issue 4, pp. 454–462). Academy of Management Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510.
Gill, A. J. (2021). Difficulties and support in the transition to higher education for non-traditional students. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 26(4), 410–441.
Gill, P., Stewart, K., Treasure, E., and Chadwick, B. (2008). Methods of data collection in qualitative research: Interviews and focus groups. British Dental Journal, 204(6), 291–295.
Glaser, B. G., and Strauss, A. L. (2017). Discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Routledge.
Gonzalez, R. S., da Silveira Rossi, R. A., and Vieira, L. G. M. (2022). Economic and financial consequences of process accidents in Brazil: Multiple case studies. Engineering Failure Analysis, 132, 105934.
Grenier, C., and Josserand, E. (1999). Recherches sur le contenu et recherches sur le processus. Méthodes de Recherche En Management, 104–136.
Guba, E. G., and Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions, and emerging confluences.
Guest, G., Namey, E., and McKenna, K. (2017). How many focus groups are enough? Building an evidence base for nonprobability sample sizes. Field Methods, 29(1), 3–22.
Gummesson, E. (2000). Qualitative methods in management research. Sage.
Hamilton, A. B., and Finley, E. P. (2019). Qualitative methods in implementation research: An introduction. Psychiatry Research, 280, 112516.
Hennink, M. M., and Kaiser, B. N. (2020). Saturation in qualitative research. SAGE Publications Limited.
Hertz, M. R. (2019). Projective Techniques in Crisis 1. In Personality Assessment in America (pp. 99–112). Routledge.
Hlady-Rispal, M. (2015). Une stratégie de recherche en gestion-L’étude de cas. Revue Française de Gestion, 41(253), 251–266.
Hlady-Rispal, M., Fayolle, A., and Gartner, W. B. (2021). In search of creative qualitative methods to capture current entrepreneurship research challenges. Taylor and Francis.
Howitt, D. (2019). Introduction to qualitative research methods in psychology: Putting theory into practice. Pearson UK.
Hutasuhut, I., Adruce, S. A. Z., and Jonathan, V. (2021). How a learning organization cultivates self-directed learning. Journal of Workplace Learning.
Jamshed, S. (2014). Qualitative research method-interviewing and observation. Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacy, 5(4), 87.
Jones, M. L., Kriflik, G. K., and Zanko, M. (2005). Grounded Theory: A theoretical and practical application in the Australian Film Industry.
Karppinen, K., and Moe, H. (2019). Texts as data I: Document analysis. In The Palgrave handbook of methods for media policy research (pp. 249–262). Springer.
Kubacki, K., and Siemieniako, D. (2017). Projective techniques. In Formative Research in Social Marketing (pp. 165–181). Springer.
Kuhn, T. S. (1962). Historical Structure of Scientific Discovery: To the historian discovery is seldom a unit event attributable to some particular man, time, and place. Science, 136(3518), 760–764.
Kyzar, E. J., and Denfield, G. H. (2023). Taking subjectivity seriously: Towards a unification of phenomenology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. Molecular Psychiatry, 28(1), 10–16.
Larsen, R. R., Maschião, L. F., Piedade, V. L., Messas, G., and Hastings, J. (2022). More phenomenology in psychiatry? Applied ontology as a method towards integration. The Lancet Psychiatry.
Leininger, M. M. (1985). Transcultural care diversity and universality: A theory of nursing. Nursing and Health Care: Official Publication of the National League for Nursing, 6(4), 208–212.
Levy, M., Lanamäki, A., and Hirschheim, R. (2020). Robust Action Strategies in a Connected but Unequal World: Revisiting American Pragmatism for Social Justice focused Research in Information Systems. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 47(1), 42.
Lewin, K. (1946). Action research and minority problems. Journal of Social Issues, 2(4), 34–46.
Lin, S., Yin, G., and Chen, L. (2023). The sexuality experience of stoma patients: A meta-ethnography of qualitative research. BMC Health Services Research, 23(1), 489.
Lincoln, Y. S., Lynham, S. A., and Guba, E. G. (2011). Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions, and emerging confluences, revisited. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, 4(2), 97–128.
Maxwell, J. A. (2004). Causal explanation, qualitative research, and scientific inquiry in education. Educational Researcher, 33(2), 3–11.
McCain, J. E., Caissie, L., Edwards, J., Handrigan, G., McGibbon, C., Hebert, J., Gallibois, M., Cooling, K. M., Read, E., and Sénéchal, M. (2023). Long-term care residents’ acceptance of a standing intervention: A qualitative intrinsic case study. Geriatric Nursing, 50, 94–101.
Merriam, S. B. (1988). Case study research in education: A qualitative approach. Jossey-Bass.
Mohajan, D., and Mohajan, H. (2022). Straussian Grounded Theory: An Evolved Variant in Qualitative Research.
Morgan, H. (2022). Conducting a Qualitative Document Analysis. Qualitative Report, 27(1).
Morris, J. (2022). Political ethnography and Russian studies in a time of conflict. Post-Soviet Affairs, 1–9.
Murigi, E. M., Muathe, S. M. A., Kuria, T. J., and Gikonyo, N. K. (n.d.). Proactive Management Measures, Rehabilitation Centres and Behavioural Change to Alcohol and Tobacco Usage Among Youth in the Slums of Nairobi County, Kenya. MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CONFERENCE, 184.
Myers, D. R. (2009). Evaluation of the performance of the pvusa rating methodology applied to dual junction pv technology: Preprint (revised). National Renewable Energy Lab.(NREL), Golden, CO (United States).
Neuman, A., and Aviram, A. (2003). Homeschooling as a fundamental change in lifestyle. Evaluation and Research in Education, 17(2–3), 132–143.
Neuman, S. B., and Dickinson, D. K. (2003). Handbook of early literacy research.
Ntakumba, S. S., and de Jongh, D. (2023). RSCL onto-epistemology and practice approach to reconceptualise responsible leadership theory. South African Journal of Business Management, 54(1), 9.
O. Nyumba, T., Wilson, K., Derrick, C. J., and Mukherjee, N. (2018). The use of focus group discussion methodology: Insights from two decades of application in conservation. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 9(1), 20–32.
O’Brien, B. C., Zapata, J., Chang, A., and Pierluissi, E. (2022). Bridging medical education goals and health system outcomes: An instrumental case study of pre-clerkship students’ improvement projects. Perspectives on Medical Education, 11(4), 179–186.
O’Leary, N. (2014). Learning informally to use teaching games for understanding: The experiences of a recently qualified teacher. European Physical Education Review, 20(3), 367–384.
Otoo, B. K. (2020). Declaring My Ontological and Epistemological Stance: A Reflective Paper. Journal of Educational Thought/Revue de La Pensée Educative, 53(1), 67–88.
Paré, G. (2004). Investigating information systems with positivist case research. The Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 13(1), 57.
Perumpully, S. J., Gautam, S., Muralkar, P., and Jebasingh, B. (2023). Characterization of segregated greywater from rural Indian Households: An Instrumental case study. Total Environment Research Themes, 100053.
Polit, D., and Beck, C. T. (2014). Essentials of nursing research. Appraising Evidence for Nursing Practice, 8.
Porter, S. (2023). A Qualitative Explanatory Case Study of the Strategies Used by Special Education Teachers to Address Burnout [PhD Thesis]. Northcentral University.
Pyo, J., Lee, W., Choi, E. Y., Jang, S. G., and Ock, M. (2023). Qualitative research in healthcare: Necessity and characteristics. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 56(1), 12.
Raghunathan, K., McKenna, L., and Peddle, M. (2023). Factors in integrating academic electronic medical records in nursing curricula: A qualitative multiple case studies approach. Nurse Education Today, 120, 105626.
Rattani, S. A., Dahlke, S., and Cameron, B. (2022). Cancer care in Pakistan: A descriptive case study. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 9, 23333936221080988.
Reid, K., and Okoko, J. M. (2023). Life History Narrative. In Varieties of Qualitative Research Methods: Selected Contextual Perspectives (pp. 287–293). Springer.
Ritchie, J., and Spencer, L. (2002). Qualitative data analysis for applied policy research. In Analyzing qualitative data (pp. 187–208). Routledge.
Roberts, R. E. (2020). Qualitative Interview Questions: Guidance for Novice Researchers. Qualitative Report, 25(9).
Robson, R. (1999). Object-oriented instructional design and applications to the web.
Rumsey, M., Stowers, P., Sam, H., Neill, A., Rodrigues, N., Brooks, F., and Daly, J. (2022). Development of PARcific approach: Participatory action research methodology for collectivist health research. Qualitative Health Research, 32(8–9), 1297–1314.
Rutberg, S., and Bouikidis, C. D. (2018). Focusing on the fundamentals: A simplistic differentiation between qualitative and quantitative research. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 45(2), 209–213.
Sanchez, J. I., Bonache, J., Paz-Aparicio, C., and Oberty, C. Z. (2023). Combining interpretivism and positivism in international business research: The example of the expatriate role. Journal of World Business, 58(2), 101419.
Seidel, S., and Watson, R. T. (2020). Integrating explanatory/predictive and prescriptive science in information systems research. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 47(1), 49.
Sgier, L. (2012). Qualitative data analysis. An Initiat. Gebert Ruf Stift, 19, 19–21.
Shikalepo, E. E. (2023). Developing a Conceptual Framework from Qualitative Research Findings. Accessed from:(Insert Website). Accessed on:(Insert Date). Developing a Conceptual Framework from Qualitative Research Findings Elock Emvula Shikalepo The International University of Management Windhoek, Namibia January, 1.
Smith, J., and Firth, J. (2011). Qualitative data analysis: The framework approach. Nurse Researcher, 18(2), 52–62.
Stake, R. E. (1994). Case studies. InN. K. Denzin and YS Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 236-247). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Taherdoost, H. (2016). Sampling methods in research methodology; how to choose a sampling technique for research. How to Choose a Sampling Technique for Research (April 10, 2016).
Teague, R. G. (2022). How an Effective Knowledge Management Program Supports Critical Tacit Knowledge Retention Within a Higher Education Institution: A Qualitative Intrinsic Case Study [PhD Thesis]. Northcentral University.
Terre Blanche, M., and Durrheim, K. (1999). Social constructionist methods. Research in Practice: Applied Methods for the Social Sciences, 147–172.
Tight, M. (2019). Documentary research in the social sciences. Sage.
Tuli, F. (2010). The basis of distinction between qualitative and quantitative research in social science: Reflection on ontological, epistemological and methodological perspectives. Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences, 6(1).
Urquhart, C. (2022). Grounded theory for qualitative research: A practical guide. Sage.
Vaughn, D. R. Z. (2022). Managing Family Secrets in Genealogical and Family History Research: A Triangulated Qualitative Study.
Wahyuni, D. (2012). The research design maze: Understanding paradigms, cases, methods and methodologies. Journal of Applied Management Accounting Research, 10(1), 69–80.
Walsham, G. (1995a). Interpretive case studies in IS research: Nature and method. European Journal of Information Systems, 4(2), 74–81.
Walsham, G. (1995b). The emergence of interpretivism in IS research. Information Systems Research, 6(4), 376–394.
Wand, Y., and Weber, R. (1993). On the ontological expressiveness of information systems analysis and design grammars. Information Systems Journal, 3(4), 217–237.
Warner, R. P., Sibthorp, J., Povilaitis, V., and Taylor, J. M. (2023). Clarifying Work Values Through Seasonal Employment: An Instrumental Case Study of Summer Camp Employment. Journal of Career Development, 50(1), 69–86.
Werang, B. R., and Leba, S. M. R. (2022). Factors Affecting Student Engagement in Online Teaching and Learning: A Qualitative Case Study. Qualitative Report, 27(2).
Wessels, J. H. W. (2020). Analysing the effect of agglomeration economies on the financial performance of South African automotive dealerships [PhD Thesis]. North-West University (South Africa).
White, R. E., and Cooper, K. (2022). Grounded theory. In Qualitative Research in the Post-Modern Era: Critical Approaches and Selected Methodologies (pp. 339–385). Springer.
Willis, J. (1995). A recursive, reflective instructional design model based on constructivist-interpretivist theory. Educational Technology, 35(6), 5–23.
Yin, R. K. (1994). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (Applied Social Research Methods, Vol. 5). Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA. Rick Rantz Leading Urban Institutions of Higher Education in the New Millennium Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 23(8), 2002.
Yu, S. O. (2017). DAO of Managing Higher Education in Asia. World Scientific.
Copyright (c) 2023 Dr. Negou Ernest, Dr. Nkenganyi Fonkem Marcellus, Dr. Suh Abenwi Jude, Ibrahima
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
