Key takeaways

• Use qualitative research to explore, understand and generate hypotheses.
• Use quantitative research to size, compare and test those hypotheses.
• Qualitative findings are context-specific and should not be reported as percentages of a market.
• The six main qualitative designs are case study, ethnography, phenomenology, historical analysis, content and discourse analysis, and grounded theory.

Qualitative vs quantitative research: the difference

Qualitative research is characterised by the researcher’s direct involvement with participants in a natural setting. Its findings are shaped by the perceptions and experiences of the people taking part, which is its strength and its limit.

When to use which

• You do not yet know the right questions: start qualitative. You cannot write a good survey about something you do not understand.
• You need to size an opportunity or choose between options: go quantitative.
• You have a number you cannot explain: go back to qualitative to find the reason.
• The decision is large: do both, qualitative first to build hypotheses and quantitative second to test them.

How to tell if a proposal uses the wrong method

A few warning signs are worth checking in any research proposal:

• Percentages quoted from a handful of focus groups. Small samples cannot support them.
• A survey proposed for a topic nobody has explored yet. The questionnaire will only measure what the team already assumed.
• A method chosen before the business question is written down. The question should pick the method, never the reverse.

Six types of qualitative research design

1. Case study

A case study is a long, in-depth study of one organisation, situation or phenomenon. It narrows a broad field into one or a few examples, and is useful for checking whether a theory holds in the real world.

Example: does environment influence students’ vocabulary development? A researcher could interview two groups of students from different environments at several points through senior high school, then compare the expressions and vocabulary each group uses.

2. Ethnography

Ethnography studies a particular cultural group to understand its beliefs, practices and way of life. It comes from anthropology. The researcher learns through interviews, observation and immersion, gaining first-hand experience of how the group lives.

Example: observing the practices of a community living far from urban centres. Because the work concerns one group, the findings apply to that group and not to the general public.

3. Phenomenology

Phenomenology examines how people experience a particular phenomenon, treating each person’s experience as unique and meaningful. The aim is to present the lived experience of participants.

Example: understanding how international students adapt to a new language-learning environment, through in-depth interviews or group discussions about their struggles and coping strategies.

4. Historical analysis

Historical analysis examines primary documents to understand how past events connect to the present. It relies on primary sources: direct accounts, archival data, official documents, personal records and eyewitness records.

Example: tracing the development of a country’s education system through policy changes, teaching strategies and materials over time.

5. Content and discourse analysis

This design analyses the text or content of communication. It is typically used to:

• Identify the intentions, focus or communication trends of an individual, group or institution
• Describe attitudinal and behavioural responses to communications
• Reveal patterns and differences in communication content
• Assess the psychological or emotional state of a person or group

Example: studying the language of journalism by analysing articles, journals and audiovisual material, then comparing it with everyday language.

6. Grounded theory

In grounded theory, the researcher does not start with a theory to test. The theory is built from the data as it is collected and analysed, through interviews, observation, fieldwork and the study of texts. The result explains the how and why behind a phenomenon.

Summary

There are more advanced methods, such as semiotics, which I have left out to keep this guide simple.

FAQ

What is the main difference between qualitative and quantitative research?

Qualitative research explores why people think and behave as they do, using small samples. Quantitative research measures how many and how much, using large samples.

When should I use qualitative research?

Use it when you need to explore a topic, understand motivations or explain a number you cannot account for.

Can qualitative research be generalised?

Not statistically. Its findings are context-specific and are best treated as hypotheses to test with quantitative research.

Related reading

• Quantitative research types explained
• 4 measurement scales every researcher and marketer should know
• 5 reasons consumer insights matter

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