Qualitative Research Methods

Dr. Monique Hennink is an associate professor of global health at Emory University. She has particular expertise in applying qualitative methods to public health research. She has authored five textbooks on qualitative research and developed the “QUAL-WORKS” training program for public health professionals. Her research focuses on behavioral aspects of public health issues by understanding the social, cultural, and contextual influences on behavior in order to develop effective health interventions. Her research focuses primarily on sexual and reproductive health, sanitation behavior, chronic disease management, women’s empowerment, and microcredit. She conducts research in multiple study contexts throughout Africa, Asia, UK, and USA.

This introductory textbook presents a useful framework of three interconnected cycles – the design cycle, the data collection cycle and the analytic cycle – to guide students through the process of conducting qualitative research. Engaging examples illustrate each step from start to completion.

• Chapter 1: Introduction to the bookWho is this book for?The qualitative research cycleStructure of the bookFeatures of this bookChapter 2: The nature of qualitative researchWhat is qualitative research?When to conduct qualitative researchThe underlying interpretive paradigmQualitative and quantitative researchVerstehen and understandingThe emic and etic perspectivesSubjectivity and the need for reflexivityOur approach to qualitative researchEvaluating qualityPart I: The design cycleChapter 3: The design cycleFormulating qualitative research questionsIncorporating literature and theoryDeveloping a conceptual frameworkSelecting qualitative research methodsEvaluating qualityChapter 4: Designing participatory researchOur participatory approach to qualitative researchThe participatory design cycleThe participatory approach in data collection and analysisDifferent roles of the researcherEvaluating qualityChapter 5: Ethical issues in qualitative researchWhat is ethics?Ethics in qualitative researchEthical issues in the design cycleEthical issues in the data collection cycleEthical issues in the analytic cycleEvaluating qualityPart II: The data collection cycleChapter 6: Sampling and participant recruitmentWhat is purposive sampling?Purposive sampling process?Participant recruitment strategiesHow many participants? The principle of saturationEvaluating qualityChapter 7: In-depth interviewsWhat is an in-depth interview?When to use in-depth interviewsPurpose of an in-depth interviewThe cyclical nature of data collectionDeveloping an interview guidePreparing for data collectionConducting the interview: skills of the interviewerStrengths and limitationsEvaluating qualityChapter 8: Focus group discussionsWhat is a focus group discussion?When to use focus group discussionsThe cyclical nature of data collectionDeveloping the discussion guidePreparing for data collectionConducting focus group discussionsPost-discussion informationVirtual focus groupsStrengths and limitationsEvaluating qualityChapter 9: ObservationWhat is observation?When to conduct observationThe cyclical nature of data collectionWhat to observeTypes of observationPreparation and conducting an observationWriting an observationStrengths and limitationsEvaluating qualityPart III: The analytic cycleChapter 10: Data preparation and developing codesDifferent approaches to textual data analysisThe nature of qualitative data analysisTextual data preparationDeveloping codesMaking a codebookCoding dataUsing software in qualitative analysisEvaluating qualityWriting the manuscript or reportChapter 11: Textual data analysisAfter you writeDeveloping an analysis planSearching dataThe cyclical process of analysisDescriptionComparisonCategorizing and conceptualizingTheory developmentEvaluating qualityChapter 12: From analysis to participatory actionFrom analysis to participatory actionThe overall participatory qualitative research cycleThe different roles of the researcherEvaluating qualityChapter 13: Academic writing of qualitative researchWriting qualitative researchBefore you writeWriting a qualitative research articleAfter you writeResponding to critiques of qualitative researchEvaluating qualityPost Script: Assessing quality in the qualitative research cycle