As a consumer of research reports, the most important things for me in the methods and results section of a high-quality qualitative research report are correctly identifying the type of the research design and applying own critical thinking to the data collection and the themes.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the knowledge I have gained this week, I find the hardest part for me is to identify the qualitative research design when the study does not explicitly state the type. Occasionally, I will mix the case study research design with the other types. Although there is a great difference between qualitative research and quantitative research, making sure the research design used in the study is the primary step. Unlike quantitative research which is quite easy to address the research design, the qualitative research has a much wider design list, especially some of them are quite similar. Table 9.1 on page 289 of the textbook has provided a useful summary of each type and can be used as a standard to identify the design of a study as well. Furthermore, preparing a close understanding of the key characteristics is extremely helpful for both recognizing the type and the quality\u00a0of the research design, such as how the research problem has been raised, how the data is gathered and analyzed, and how the findings are illustrated.<\/p>\n
Since the end of last week, I have realized the significant role of own critical thinking in reviewing the study. I think the procedures for data collection and analysis of the qualitative research are easier to understand but more complicated than those of the quantitative research. One’s own critical thinking is especially crucial for understanding a qualitative research because the purpose of it is to explore a central phenomenon. In addition, it is impossible for the researchers to be completely objective during the whole process of the study. For example, different researchers will not extract the same codes based on the words of the participants. Therefore, the findings built from the codes and coded data will be distinctive. Also, the themes emerged from the analysis of the data may address different major aspects. The readers have to be aware of the accuracy of the data and whether the coding procedures and the findings are justified and unbiased all the time.<\/p>\n
Actually, keeping critical thinking is the most interesting part for me when reading a qualitative study. It is like a dialogue between me and the researchers in my mind. I would explore the ways they are using for understanding and studying the problem initially, then compare to my own feelings and suggestions about what they have found in the procedures of the exploration. And my question is:<\/p>\n
How to balance the judgments generated by you in the process of reading the research article with the findings presented by the researchers, especially when they are apparently different?<\/p>\n
Reference<\/p>\n
Plano-Clark, V., & Creswell, J. (2015).\u00a0Understanding research: A consumer\u2019s guide<\/em>\u00a0(2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.<\/p>\n