Qualitative Research Simply Explained

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a visual on quantitative research and I was really glad to see how many of you found it useful, especially for teaching and workshops. Today I’m shifting the focus to qualitative research, a paradigm I’ve been immersed in since my master’s degree.

Here is the thing: condensing the richness of qualitative research into a single visual is no easy task. It’s complex, interpretive, and philosophically layered. But I also believe this: if you can’t explain something simply, you probably haven’t understood it well enough.

So here’s my attempt to explain it simply.

In this new visual, I tried to put together a quick and accessible guide to help students and new researchers grasp the essentials of qualitative research. The guide includes:

1. A few widely cited definitions
2. The key characteristics (based on Merriam’s work)
3. Commonly used methods (inspired by Newman & Benz)
4. A brief on the philosophical foundation
5. And a short list of recommended readings

I drew mainly from Merriam, S. B. (2009) and Newman & Benz (1998) Feel free to use this with your students, share it in your courses, or include it in your research workshops.

What is Qualitative Research

Here are some widely cited definitions of qualitative research:

“Basically, qualitative researchers are interested in understanding the meaning people have constructed—that is, how people make sense of their world and the experiences they have in the world.” (Merriam, 2009, p. 13)

“Qualitative research is a situated activity that locates the observer in the world… qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.” (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005, p. 3)

“Qualitative research is an umbrella term covering an array of interpretive techniques which seek to describe, decode, translate, and otherwise come to terms with the meaning, not the frequency, of certain more or less naturally occurring phenomena in the social world.” (Van Maanen, 1979, p. 520 as quoted in Merriam, 2009, p. 3)

“Qualitative research is multimethod in focus, involving an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject matter. Researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.” (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994, as quoted in Merriam, 2009, p. 3)

These definitions, taken from key scholars in the field, offer a rich picture of what qualitative research is about. Merriam emphasizes how people construct meaning from their experiences, while Denzin and Lincoln draw attention to the importance of studying people in their everyday environments. Van Maanen adds a focus on interpretation, on describing and translating the meanings people assign to the world around them.

What stands out across all these perspectives is the commitment to understanding experience in depth, with all its complexity and context. I see qualitative research as a way of entering other people’s worlds, listening closely, and trying to make sense of how they live, think, and act.

The Philosophical Foundations of Qualitative Research

Behind every research method lies a set of assumptions about reality, knowledge, and how we come to understand the world. In qualitative research, these assumptions are rooted in an interpretive view of the world; one that sees reality as constructed, meaning as negotiated, and knowledge as shaped through human experience.

This section outlines the key philosophical foundations that inform qualitative inquiry, including how researchers view reality (ontology), how they approach knowledge (epistemology), and the broader paradigms and traditions that guide their work, based on Merriam (2009) .

1. Ontology (Nature of Reality)

Reality is socially constructed, multiple, and context-dependent.

2. Epistemology (Nature of Knowledge)

Knowledge is co-constructed between researcher and participants.
Meaning is shaped by culture, history, and interaction.

3. Interpretive Paradigm (Core Orientation)

Focus on understanding lived experiences and the meaning people give to them.
Emphasizes context, subjectivity, and perspective.

4. Related Traditions

Phenomenology: Experience as lived and felt
Symbolic Interactionism: Meaning through social interaction
Social Constructivism: Knowledge is shaped by context and history

Characteristics of Qualitative Research

According to Merriam (2009), qualitative research has various defining characteristics. These include:

Focus on Meaning: Seeks to understand how people interpret and make sense of their experiences.
Researcher as Instrument: The researcher is the main tool for data collection and interpretation.
Inductive Approach: Builds theory from the ground up through data-driven analysis.
Rich Description: Presents findings in detailed, narrative form using quotes, context, and thick description.

Additional Features:

Flexible and evolving design
Purposeful, small samples
Natural setting as the research site
Requires skills in observation, questioning, writing, and handling ambiguity

Here are some interesting quotes from Merriam (2009)

“The key concern is understanding the phenomenon of interest from the participants’ perspectives.” (p. 14)
“The researcher is the primary instrument for data collection and analysis.” (p. 15)
“The process is inductive… findings are in the form of themes, categories, concepts.” (p. 15)
“The product is richly descriptive.” (p. 16)

Qualitative Research Methods

When it comes to methods, there is no single method that is strictly qualitative or quantitative. What makes a method qualitative is not the tool itself, but how it’s used and for what purpose. In qualitative research, methods are chosen to help the researcher understand how people make sense of their experiences, behaviors, and environments. The goal is depth, context, and meaning—not prediction or control.

Here are some of the most widely used qualitative methods, as outlined by Newman and Benz (1998):

Interviews: Open-ended conversations that explore participants’ experiences and meanings.
Participant Observation: Immersive fieldwork capturing real-life behavior and context.
Document & Text Analysis: Examination of records, letters, case files, and written materials for deeper insight.
Life Stories & Personal Narratives: Focus on how individuals make sense of their lives and experiences.
Visual Methods: Use of photos, videos, and visual artifacts to support interpretation.
Case Studies: In-depth analysis of a specific case within its real-world context.
Grounded Theory: Data-driven theory building: observe first, theorize later.

References

Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Newman, I., & Benz, C. R. (1998). Qualitative-quantitative research methodology: Exploring the interactive continuum. Southern Illinois University Press.

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