QUALITATIVE Research Design: Everything You Need To Know (With Examples)

Learn how to get started with research design for qualitative studies, including dissertations, theses and research projects. We explain what research design is (a straightforward, plain-language definition) and then unpack the four most popular qualitative research design options so that you can approach your research design with confidence.

OVERVIEW: Qualitative Research Design 101

00:00 Intro & overview
00:43 What is research design?
01:12 The most common research design options for qualitative studies
01:50 Qualitative research design vs quantitative research design
02:09 Phenomenological research design
03:56 Grounded theory (GT)
04:49 Ethnographic research design
07:20 Case study design
09:37 Recap & key takeaways

Key Resources:

[mah-e-noorchanna]

Well explained & easy to retain in a catchy way!

[babaganaabba]

As always, thank you Emma for this brilliant summary of qualitative designs. 👏

[profmartinCA]

Emma, great job as usual! Please is there any such thing as an interview design or methodology? If there is, which QDA methods apply to it?

[PhiggyMarn]

Please do a video on the major tenets, principles and assumptions on qualitative research approach.

[thesecondtonone]

Super useful & well explained! Thank you!!

[MaserekaEric-cvdt]

Thank you for that wonderful presentation. It is really enjoyable and simplified.

[g.eor_gia]

Can I get a video on research ethics please?

[arecconsultinginc.]

Please kindly make a video on inductive and deductive research approaches. Thanks

[wala]

Thank you for your informative presentation. Please, what do you mean by saying that the case study involves investigating a single individual? Is that mean focusing in only one of the stakeholders related to the main single case?

[lutfurahmanhamidi]

Thank you Emma for the great work you are doing. I have a question regarding Binary Indicators. What is binary Indicators and why it is importnat?

[maxwellabbey]

Emma you are not only good at teaching but you’re beautiful 😎. It’s always a delight to learn from you

[LeberJohnny]

Phenomenology, GT, Ethnography and Case Study lined up as if they are the answer to same question is truly bizarre. thereby comparing theories, methodologies, methods and sampling techniques. like every single item in this list is not comparable to the other. just to prove my point: you can do an ethnografic case study based on gt-methodology in which you are working with phenomenological theories.
phenomenology: social theory (could be contrasted with pragmatism, structuralism, asf.)
grounded theory: method for qualitative analysis (could be contrasted with discourse analysis f.e.)
ethnography: bundle of research methods or a specific stance towards handling methods pragmatically (could be contrasted to pure interview studies oder document analysis)
case study: depicts a specifical way of sampling (could be contrasted with theoretical sampling f.e.)