COLLAPSE SUBDISCUSSIONTrent Nguyen Trent Nguyen 8:38amJul 23 at 8:38amManage Discussion Entry Marcus: Qualitative research is all about trustworthiness when it comes to data and the results that the...

Trent Nguyen

Marcus:

Qualitative research is all about trustworthiness when it comes to data and the results that the researcher has arrived at. Therefore, each step of the way should be articulated thoroughly, for the purposes of transparency. The sample size does not have to be large, but every other logistical thing needs to be detailed indeed. In my experience chairing qualitative dissertations, usually a minimum of 10 participants is needed. As time progresses, determine if qualitative research methodology would be employed in your study, taking into consideration all the components the method requires.

Lateia Smith

Qualitative research is scientific and investigative; it seeks answers to a question, has a predefined set of procedures, and collects evidence. Qualitative researchers recruit participants for a purpose and based on convenience; qualitative researchers use selective nonrandom sampling (participants) to provide in-depth information. Qualitative researchers are subjective and qualify the criteria of the participants in a research study. Qualitative researchers use specific characteristics such as geographic location and resources to make recruitment convenient. Qualitative research is flexible, and often the researchers change the criteria and redefine the scope of the study to recruit the study population. The study participants should be eligible for participation (Hennink et al., 2011). Depending on the content of the study, participants should meet a specific criterion (e.g., age, sex, education, location). Scholars recommend in qualitative studies, the number of participants remains small due to the depth of the information (Hennink et al., 2011). Qualitative studies usually include in-depth interviews, focus groups, and group discussions that researchers should present in a randomized format to protect participants' privacy. Participant observation helps researchers collect the data, while in-depth interviews collect individual perspectives or experiences, and focus groups help generalize broad issues. Qualitative studies should predefine the number of participants needed to conduct the research and estimate until saturation is reached (Hennink et al., 2011). Qualitative researchers should select homogeneous subjects to maintain the profoundness of the study.
In my qualitative study for this course, I plan to utilize a small, diverse group with a sample of ten (10). And use focus groups based on specific criteria depending on the respondent's in-depth pre-interviews/surveys thereby; I can segment the population and focus only on the participants who can provide depth for the study itself. I will recruit participants using networking (e.g., LinkedIn, membership affiliations).

Reference

Hennink, M., Hutter, I., & Bailey, A. (2011).Qualitative research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.