Action Research
Action research is a participatory research approach that combines systematic investigation with practical action to solve real world problems while simultaneously generating new knowledge.
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Research Glossary
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Qualitative Research Terms
Methods for studying experiences, meanings and context through interviews, focus groups and observation. Learn how qualitative data are sampled, coded and analyzed, and how researchers show that their findings can be trusted.
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Case Study
A case study is a detailed, in depth investigation of a single participant, small group, organization, event, or phenomenon, using multiple sources of evidence to build a comprehensive understanding.
Coding
In qualitative research, coding is the analytical process of assigning labels, tags, or categories to segments of data (such as interview transcripts, field notes, or documents) to organize, classify, and interpret them.
Community Based Participatory Research
Community based participatory research (CBPR) is a collaborative research approach in which community members, organizational representatives, and academic researchers jointly contribute to all phases of the research process, from question formulation and…
Confirmability
Confirmability is one of the four criteria of trustworthiness in qualitative research, proposed by Lincoln and Guba as the qualitative counterpart to objectivity in quantitative inquiry.
Consensus Method
A consensus method is a structured approach for synthesizing expert opinions to address questions where published evidence is insufficient, conflicting, or absent.
Constant Comparative Method
The constant comparative method is a qualitative data analysis technique most closely associated with grounded theory, in which each piece of data is systematically compared with previously coded data throughout the analysis process.
Content Analysis
Content analysis is a systematic research method for analyzing textual, visual, or audio material by identifying patterns, themes, or concepts within the data and, in its quantitative form, quantifying them.
Conversation Analysis
Conversation analysis (CA) is a qualitative research method rooted in ethnomethodology and sociology that studies the structure, organization, and sequential patterns of naturally occurring talk in interaction.
Critical Discourse Analysis
Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is a qualitative research approach that examines how language is used in texts, speech, and other forms of communication to construct, reproduce, and challenge power relations, social identities, and ideological positions.
Cross Case Analysis
Cross case analysis is a qualitative research technique used in multiple case study designs to examine themes, patterns, similarities, and differences across individual cases.
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Data Saturation
Data saturation is the point in qualitative data collection at which no new themes, codes, categories, or substantive information emerge from additional interviews, observations, or other data sources.
Delphi Method
The Delphi method is a structured consensus building technique that uses multiple rounds of questionnaires administered to a panel of experts, with controlled feedback between rounds, to converge toward group agreement on a topic where evidence is uncertain,…
Discourse Analysis
Discourse analysis is a qualitative research method that examines how language is used in texts, conversations, and other communicative practices to construct meaning, identities, power relations, and social realities within specific contexts.
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Focus Group
A focus group is a qualitative research method in which a small group of participants (typically 4 to 12 people) engages in a guided discussion about a specific topic, led by a trained moderator.
Framework Analysis
Framework analysis is a systematic approach to qualitative data analysis that uses a structured matrix (a "framework") to organize and interpret data according to key themes and cases.
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Participant Observation
Participant observation is a qualitative research method in which the researcher immerses themselves in a social setting or community, participating in its activities while simultaneously observing and recording behavior, interactions, and cultural practices.
Phenomenology
Phenomenology is a qualitative research approach rooted in philosophy that seeks to understand and describe the lived experience of individuals as they encounter a particular phenomenon.
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Thematic Analysis
Thematic analysis is a qualitative research method for identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns (themes) within data.
Transferability
Transferability is a criterion for evaluating qualitative research that refers to the extent to which findings from one study can be applied or have relevance to other settings, populations, or contexts.
Triangulation
Triangulation is a research strategy that uses multiple methods, data sources, investigators, or theories to study the same phenomenon, with the goal of enhancing the credibility and comprehensiveness of the findings.
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness is the overarching framework for evaluating the quality and rigor of qualitative research, analogous to the concepts of validity and reliability in quantitative research.