Communicating Qualitative Research Analysis

Communicating Qualitative Research Analysis

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Communicating Qualitative Research Analysis

Qualitative writing differs significantly from quantitative writing. According to Creswell (2014), there are ten most salient characteristics that distinguish qualitative research writing from quantitative research writing. Then three of the most salient features of qualitative research which have been chosen for this analysis include the fifth, eighth, and tenth features. The fifth characteristic of qualitative research according to Creswell (2014) is that, qualitative studies largely focus on the experiences and perceptions of participants as well as on how they understand their lives. Qualitative research therefore seeks to develop an understanding of multiple realities that may influence the way people perceive their lives. This aspect has been selected because it explains the scope of qualitative research and specific measures that the researcher should focus on when conducting qualitative studies (Dey, 1993).

In Creswell’s opinions, the eighth feature that distinguishes qualitative studies from quantitative research is the need to relate human data sources with interpretations and meaning in order to generate outcomes. Since researchers are often striving to reconstruct realities of different subjects in qualitative studies, the most appropriate way through which they can come up with meaningful outcomes is by using a research design that will enable them to relate human data with possible interpretations. The main reason why this aspect has been selected is that, it explains how qualitative studies are designed and how outcomes are generated. This feature therefore helps the reader to understand the main reason why qualitative studies are not designed in a similar manner as quantitative studies (Dey, 1993).

The tenth characteristic that distinguishes qualitative research from quantitative research as explained by Creswell (2014) is that, although truthfulness and objectivity are critical to both qualitative and quantitative research, the criteria that is used to judge the two types of studies differ significantly. For instance, in qualitative study, the researcher examines the coherence of data that has been gathered using different study instruments and uses this information to make a decision on whether to believe in the study outcomes or not. Furthermore, the researcher performing a qualitative study must verify various measures in order to determine the trustworthiness of the data generated. This aspect has been chosen because it effectively communicates the criteria employed by qualitative research investigators in determining the truthfulness of the data generated (Barbour, 1999).

Each of the three aspects described above are very useful in the evaluation and interpretation of criminal justice data and research findings. Studies in criminal justice field often involve human subjects. The fifth characteristic of qualitative research as described by Creswell (2014) guides researchers in the criminal justice field to focus on the experiences and perceptions of study subjects as well as on how they understand their own lives. By doing so, they manage to develop an understanding of multiple realities that may influence the way criminals perceive their lives. This information is useful in evaluating whether particular subjects should be considered guilty of committing certain crimes (Coffey and Atkinson, 1996).

Additionally, in criminal justice system, researchers must be able to generate meaningful outcomes from research findings for their studies to be considered relevant. This is where the eighth feature of qualitative research as described by Creswell obtains its relevance and application (Barbour, 1999). In order to generate meaningful outcomes from criminal justice data and research findings, the researcher must be able to relate his or her interpretations with the data obtained from study subjects. In addition, the researcher must be able to use the data generated from human subjects to construct realities of those subjects as this is important in providing information that can be very useful in decision making (Barbour, 1999).

Moreover, researchers within the criminal justice field must have the capacity to judge the reality of criminal justice data and research findings in order to come up with relevant information from their studies. These researchers should examine the coherence of data in their research findings and utilize this information to make a decision on whether to believe in the study outcomes or not (Coffey and Atkinson, 1996). Furthermore, they must verify various measures that have been used to test variables in their studies in order to determine the trustworthiness of the data generated. Although this paper provides a detailed analysis of the importance of three major aspects of qualitative research, all the ten features described by Creswell (2014) are equally useful in guiding qualitative researchers to effectively evaluate and interpret their research findings. This explains why qualitative researchers must be conversant with the ten features suppose they want to effectively communicate qualitative research analysis (Barbour, 1999).

There are quite a number of reasons why researchers would consider qualitative methods an artistic expression of formalized methodology. First, qualitative methods can be used to artistically express formalized methodology because they can allow the researcher to evaluate the processes involved in achievement of outcomes as well as how different situations interact during a study to yield desired results (Barbour, 1999). Second, whenever qualitative methods are used to conduct a given research, the researcher find it easy to identify and document difficulties that have been encountered during the study as well as the specific actions that have been taken to overcome such problems. Furthermore, the researcher is able to explain why the strategies that have been implemented to mitigate the encountered obstacles have either been successful or unsuccessful. Third, since qualitative methods generally involve the study of social interactions among participants, they are able to enhance an understanding of communication among different study subjects regarding their forms of diversity. In this manner, qualitative methods allow researchers to artistically express formalized methodology. Fourth, researchers would consider qualitative methods an artistic expression of formalized methodology because they largely concentrate on the finer points of interactions, which make them very appropriate in examining negotiation processes (Barbour, 1999). In view of the unique features of qualitative research methodologies, researchers will still continue to prefer qualitative research processes to quantitative research methods whenever they are in need of techniques that allow an artistic expression of formalized methodology.

In conclusion, qualitative research methods are used by many researchers across various academic fields just like quantitative research methods. Although many researchers have always believed that quantitative methods generate more accurate data than qualitative studies, qualitative research are more appropriate than quantitative investigations in studying human behavior. In order to effectively understand study areas within which qualitative research is the most appropriate, a person should first understand the salient features that distinguish qualitative studies from quantitative studies. Specific features of qualitative research studies guide researchers who consider utilizing such research approaches in evaluation and interpretations of research findings. Generally, qualitative research studies are equally useful as quantitative research methods in today’s field of research.

References

Barbour, R. S. (1999). The role of qualitative research in broadening the ‘evidence base’ for clinical practice. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 6 (2): 155-163.

Coffey, A. & Atkinson, P. (1996). Making sense of qualitative data: complementary research strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Creswell, J. (2014). Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Dey, I. (1993). Qualitative data analysis: a user-friendly guide for social scientists. New York: Routledge.