What are the various methods of data collection in qualitative research? Assess their pros and cons.

What will be an ideal response?

Three widely used methods in qualitative research are participant observation, the in-depth interview, and the case study. Participant observation involves directly participating in and observing the phenomena being studied. Observations enable researchers to go beyond the selective perceptions of others and to experience the setting firsthand. Participant observation sensitizes researchers to the research setting and to the members within. By becoming part of the group, researchers are more likely to see events from the perspective of insiders. By directly observing operations and activities within the setting, researchers gain a better understanding of the context and process of activities. The firsthand experience acquired through participant observation helps address the whys and hows of research questions.

The in-depth interview may take the form of an informal conversational interview, standardized open-ended interview, or general interview guide approach. In an informal conversational interview, specific questions and general topics are not predetermined, but instead emerge spontaneously in the natural flow of conversation. The standardized open-ended interview seeks in-depth information and understanding of participants’ knowledge and perspective in an environment, event, or experience. It consists of a questionnaire instrument with a set of carefully worded and sequenced questions, along with instructions for probing. This type of interview is used when it is important to minimize variation in questions posed to interviewees, particularly when studies involve multiple interviewers. The downside of this approach is that it is less flexible and less spontaneous. The general interview guide approach uses an outline of issues to be explored during the interview. The issues are unstructured, open-ended, and of variable length. Issues can be addressed in any order and can be altered to fit in with the flow of the actual interview. New findings during the interview may inform subsequent questions. Respondents can answer in their own words, whether briefly or at length. In-depth interviews may also be given to groups of individuals in the form of a focus group study.

The in-depth interview has several advantages. It is flexible, has high face validity, and is low in cost. The focus group study is an efficient data collection method, because during one setting investigators can gather information from six to twelve people instead of from only one person. The process also enhances data quality as participants provide checks and balances on each other that reduce inaccurate information and extreme views. Furthermore, it allows investigators to assess whether views are shared relatively consistently among participants on certain issues.

However, the in-depth interview also has several weaknesses. The number of questions to be asked or issues to be explored is limited, since it takes time for respondents to think about each open-ended question and then say what they think. A focus group study also affords the researcher less control than individual interviews do. When participants share opposing views in a nonconciliatory manner, the interview may be difficult to conduct. The in-depth interview also requires greater facilitating skill on the part of investigators. Other weaknesses include the difficulty of taking notes while simultaneously facilitating the interview, the time-consuming nature of transcribing notes, the need for release forms and obtaining informed consent, and the challenge of analyzing the data collected.

A case study is an empirical inquiry that uses multiple sources of evidence to investigate a real-life social entity or phenomenon. It often seeks to capture individual differences or unique variations across different settings or experiences. This method is flexible and diverse. It can be large or small, and may focus on an individual, event, community or organization, or time period. The type and quantity of data in a case study can vary greatly. Researchers usually use several methods of data collection, which enables them to get a more complete account of relevant issues. The costs and timetables vary significantly.