Flerkvalitative

Flerkvalitative is a term used in qualitative research to describe an approach that relies on multiple qualitative methods and data sources to study a given phenomenon. It denotes methodological pluralism within qualitative inquiry, aiming to enrich understanding through triangulation and cross-validation across modes of inquiry. The term appears as a neologism in some Scandinavian and European discussions of research design, reflecting a shift toward integrating diverse qualitative strands rather than relying on a single method.

Key characteristics include employing more than one qualitative method (for example interviews, participant observation, document or content analysis, and visual or narrative methods), coordinating data collection over overlapping time frames, and applying iterative, reflexive analysis to compare findings across sources.

Applications span social sciences, education, health research, anthropology, and user experience studies where complex social phenomena require multiple perspectives. Data might include interviews, field notes, diaries, focus groups, archival texts, images, and artifacts. Analysis typically combines coding schemes across methods, thematic synthesis, and triangulation to identify convergences and divergences.

Advantages of flerkvalitative include greater depth, credibility, and contextual understanding, while challenges involve higher resource demands, complexity in integrating datasets, potential methodological conflicts, and the need for a clear analytic framework to reconcile discrepancies. As a flexible approach, it complements other qualitative and mixed-methods designs by emphasizing the coherence of insights drawn from diverse qualitative sources.