Qualitatív

Qualitatív refers to approaches, methods, or data that emphasize understanding phenomena from the perspective of participants and contexts rather than measuring them with numerical scales. In research, qualitative methods aim to explore meanings, experiences, social processes, and cultural settings, often in contrast to quantitative approaches that seek generalizable numeric data. The term is used across disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, education, health sciences, and market research.

Data in qualitatív research are typically non-numeric and may include interview transcripts, field notes, documents, images, audio or video material, and observations. Common methods include in-depth interviews, focus groups, participant observation, ethnography, case studies, and various forms of content or discourse analysis. Analysis involves coding data into themes or categories, identifying patterns, and developing interpretations, theories, or rich descriptive narratives. Theoretical orientations range from interpretivist to constructivist, with aims focused on contextualized understanding rather than measurement.

Quality in qualitatív research is pursued through concepts such as credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Techniques to enhance trustworthiness include triangulation, thick description, reflexivity, member checking, and maintaining an audit trail. Ethical considerations emphasize informed consent, confidentiality, voluntary participation, and sensitivity to power dynamics and potential harm.

Applications and strengths include gaining deep insights into people’s experiences, social meanings, and processes, informing policy, practice, and further research. Limitations involve smaller, non-random samples, potential researcher bias, time-intensive data collection and analysis, and limited generalizability to broader populations. Qualitative methods can be used alone or within mixed-methods designs to complement quantitative data and provide a fuller understanding of complex phenomena.