A key decision you will need to make when developing your dissertation research plan is what research method you will use: quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. Many of our dissertation assistance clients gravitate toward qualitative research for a whole host of reasons—and to be honest, a strong aversion to statistical analysis is often one of them! Qualitative analysis involves datasets that are usually text-based, such as interviews, documents, or notes regarding observations. So, it’s no wonder that those of us who are math-avoidant may prefer a qualitative research approach. 

And, this is OK! Developing your dissertation so that it makes the best use of your strengths is a great idea. Is also important, however, that you be able to provide a rationale for use of a qualitative research method that rests on statements other than, “I hate statistics!” To develop a great rationale for your use of qualitative research and analysis for your dissertation, it will help to understand some of the biggest strengths of this method. The aim of this article is to go over common reasons researchers use qualitative research methods along with some sample studies to help clarify why a qualitative method might be the right choice for your own dissertation.

Reason #1: Your Research Topic Has Not Been Extensively Studied

One great reason for choosing a qualitative research method is if your dissertation topic is as yet understudied. Qualitative research is great for such topics because it allows the researcher quite a bit of flexibility to explore questions with the participants. To understand the nature of this flexibility, it may help to compare common data collection procedures for quantitative versus qualitative studies. 

Quantitative methods often use instruments like surveys to collect data from participants. You’ve probably completed such surveys yourself, answering questions that are phrased like, “To what degree do you agree with the following statements…?” Numbered scales are then provided that allow you to rate your level of agreement or disagreement with each statement. These types of surveys are often used in quantitative dissertations, and of course, there are only so many responses a participant can give, and they’re all numerical. Furthermore, to ensure valid statistical analysis results, you need to use the validated instrument as-is or with only very slight modifications; therefore, this approach is inherently inflexible, and for good reason.

In contrast, the most common form of data collection for qualitative research is the individual interview. Unlike survey instruments, qualitative interview protocols can be developed to suit your dissertation’s specific topic, which is one way that qualitative methods help to create flexibility. Also creating flexibility is the structure of the interview protocol itself. Semi-structured interviews—the most common type of interview used in dissertation research—allow for “probe questions” in between the planned interview questions that you ask every participant. Probe questions give you the flexibility to ask participants to talk further about certain thoughts or experiences they bring up during the interview (Qu & Dumay, 2011). This results in richly detailed responses to your questions that contribute valuable insights to the literature on your topic.

The flexibility of qualitative research methods is also great for exploring topics that haven’t been studied widely (Ritchie & Ormston, 2013), as there might not yet be sufficient research on the topic to generate quantitative hypotheses to test with statistical analysis. It might also be that, due to the small amount of research on the topic, there actually aren’t any validated survey instruments on the topic. This can be a real drawback if you’re trying to use a quantitative method to examine the topic in your dissertation because developing an instrument and validating it is a lengthy, in-depth process that is typically not well-suited to a dissertation project. To be thorough, however, we should note that if you are ambitious, highly capable with statistical analysis, and have a lot of time, it might be possible to work toward quantitative survey development with your dissertation, if you have your heart set on this. It has been known to happen! In this case, you would likely start with qualitative research approaches to help with clarifying possible dimensions for your survey instrument. 

Example: Thematic Analysis of Near-Death Experiences

A study conducted by Cassol et al. (2018) provides a great example of qualitative research that was used to expand and refine understanding of a topic that had not been extensively researched. These researchers completed qualitative research regarding near-death experiences as described in detail by 34 individuals who had survived cardiac arrest episodes. Although previous qualitative and quantitative research had been conducted on this topic, the body of research on near-death experiences had not been elaborated sufficiently to support any type of theory development related to the experience. 

In an effort to support theory development, Cassol et al. (2018) asked their participants to write narratives about their experiences, going into as much detail as they wished. The researchers then used a thematic qualitative analysis approach to identify a collection of dimensions that provided the foundation for theory development. This example also illustrates how qualitative research complements quantitative, as the theoretical dimensions that emerged through this study could be subsequently tested via quantitative studies.

Reason #2: Your Topic is Hard to Quantify

Another great reason for conducting qualitative research and analysis for your dissertation is if your dissertation topic is just plain hard to quantify. This means that you can’t really capture what you want to understand about your topic if you try to put the data into numerical form. Remember that statistical analysis is the heart of quantitative methods, and if you can’t derive numerical data about your topic and research questions, then you obviously cannot conduct statistical analysis.

So, what kinds of research topics are difficult to quantify? For one, topics that relate to complex processes can be tough to put into numerical form. Or rather, putting them into numerical form can cause you to miss much of what you want to know. Think about the complex processes you encounter in settings like the workplace, such as how the interplay between features like policy, workplace social norms, communication modalities, and leadership behaviors can affect productivity and satisfaction. Although you can certainly conduct statistical analysis on related variables to determine the relationships between them, a qualitative analysis of narratives would provide a much more holistic understanding of “how things happen” on a day-to-day basis. 

Similarly, statistical analysis cannot quite capture the complexities at work in the interactions between people because these are also difficult to quantify and measure. For example, think about the complexity of interactions within a work team, your church, or your family. Social cognition and communication can be incredibly nuanced and variable, which makes the flexible qualitative research approach a superior choice if you want to gain a full appreciation for the dynamics of interaction as a whole. This might also involve exploring the different meanings individuals attach to their experiences and interactions, which would be more clearly relayed in narrative or interview form than on a closed-choice instrument such as a survey.

Example: Exploration of the Processes of Change Following Mindfulness Intervention

A great example of qualitative research on a topic that is tough to quantify is the Hugh-Jones et al. (2018) exploration of mindfulness and work stress. This study provides an excellent illustration of how the focus on complex processes creates a topic that is difficult to capture in numerical terms. The basic topic of mindfulness and work stress is not difficult to quantify, and in fact, the researchers noted that a wealth of quantitative research had been conducted that generally pointed to the positive impact of mindfulness on management of work stress. 

However, what the results of the statistical analysis in these many studies could not offer was in-depth insight into the processes of change employees experienced after attending mindfulness interventions. Statistical analysis can tell us much about what outcomes are likely to be associated with these types of interventions, but how those outcomes came about was still somewhat unclear. The qualitative research method, however, is very well suited to exploring such complexity. 

In this example, Hugh-Jones et al. (2018) used a grounded theory approach to develop a process-based framework based on emergent themes in their qualitative analysis. This resulted in a model with eight distinct dimensions that employees experienced as they progressed from a “starting state” to a “settled in self” state (Hugh-Jones et al., 2018, p. 478). These theoretical dimensions then provide a foundation for development of variables that might be tested using statistical analysis, which again demonstrates the complementarity of quantitative and qualitative research methods. 

Reason #3: Important to Hear Participants’ Accounts in Their Own Words

Another great reason for using qualitative research methods is when it is important to learn about your participants’ experiences from their own perspectives in order to answer your research questions. In addition, you may be wanting to explore how those experiences made them feel and how they interpreted their experiences. Using the flexible and open-ended data collection techniques associated with qualitative research methods is perfect for this type of inquiry (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). 

For example, if your dissertation topic revolves around unusual experiences or highly emotional topics, it can definitely help to allow your participants to express themselves freely and at length through interviews or written narratives. Clearly, this will yield much more informative and thorough insights on the topic than giving participants a survey. Surveys offer only so many options for response, and if you are not able to anticipate the full range of participants’ responses, using an exploratory qualitative research approach would be ideal for capturing all relevant insights on your questions.

Another important consideration is that providing your participants the opportunity to express themselves freely in a high level of detail can be an empowering experience for them. This is another reason that qualitative research might make sense for your dissertation. Specifically, if you are seeking to give voice to people who have experienced stigma, discrimination, or other forms of marginalization, a qualitative method is a great choice. 

Qualitative research interviews and narratives give participants a large degree of power to define the nature of their experiences and perspectives, which shows respect for them as the experts on their own lives. Many of our dissertation consulting clients are working toward positive social change for marginalized persons, and using a qualitative research method provides richly informative insights that are important to understand when reshaping policy and practice toward these ends.

Example: Exploration of Experiences of Unhelpful or Harmful Therapy

An example that illustrates how researchers can give voice to participants related to emotionally difficult life events is the study conducted by Bowie et al. (2016). These researchers conducted qualitative research to explore individuals’ experiences with mental health therapy that they had found harmful or unhelpful. The researchers wanted to hear, from the participants’ own perspectives, what they had found unhelpful about their therapy experiences. 

Use of an interview approach that was flexible according to each participant’s accounts allowed Bowie et al. (2016) to learn about specific feelings and opinions in great depth, based on the different experiences each participant had to share. This included what the therapist had done or not done that they found unhelpful or harmful. Bowie et al. also asked participants to share how their therapists’ actions or inactions made them feel, and how the therapy impacted their mental health and broader life. 

Participating in mental health therapy can create a feeling of vulnerability in the patient, and so one can imagine that it may be quite troubling to be treated with disrespect or disregard by a therapist. Because the qualitative research approach empowers participants to share their stories from their own perspectives, it confers power upon participants to define their experiences of poor treatment as they perceived them. Therefore, using a qualitative research and analysis approach for your dissertation would not only yield rich information where this is needed, but it would also avoid objectifying participants by giving them control of their narratives. As this example illustrates, this approach can yield insights that help to shape policy and practice in ways that promote positive social change, which in this case would be more sensitive and responsive therapist behavior.

Reason #4: You’re Interested in the Diversity of Participants’ Experiences

As we have discussed, using a qualitative research method allows for quite a bit of flexibility, both in terms of what questions you ask your participants and how you differentiate each interview through use of probe questions that prompt participants to share their own unique experiences. This flexibility opens up the possibility for you to explore a variety of perspectives and experiences within your dissertation, provided that they all relate to your central research questions (hint: sticking to the semi-structured interview guide helps to ensure this). In quantitative studies, however, the statistical analysis approaches we use condense the various participants’ responses down to one set of numbers—mean, mode, frequencies, etc. For this reason, quantitative methods are not so well suited to examining diversity or variety of responses across participants (aside from measures like range and standard deviation).

If you want to get into more granular detail about diverse experiences and viewpoints, you will need data collection and analysis processes that accommodate such diversity. This is where qualitative analysis shines! Although you can look for commonalities across participants’ responses in terms of major themes, you can also examine discrepancies and variations between participants (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). This potential for highlighting variations in participants’ experiences is also of great value to our dissertation assistance clients who are working toward positive social change in their fields. Understanding such variety of experience helps to shape more socially and culturally responsive policies, practices, interventions, and therapies.

Example: Exploration of Diverse Experiences of Stigma in People With Disabilities

An excellent example of a study that used qualitative research and analysis to illuminate the diverse experiences of participants is one conducted by Pérez-Garín et al. (2018). These researchers conducted qualitative research to explore the perspectives and experiences of people with disabilities related to discrimination and stigma. Although there had been both qualitative and quantitative research on this topic previously, what the authors noted was that only the common experiences across persons with disabilities had been discussed in prior studies. 

However, Pérez-Garín et al. (2018) recognized that people who have different types of disabilities may have different experiences of discrimination and stigma. The researchers proposed that attending to those differences would help with development of appropriately targeted policies and practices related to persons with disabilities. To explore these potential differences, the researchers conducted interviews with adults with hearing impairments, visual impairments, and physical disabilities. 

Their thematic qualitative analysis findings indicated that there were, indeed, differences in experiences of stigma and discrimination within this group of individuals with disabilities. For example, participants with hearing impairments reported experiencing barriers to social or leisure activities, while participants with visual impairments had experienced overprotection and mockery or bullying. In contrast, participants with physical disabilities reported feeling undervalued and discriminated against in the workplace. As this example illustrates, using a qualitative research method in your dissertation would allow you to illuminate the diversity of experiences among your participants, which can truly help to differentiate policy and practice in ways that are more supportive and accommodating of human diversity.

Reason #5: Important to Understand “The Story” to Answer Your Research Questions

Finally, another case in which qualitative analysis is ideal is when you need to understand a person’s story in full to truly answer your research questions. In fact, a research design within the qualitative research methods paradigm that deals specifically with stories as the point of interest is often referred to as narrative analysis (Phoenix et al., 2010). Narrative analysis attends to both the structure of participants’ stories and their content, making it possible to examine common threads as well as differences in experiences across participants. This form of qualitative research requires that you obtain in-depth data from each participant; most of our dissertation assistance clients who use narrative analysis find that it helps to keep their samples fairly small because of this. 

Using a smaller sample allows you to go into great depth with each person about their story. For example, you might be interested in how complex processes took place over time in your participants’ lives, how different key events were sequenced, and how events took place across different settings. You may also want to understand how the participant thought about or reacted to those experiences, and how those reactions shaped their story. The in-depth nature of narrative analysis data collection permits you to explore these complexities in great detail.

Example: Latino College Students’ Narratives Related to the Influence of School Counselors

To illustrate, consider Ballysingh’s (2019) use of a qualitative research method to explore Latino college students’ stories related to their choice to enroll in college. The researcher chose a narrative analysis approach, which was based on multiple, in-depth interviews with participants about their full life histories leading up to their decisions to go to college. Ballysingh’s interest was in the role of the school counselor—whether empowering or disempowering—in each participant’s decision to apply to college. 

To fully appreciate how counselors had affected participants in this regard, it was important to understand each individual’s broader life context with regard to the possibility of college in their futures. Using a qualitative research approach to elicit these in-depth narratives from participants allowed Ballysingh (2019) to identify three primary storylines across participants. What they learned was that counselors sometimes encouraged but other times discouraged college application. The participants’ varied reactions to counselors then shaped their own narratives and life courses moving forward.

Conclusion

As the examples above illustrate, conducting qualitative research can be fascinating and rewarding in terms of the richness of findings you can uncover. If you are like many of our dissertation consulting clients, you dream of using your dissertation to support social change that will ultimately help others in your community or field of practice. A qualitative research approach enables you to privilege the voices of your participants, to validate diverse perspectives and experiences, and to truly hear the stories of the individuals you include in your research. Our qualitative methods experts would be honored to lend any support you might need to make your dissertation dream a reality, and we hope you are feeling inspired about the journey ahead!

References

Ballysingh, T. A. (2019). The varied college pathways of Latino young adults: A narrative study of empowerment theory. Professional School Counseling, 23(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X19877146

Bowie, C., McLeod, J., & McLeod, J. (2016). ‘It was almost like the opposite of what I needed’: A qualitative exploration of client experiences of unhelpful therapy. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 16(2), 79-87. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12066

Cassol, H., Pétré, B., Degrange, S., Martial, C., Charland-Verville, V., Lallier, F., Bragard, I., Guillaume, M., & Laureys, S. (2018). Qualitative thematic analysis of the phenomenology of near-death experiences. PloS One, 13(2), e0193001. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193001

Hugh-Jones, S., Rose, S., Koutsopoulou, G. Z., & Simms-Ellis, R. (2018). How is stress reduced by a workplace mindfulness intervention? A qualitative study conceptualising experiences of change. Mindfulness, 9(2), 474-487. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0790-2

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2015). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. John Wiley & Sons.

Pérez-Garín, D., Recio, P., Magallares, A., Molero, F., & García-Ael, C. (2018). Perceived discrimination and emotional reactions in people with different types of disabilities: A qualitative approach. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 21, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1017.sjp.2018.13

Phoenix, C., Smith, B., & Sparkes, A. C. (2010). Narrative analysis in aging studies: A typology for consideration. Journal of Aging Studies, 24, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2008.06.003

Qu, S. Q., & Dumay, J. (2011). The qualitative research interview. Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, 8(3), 238-264. https://doi.org/10.1108/11766091111162070

Ritchie, J., & Ormston, R. (2013). The applications of qualitative research to social research. In J. Ritchie, J. Lewis, C. M. Nicholls, & R. Ormston (Eds.), Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers (pp. 27-45). Sage.

Sofaer, S. (1999). Qualitative methods: What are they and why use them? Health Services Research, 34(5 Pt 2), 1101-1118. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1089055/pdf/hsresearch00022-0025.pdf