Qualitative Research Assumptions Explained

Qualitative research explores phenomena through understanding meaning, context, and subjective experiences. Its core assumptions include:

• Subjectivity: Emphasis on participants' perspectives and interpretations.
• Context: Understanding that phenomena are situated within specific social and historical contexts.
• Inductive Approach: Developing theories or insights from observed data.
• Social Construction: Reality is often seen as socially created and interpreted.

Positivist Approach Contrasted

The Positivist approach is fundamentally different from qualitative research. Positivism assumes:

• Objectivity: Reality is singular, measurable, and independent of the observer, much like in the natural sciences.
• Quantification: Preference for numerical data and statistical analysis to identify generalizable laws.
• Deductive Reasoning: Testing pre-existing hypotheses or theories.
• Generalizability: Aiming for findings that apply universally.

This focus on objective, quantifiable, and generalizable laws is contrary to the qualitative focus on subjective experiences, context, and in-depth understanding.

Aligned Qualitative Approaches

Approaches like Social Constructionism and Phenomenology are deeply aligned with qualitative research principles. Social constructionism emphasizes how reality is interpreted and created through social interaction, while phenomenology focuses on understanding the essence of lived experiences from a subjective viewpoint.

Conclusion

Therefore, the Positivist approach, with its emphasis on objective reality and quantitative measurement, stands in contrast to the core assumptions of qualitative research.