Qualitative research methods are one way of conducting research based on surveys and observations that do not prioritize statistics as is usually done in quantitative research models.
For those of you who have already carried out college final assignments or researched, it seems that the term 'Qualitative Research Method' is not something foreign to your ears. This is because this is a common thing for students of various levels to discuss who are doing assignments in the field. So what exactly is the qualitative research method itself?
Definition of Qualitative Research Methods Qualitative
research methods are once again another way that can also be justified. In the world of research, sometimes we still experience misunderstandings because we still say that what is called research or research is always based on a survey of numbers and graphs.
This is then exacerbated by the adage that the use of statistical data and questions is always the right way to do research. Then all eyes are on the type of quantitative research that has been mentioned above that is indeed very close to the numbers. While one of the other models, qualitative research, was later doubted. This includes the condition of the qualitative research method itself.
What's with all this? It was later discussed by several experts that the background to this problem was that qualitative research methods were not considered as one of the best and accountable research methods. It is said that the existence of this condition is strongly influenced by the growing understanding among academics of the strong influence of the positivistic flow with its quantitative research methods.
In more detail, the experts then said that in fact there are two groups of research methods in social science, namely quantitative research methods and qualitative research methods which we will discuss here. The debate that arises in both is on the issue of applying the method itself.
Here, it should be underlined that one of the arguments put forward by this type of qualitative research method is the problem of human uniqueness or also social phenomena that exist around us, which in fact cannot be analyzed using methods borrowed from exact sciences or science that is very familiar with numbers. -numbers as we know.
However, qualitative research methods that prioritize field observations and the data are processed in a non-statistical way, basically cannot be taboo from numbers. It's just that the numbers here are not a benchmark in concluding a research decision.
Qualitative research methods actually put pressure on the researcher whose role is the same as a research tool. In other words, in the qualitative research method model, the researcher must be able to capture what is happening in society or social phenomena that exist by mobilizing all the five senses he has.
If this has been established, the researcher automatically must try to make himself acceptable to the object of his research in order to summarize the data. Of course here, in qualitative research methods, speech language, body language, behavior and expressions in the respondent's environment must be captured carefully and thoroughly because the researcher is the tool for capturing action and reaction.
Basis of Qualitative Research Methods
If we have discussed how the two research models are, it seems there is no harm in us taking a look at what is the basis for it. Especially on the basis of this qualitative research method we are talking about.
It should be noted that in the development of the world of science there are 2 methods of thinking that are very well known to this day. Both are the deductive method developed by Aristotle and the inductive method driven by Francis Bacon. If you do not understand both, will be touched on for a moment. These two methods of thinking are the basis of qualitative research methods.
In the basis of qualitative research methods, the deductive method is a method of thinking whose roots or roots are derived from general things or a theory that moves towards the specific. Meanwhile, the inductive method is an understanding of the opposite or in other words, from the specific to the general realm.
Well, both in the world of research is very necessary. This is basically the present qualitative research method. Furthermore, in the development of research action requires a clear and precise method. From this, it was agreed that two research methods, namely qualitative research methods and quantitative methods, could be used as a basis for conducting research.
It should be noted that at first the quantitative type method was considered to meet the requirements as the best and most appropriate assessment method because it used tools or instruments to measure various symptoms that were processed using data or statistically in the form of numbers. This method is considered better than qualitative research methods.
It's just that in its development, numerical data and mathematical processing are not able to explain a truth in a convincing way because it has the potential to be caused by pairs of actions or plagiarism from one study to another. This is what then slowly raises qualitative research methods on the surface.
From here, qualitative research methods are considered as methods that are able to describe the symptoms and phenomena that exist in the target or respondent thoroughly and correctly.
Recognizing the Characteristics of Qualitative Research Methods
The qualitative research method model is very easy to recognize because it has many characteristics. Here qualitative research methods will be characterized by as many as ten main characteristics that distinguish qualitative research methods from other research methods.
The first characteristic is, in qualitative research methods, the variety of data is collected in original or natural conditions, in other words, not previously conditioned.
Second, the researcher is a research tool and he is a data collector via observation or interviews.
Third, the qualitative research method is in the form of descriptive data which is then written in a narrative report although it also includes words, pictures, and minimal numbers.
Fourth, qualitative research methods prioritize process over results.
Fifth, the behavioral symptoms or actions of the respondent must be sought for their meaning. That is the main thing in qualitative research methods or in other words, this qualitative research method prioritizes direct data.
Sixth, in qualitative research, triangulation methods are used extensively, both method triangulation and triangulation on existing data sources.
Seventh, capturing details on contextual meaning or in other words the researcher must be able to record detailed data on something related to the problem being researched.
Eighth, between the researcher and the researcher are the same.
Ninth, qualitative research methods prioritize the problem of emic perspective, the respondents' views are very important.
Tenth, qualitative research methods put forward the principle of verification.
Another further characteristic is that there is a purposive sampling. This type of qualitative method uses a small but selected sample. Qualitative research methods also basically use an "audit trail" or include methods of data collection and analysis.
Meanwhile, the next feature is that qualitative research methods have carried out analysis since the beginning of the study. The data obtained is immediately analyzed, continuously and continuously until it reaches accurate and adequate results.
And here theory is basically based on research. The data generated in the field is the formulation of conclusions or also commonly referred to as theory. Such is the insight into qualitative research methods.