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The Five Qualitative Approaches: Problem, Purpose, and Questions/The Role of

Theory in the Five Qualitative Approaches/Comparative Case Study

Article  in  SSRN Electronic Journal · January 2016

DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2761327

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THE FIVE QUALITATIVE Hassan Elkatawneh

APPROACHES Doctor of
Philosophy PPA -
Terrorism Mediation
& Peace Chairman of
the Board of
Trustees of the Arab
Problem, Purpose, and Organization for
Mediation and
Questions / The Role of Conflict Resolution
Walden University

Theory in the Five Qualitative

Approaches
Comparative Case study

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2761327

 1

Five Qualitative Approaches / Problem,

Purpose, and Questions / The Role of
Theory in the Five Qualitative Approaches
Comparative Cases study
Hassan Elkatawneh
Doctor of Philosophy PPA - Terrorism Mediation & Peace
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Organization for Mediation and Conflict
Resolution
Walden University

03/27/2016

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2761327

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Five Qualitative Approaches

Problem, Purpose, and Questions / The Role of Theory in the Five Qualitative Approaches

Comparative Cases study

Five Approaches: Problem, Purpose, and Questions

Narrative Approach

Narrative research is qualitative research method which takes written or spoken words of

some individuals personal stories as data for analysis. Narrative research has seen to be used in

management science and received maturity in Knowledge Management. This method deals with

human knowledge organization, knowledge management, and narrative research shares the idea

of transferring unquantifiable elements of knowledge, such as experience, this idea is also known

as knowledge transfer. Bruner, (1991) Said narrative knowledge formed and elevate over a tale of

living experience and the sense formed. Help make meaning of the opacity and intricacy of human

lives. Researchers can achieve from the Narrative research method such as, collected stories, a

form of the tale assists arrange information about how people have transposed events, the beliefs,

experiences and values that direct those interpretations; and their intentions, hopes, and plans. The

research happens by collecting stories of Life events of people and analyze them (Bruner, 1991).

Analysis happens typically in two ways focused on content and focused on the meaning.

The analysis does not happen at the end of data collection; rather it happens throughout the research

process. The data gathering and Analysis happen in a co-operation of the subject and the researcher

as a single harmonious process. The data collection procedure in narrative research could be

diverse. For example, data can be collected in the form of journal records, interview transcription,

and one's written a script of Storytelling, field notes, newsletters and other texts. Beside the text,
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some other form of audio and video recordings can be used as data collection methods. The

strength of narrative method, it has usefulness for real life problem investigation, this type of

research gives access to in depth in thick description or data. The weakness of this method is that

it may not be evidence or support for the conclusion of a report. It does not have any standard sets

of procedures like other quantitative research (Narrative Methods in Research, (n.d.).

Example of a Narrative Study

The topic of the study will be investigating the aggressive behavior of the presidential

nominee's supporters. This study needs to be conducted in order to study the reason behind the

aggressive behavior of the Donald Trump supporter.

The purpose of this is to investigate the behavior of Donald Trump supporters. The study

is will use the qualitative narrative approach to explore the impact of the personality of the

presidential nominee on the behavior of their supporters. The study will be conducted at Donald

Trump’s camping. The participant of the study will be chosen from the camping audience.

The central question: What is the effect of Donald Trump's speech on the behaviors and the

attitudes of his supporters?

Sub questions

 Why the supporters of Donald Trump are aggressive against Donald Trump's opponents?

 What is the common between Donald Trump's supporters?

The problem, purpose, and questions fit with the approach because of the researcher

investigates and collecting stories of Life events of people. The data can be collected in the form

of journal records, interview transcription, one's own written script of Storytelling, field notes,
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newsletters and other texts. Beside the text some other form of audio and video recordings can be

used as data collection methods. Using the Narrative research method help in collecting stories,

form of the tale assist arranges information about how people have transposed events, the beliefs,

experiences and values that direct those interpretations; and their intentions, hopes, and future

plans (Creswell, 2013).

Phenomenology

Phenomenology is a research methodology that is mostly applied in social and aids

sciences, such as nursing, it is usually characterized as a logical path to the investigate practice

because everything that we see we also practice. There are two types of Phenomenology:

Hermeneutic Phenomenology

Phenomenology researcher usually explains texts to reconnoiter existed experience to

determine people’s lived experience with some phenomenon.

Transcendental phenomenology

Phenomenology usually concentrates on people’s sense of an existing practice of a notion

of phenomenal. The purpose of transcendental phenomenology is to describe the essence and the

nature of experiencing the phenomena that being studied (Creswell, 2013).

To deterrent, the phenomenology method is appropriate to answer the research question; the

question must be exploring questions about experiencing a phenomenon such as what is the

experience of the event or phenomenon that under the study. Researchers keep their experiences

away, preconceived notion, bias to comprehend how the phenomenon imitates to participants,

instead of how it is understood by the researchers, this procedure called bracketing. Researchers
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are usually recruiting participants from those people who lived the practices with the notion or

phenomenon of under the study. Data drive in the format of in-depth solo interviews, observations,

documents, and another form of data collection. Some expert recommended that researchers, at

least, must interview five participants. Also, the interview must be conducted till the achieving of

the saturation. Often interview is limited to one or two broads, opened ended question. The

researchers analyze the data using a significant statement such as sentences, quotes that taken from

transcripts to describe elements of experiencing the phenomenon. Researchers also use a similar

significant statement and placed in a cluster of meaning, which is different themes of the

participant’s experience with the phenomena. The researcher writes a significant statement in the

form of textural description and structural description. The phenomenology approach has

limitations and difficulty such as the difficulty in recruiting participants, long time to gather the

data, analysis and interpretation can be difficult, bias and small sampling (Qualitative Research,

(n.d.).

Example of Phenomenology Study

The topic for this study will be the racial incitement in the presidential campaign against

minorities.

The purpose of this is to investigate the experience of Muslims during the presidential

campaign. The study is will use the qualitative Phenomenological approach to explore the

experience of Muslims under the racial incitement in the campaign against minorities in the

presidential campaign. The study will be conducted at the worship Places where Muslims

American frequently visited. The participant of the study will be chosen from the Muslim worship

places visitors.
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The central question: What has been your experience from the racial incitement against Muslims

within the presidential campaign speeches?

Sub-questions:

 How your experience changed during the presidential campaign?

 What is the link between your recent racial experience and the presidential campaign?

The problem, purpose, and questions fit with the approach because of the research trying

to explore the effect of a recent phenomenon, and the experience of people under the effect of this

phenomenon, where the phenomenon takes place in the reality life (Creswell, 2013).

Grounded Theory

Grounded theory is one of the method qualitative approach, which investigates the

experience of people and their responses and reactions, to generate a theory or an illustration the

process and how it works. The reasons for the name of the grounded theory are that the grounded

theory is usually generated only from the data that is collected in the study, and does not come

from other sources, such as other theories, textbooks or researcher's opinions. Grounded theory is

suitable to use when there are no existing theories regarding the process that are of interest to the

researchers; there is a theory that exists, but they have created for a certain group of people that

the researchers are interested. Researchers are recruiting Researchers recruit participants who lived

or living off the case under study, which is called the theoretical sampling process. The major

source of data usually collected in this approach is the interview, also, another shape of

information, which it can be applied for triangulation. Conducting Interviews must continue until

the saturation take place which is usually ranged from 20 to 30 or more interviews. Interview

questions are usually open-ended as always, and based on the following questions: what is the
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process to the core phenomenon? Which known as the causal condition? What strategies are used

to take action in the process? What were the results of the strategies? (Creswell, 2013).

Data analysis of the grounded theory usually done through three stages, such as the open

coding, axial coding and selective coding. The final step of conducting the grounded theory is the

discriminant sampling, where the researcher recruits a whole new group of participant, who are

similar to the original participant, and conduct the same interview questions. The purpose of the

discriminant sampling is the determining if the new participants experience with the process of

interest will be similar to the theory that was already created, this helps the test and verify if the

theory was accurate or not. The limitation of the grounded theory lay on the different aspect such

as the difficulty of recruiting participant, long time to gather data, analysis difficulty, researcher

bias, and the small number of participants (Creswell, 2013).

 Example of the Grounded Theory

 Racist statements from some of the candidates for the US presidential election and which

have fueled racism among campaign audience, whether who attend those campaigns or

audience behind the TV.

 The purpose of the study is to Examine the presidential campaign speech that seemed to

leave an impact on their audience during the major event such as the presidential election.

The study is will use the qualitative grounded theory approach to examine the impact of

the presidential campaign speech audience during the major event such as the presidential

election. The study will be conducted at the campaign Places where the audience attends

for the Democratic and Republican parties. The participant of the study will be chosen from

the campaign's attendances.

The Central Question: What elements of presidential campaign speech can make audience racist?
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Sub-question:

 What elements of presidential campaign speech can make audience fight racism?

 How the presidential campaign speech can effect on the audience?

Ethnography

Ethnography is a one of the qualitative research approach, which investigates certain

culture within a group of people. The characteristics of Ethnographic studies usually linked to the

culture, such as beliefs, behaviors, language, and values. Ethnographic research originated from

anthropology and sociology. The research questions related to ethnography usually sound

something like what is the culture of……? Whatever the cause under the study and whatever the

people under the study. Ethnography Data collection usually comes in the form of extensive

observations, field notes, in-depth interviews, and other data may also include artifacts,

newspapers, journals… etc. Researchers in the ethnography need to gain entry to the group of the

cultural group within society and become immersed in the everyday lives of the group in the field

for an extended period. Usually ethnography study 20 or more people of the group that they are

interested in (Creswell, 2013).

During the Analyzing ethnography research data, researchers immerse themselves in the

field notes and interview transcripts to discover major themes that describe the group’s culture.

The final report illustrates the researchers experience with thick, and fully explained, which allows

the readers to sense the culture without having been there. Finally, the report also was written in a

narrative story. The limitations of ethnography lay on different difficulty such as, the long period

that researchers needed to spend in the field to understand the group culture, also the difficulty in
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writing the final report, which is written in a narrative story, also the researchers may become a

part of the group and lose their identity and the ethical difficulty (Creswell, 2013).

Cultural identity within Muslim Group and the role of the Muslim worship place in facilitating

cultural identity.

The purpose of the study is to study the culture of the Muslim group with the Muslim

worship place. The study is will use the qualitative ethnography approach to study values, beliefs,

behaviors, language of the Muslim group with the Muslim worship place. The study will be

conducted at the Muslim worship place in Cliffside Park, NJ. The participant of the study will be

chosen from the Muslim worship place in Cliffside Park, NJ.

Central Question: What is the role of Muslim worship place in facilitating cultural identity of

Muslims?

Sub Questions:

 Dose the Muslim worship place play role in maintaining cultural identity?

 How the Muslim worship place help in understanding the Muslim culture?

Ethnography approach is the best approach to discover and examine cultural of a group of

people.

Case study

The Case refers to an event, problem, process, activity, a single person, or several peoples'

activities. The case study needs to be studied using a bounded system, the boundaries of the case

usually time or space. The case study also characterizes by Multiple sources of data, such as
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interviews, observations, documents, artifacts… etc. The case study uses many forms of data to

have an in-depth understanding of the case. There are three types of case study:

 Single instrumental case study, where the researcher focuses on an issue and then selects a

bounded case to illustrate that issue.

 Multiple case study, where the researcher focuses on an issue and then select several

bounded cases to illustrate that issue.

 Intrinsic case study, where the researcher studies the case itself, without first focusing on

an issue. In the intrinsic case study, the researcher chose a unique or unusual case and then

studied it (Creswell, 2013).

After collecting data, the researcher analyzes the data. If a single instrumental case study,

then the researcher will analyze all the form of data, and create themes. If the case study is a

multiple case study, then the researcher will analyze all the form of data and create themes found

in each case, the researcher will conduct a cross-case analysis. The last step in the case study is the

assertions, where the researcher makes interpretation of the meaning of the data regarding the case,

it also includes making a statement about the lessons learned from the case (Patton, 2015).

The limitation of the case study lays on the difficulty in determining the case, whether to

find an issue and then find the case to illustrate, or to study the case itself. The difficult to determine

whether to study one or multiple cases. The difficulty in defining the boundaries of the case. Also

studying more than one case may lead to less in-depth for each case (Patton, 2015).

The Role of Theory in the Five Qualitative Approaches

Increasing debate among philosophers about the role of theory in supporting qualitative

research, several philosophers believe that the inquiry methods are driven by theory, philosophers
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and others think that the role of qualitative research can promote the concept of the theory of the

disciplinary perspective. While others emphasize that qualitative research is to achieve inductive,

so viability can be judged through the prior theories. The purpose of this paper is to examine the

role of theory in qualitative research approaches, such as the Narrative, Phenomenology, Ground

Theory, Ethnography and the Case Study (Creswell, 2013).

Theory in qualitative research supports the cognitive operation of directing the research

subjects, and also supporting underlying knowledge in these qualitative studies. Moreover, help

guide the conduct of researchers, thereby influencing the research question, which is leading

research process and methodology (Creswell, 2013).

The Narrative Approach

The concept of narrative emerged through the integration of different sciences, that led to

the derivation of the narrative approach. Where social sciences played a clear role in the emergence

and development of the principles of the narrative approach, and in integrating theories in the

approach formation, where in the past novels and stories of scientists were more complex in term

of formulation the abstract experiences. Narrative research falls within a series of qualitative

ethnographic researches, which relies essentially on the study of mankind. Ethnographic approach

is a Greek origin term, the use of it not limit only on the data collection or numbers analysis, but

primarily rely on words, so it called "written narrative." (Patton, 2015).

The Role of Theory in the Narrative Approach

The role of theory in the narrative approach is structured at the beginning of the formation

of the study in terms of the formulation of the research problem and in determining the research

question. Beyond that, theory plays role in the stages of determining the type and size of the
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sample, also the appropriate sampling methods to the problem and the research problem and

method of research that has been chosen, theory plays a role in determining the appropriate

framework of the search. During the information analysis and data restoration, theoretical

framework plays an indispensable part in connecting ideas and re-narration to avoid interference

between the novel, the event and the personal perspectives of the participants and the researcher.

Furthermore, theory helps in the process of identifying themes that emerge from the narrative and

stories analysis (Patton, 2015).

The Phenomenological Approach

Phenomenological approach is interested in the study of the phenomenon. Where it's a way

to describe things that already exist, as part of the world in which we live. The phenomenon may

be events or situations, or, or experiences, or concepts. There is two type of Phenomenology;

Hermeneutic Phenomenology and Transcendental phenomenology (Patton, 2015).

The Role of Theory in the Phenomenological Approach

The application of Theory contrasts with both methods (Hermeneutics Phenomenology)

and (Transcendental Phenomenology), while the assumptions and principles of the (Hermeneutics

Phenomenology) itself driven from a theoretical framework. In (Transcendental Phenomenology)

researcher is trying to avoid any effect of the theory on the intellectual trends of the study, which

may lead to a predetermined specific path. Despite the approach of Transcendental phenomena, it

calls for a researcher to be objective during the search process, but the theory is invisibly linked

with methodology. While that approach (Hermeneutics Phenomenology) demanding a researcher

for a more intelligent attitude through the interpretive process makes it easier for the reader to

understand. Often the pioneers among scholars like Creswell, urge not to adopt the expectations
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or pre-frameworks, and that in turn instruct researchers, which that mean, the researcher must not

use the theory with an intention of verifying. While Theory can be adopted through a process of

analysis and data collection, and in comparison with other theories (Creswell, 2013).

Grounded Theory

The Grounded Theory is one of the qualitative research approaches, which rely inductive

methodology designed to develop the theory, where theory cannot be generalized out of the sample

under study. Grounded theory is a form of qualitative that studies peoples’ experience with some

kind of process, and then generating a theory or on explanation of how the process works. Usually

researcher adopt the grounded theory when there is not existing theory for the topic under study,

or there is an existing theory belong to certain group of people which they have a common feature

with group under investigation (Patton, 2015).

The Role of Theory in the Grounded Theory Approach

The theory plays a symbolic role in the grounded theory, where the aims of the study is to

generate a theory. Theory plays several roles in terms of intervention in the research background,

in the formulation of research strategy, and in the literature review. Several scholars such as Glaser

and Strauss, argues that it must avoid any theoretical perceptions or speculation or prior hypothesis

style during grounded theory research. While the generation of theories on social principles

requires a possession of a social perspective and sense of Theory (Creswell, 2013).

Ethnography Approach

Ethnography has an objective background derived from sociology. Ethnography uses the

term to refer to a picture or description of individuals, it is a way of descriptive studies of cultures

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and individuals, while the cultural scale is the individuals who are under research and

investigation, and who have a common culture (Patton, 2015).

The Role of Theory in the Ethnography Approach

Although the ethnographic approach is a descriptive style, but it mainly depends on the

knowledge available to each of the phenomenon and the question arises. Thus, the analysis in the

ethnographic approach is derived from the theories of ethnographic culture. The theory plays a

significant role in ethnographic approach in terms of selection of the observed elements, directing

the interpretations of the researcher, reduce cultural bias in research. Also the theory plays a role

in policing the interpretation of data to avoid the impact of experiences and own interpretations by

the researcher and which may constitute a sort of intellectual or cultural bias (Patton, 2015).

The Case Study Approach

The case study approach type is very distinguished for qualitative analysis and involves

careful monitoring and full social units, where that the elements of those units consists of people,

a family, an institution or a cultural group or even the entire community, it is a method of in-depth

study and not extensive. The case study put more emphasis on the full analysis of a limited number

of events or circumstances and the relations among them. The case study deals with the processes

taking place and the relationships between them. Thus, the case study is basically an intensive

study of a particular unit in question. The aim of the method of the case study is to identify the

factors that shape the behavior patterns of a particular unit as a whole (Patton, 2015).

The Role of Theory in the Case Study Approach

The Theory plays an important role in the case study approach, in terms of the design of

the research questions, the process of analysis, and interpretation of the results as well. Some
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scholars argue that the case study approach needs to determine the theoretical framework from the

beginning of the investigation, because it effects on the research question, the data analysis and

interpretation of research results. Creswell, argue that the role played by Theory lies in the field of

research methodology and prior theoretical considerations in the research design (Patton, 2015).

Mostly the theory will play a role in the design of research questions, where it should

determine the theoretical framework which needed to explaining the human behavior, and

presuppositions, which may raise questions about the human interaction and at the same time

determine the relationship between the elements of the study. Since the process of analysis and

interpretation of results often need to determine how to make the comparison, and understand the

complex factors that operate within the social unit as an integrated unit. Some scholars argue that

the style of the case study needs to determine the theoretical frameworks from the beginning of

the investigation, in order to learn the mutual interrelationship between the causal factors.

Furthermore, to understand the patterns of human behavior and the interpretation and analysis of

social changes. the accurate study of different aspects of a social unit enables researcher to

understands the previous and present social change in a good manner, this simplifies the process

of configuring the conclusions (Tavallaei & TALIB, 2010).

The case study method is based on several assumptions. It can be important as the

following assumptions are listed:

 The assumption of symmetry in the basic human nature in spite of the fact that human

behavior may vary according of the different positions.

 Assuming the study of the natural history of the unit concerned.

 The assumption of the comprehensive study of the unit concerned (Tavallaei & TALIB,

2010).
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The planned study for the final project, it might resort to some social, economic, political

and psychological theories, in order to explain the nature of human interaction. theories might be

used such as game theory, international relations models and approaches and theories. In addition

to scientific research and theories which play a role in the process of formulation of the question

and the collection and analysis of data and formulation of the results.
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References

Bruner, J. (1991). The narrative construction of reality. Critical inquiry, 18(1), 1-21.

Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five

approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc

Gause, G. (2014). Beyond Sectarianism: The New Middle East Cold War. The Brookings Doha

Center, (11).

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Papers/2014/07/22%20beyond%20sec

tarianism%20cold%20war%20gause/English%20PDF.pdf

Narrative Methods in Research - Keele University. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.keele.ac.uk/media/keeleuniversity/facnatsci/schpsych/documents/counse

Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks,

CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Qualitative Research- Evidence Based Practice flashcards ... (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://quizlet.com/102746094/qualitative-research-evidence-based-practice-flash

Tavallaei, M., & TALIB, M. A. (2010). A General Perspective on Role of Theory in Qualitative

Research. Journal of International Social Research, 3(11).

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