Scientific Research Must Be Rooted

¶ … scientific research must be rooted in empirical and objective practices in order for the results to be valid and repeatable. Not all research can be conducted, nor all data analyzed, by quantitative means, however -- that is, by the quantification of the "what" and "how" elements of a given event, trend, phenomenon, etc., and trying to establish the far more elusive and often more pressing "why" (Ereaut 2007). Seeking a deeper truth than that which can be expressed through numbers and hard data might seem to be beyond the strict boundaries of science, yet many highly pertinent questions about the world and society in which the human species live cannot be answered without such investigation (Greenhalgh & Taylor 1997). The many different theories, methods, and instruments of quantitative research have been developed and continuously fine-tuned and debated in order to better provide objective and empirical -- i.e. scientific -- answers to such questions.

Discussion or focus groups are one common means of conducting qualitative research; the selection of a relatively small number of participants and prompting with questions in a fairly unstructured manner can be highly effective at creating dialogue and an in-depth investigation of people's attitudes and beliefs on certain issues (ORAU 2010). Sampling issues need to be addressed in focus groups as well as in all qualitative surveys, as ensuring that an accurate representative population is collected is key to ensuring the validity and applicability of the results of qualitative research (FHI 2003). As scientific validity is the driving force behind the development of qualitative research methods, its preservation in qualitative studies is paramount.

The process of obtaining and analyzing data in a qualitative study must itself be rendered explicit and richly detailed in the communication of that data and/or its findings, as well as in the collection of this data in many instances, so that it can be understood in its proper context and therefore less easily misapplied or misconstrued (Myers 2002). The restrictions and limitations of any particular study, that is, must be given careful attention in any explanation of the results, to avoid the potential that the results could prove misleading. This and other principles of qualitative research can actually be seen in action on an almost daily basis in many environments, as decisions in business and in personal life are explained through a series of observations, analyses, and conclusions (Ereaut 2007). This means that qualitative research is not only necessary; it is entirely unavoidable.

This does not mean that qualitative research is easily or simply carried out, however, and many consideration must be made in order to obtain scientifically valid results. In addition to the sample size and structure and an explanation of the research methods during the presentation of data, making sure research instruments are culturally relevant, ethically compliant, and of course actually address the research question while eliminating inasmuch as is possible the influence of other variables on the primary question data collected are all necessary elements of qualitative research (FHI 2003). The ethicality of research methods and the perspectives and potential prejudices of the researcher must also be taken into account during the research and in the presentation of the research (FHI 2003).

Some common qualitative research methods other than focus groups include interviews, content analysis, ethnography, evaluation, and semiotics, all of which provide avenues for answering largely different -- and some similar -- questions about the world and its people that simply cannot be answered using numbers, and cannot be simply answered at all (Ereaut 2007). In each of these methods, there is always the potential for bias on the part of the researcher/observer and in some cases in an uncontrollable manner the part of the study participants; all precautions to preserve the objectivity of the observations and the research must be taken, but the remaining possibilities of bias are constitute one of the reasons that the research methods must be divulged in a detailed and comprehensive manner, giving any reader a better opportunity to ascertain validity for themselves (Greenhalgh & Taylor 1997).