Principles of Qualitative Methods: Section 3. Planning a Qualitative Research Project

At a substantive level there should not to be too great a disparity between planning a piece of research whether it utilises qualitative or quantitative methods, nevertheless there are some differences in the order in which the stages of the research process are undertaken, these will be highlighted below:

1. Identify the research problem and formulate the research question:

A research question delineates the area of inquiry and leads to the posing of preliminary research questions. Research questions are more focused than research problems because they are what the research project ultimately aims to address. Researchers in the field of public health can often find themselves presented with a pre-existing problem which they are then required to address when designing a research project, or they may be called upon to evaluate previous interventions (This is usually termed 'Action research' and is addressed in detail in Section 4). Alternatively, in the case of academic study some under-researched or neglected area of interest may be chosen in order to develop a better understanding of the social processes involved (Hansen:2006:22).

There are essentially two main types of research questions: those which describe states and those that describe processes. In the case of the former, the research question will be focused on describing how a given state (which type, how often) has come about (causes, strategies), and how it is maintained (structure). For the latter, the aim of the research question is to describe how something develops or changes (causes, processes, consequences) (Lofland and Lofland:1995 cited in Flick:2002:50).

2. Carry out a literature review and then further clarify the research questions:

In conducting a literature review around the research topic, as many as possible sources of information should be drawn upon. In addition to using on-line academic databases such as PubMed and ASSIA which can be used to identify relevant journal papers and textbooks, the Department of Health website allows full access to relevant policy documentation. The websites of non-governmental organisations such as those of health charities, lobby groups and local community organisations also offer useful sources of information. However, the researcher will need to take into account the reliability and validity of the source documentation.

Additionally, given the multi-faceted nature of health and health care issues, a review of the literature should not be restricted to just that produced within the field of one or two academic disciplines such as medicine or epidemiology. Other academic fields of interest such as policy studies, sociology, psychology and economics may well contain important studies that offer a different and valuable perspective on the research problem. This reading of the literature serves to further clarify and narrow down the central concrete research question, in addition to the supplementary questions that specify in detail what the research project is being designed to address.

3. Write the research plan:

It is crucial for any successful research project to ensure that the field of study and the research questions are delineated in such a way that it is possible to structure a research design able to address these questions using given and available resources, and also that the appropriate methods are utilised. It is the writing of the research plan that in principle brings all these elements together in a way that is acceptable both for the approval of an ethics committee, and for the potential funders of the research.

The research plan should include the following:

• A title
• a statement of the research problem
• The research questions
• a literature review
• a justification for the choice of methods and a description of the data collection methods
• how the data is to be analysed and interpreted
• the expected concrete outcomes of the research
• the ways in which these outcomes will be disseminated.
4. Gaining ethical approval and applying for research funding:

Discussed in detail in Section 4.

5. Embark upon the data collection and analysis and interpretation of the research data:

Discussed in detail in Section 5 and 6.

6. Dissemination of the research findings

Discussed in detail in Section 7.

© ICrinson & MLeontowitsch 2006