Process of Conducting a Qualitative Study
Research is a systematic, rigorous investigation of a problem or situation to generate new knowledge or fact or validate existing knowledge. A qualitative study is one broader grouping in research types. It involves a systematic investigation of phenomena impossible to quantity mathematically, aiming to gather a deeper understanding of the why and how concerning beliefs, attributes, reasons, among others (explanatory). This description provides a concise and in-depth explanation of how to conduct a qualitative study about a topic, Clinicians’ knowledge, and attitudes towards hand hygiene.
Identification of a research topic will rely on research questions focusing on explaining a particular phenomenon in the research setting identified. The step dictates the type of qualitative method for use and the target research participants. Background information about the topic gets sorted then statement of the problem; it’s significant in research and formulation of research questions (Teherani, Martimianakis, Stenfors-Hayes, et al., 2015). Therefore, such items would form the goal or aim of the study and outline of research objectives. Next, I would consider the expected research outcomes, including recurrent themes and hypotheses, survey instrument measures, and conceptual or theoretical models. A review of relevant literature follows for relevant theoretical evidence available to the expected findings. The existing gaps in explaining the reasons for the occurrence of phenomena form the basis of qualitative research.
The methodology part compels identifying the relevant area of study and the target study group; for example, in this case, I could target clinicians on duty in a healthcare facility within a geographical area. The selection of a sample frame follows using an appropriate sampling technique such as purposive sampling or multi-stage sampling. I would then determine the proper sample simple, which is often small samples from the sampling frame depending on resources, time, and theoretical saturation aspects. Ethical and logistical considerations are undertaken by ensuring that consent from research participants and regulatory institutions is provided for permission to conduct the study. The approach in collecting data will be unstructured or in free form, depending on methods such as focus groups, textual, face-to-face interviews, group discussions, and phone interviews (Silverman, 2016). Concerning my selected topic, I would use a case study as a qualitative design in my research to obtain data on clinicians’ knowledge and attitudes towards hand hygiene in healthcare settings. Also, the tool for asking questions must be accurate, relevant, and without ambiguity for an optimum response rate. The involvement of the researcher in data collection is paramount since qualitative research is subjective.
Data analysis for qualitative study is dependent on thematic analysis, which is based on the identified themes in data based on the research questions. Besides, I could consider other types of analysis, including narrative analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis, and grounded theory, depending on the research method. Based on my topic and research method, I would analyze data using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The conclusion entails providing precise, scientific, and providing sound problem statements, goals, and recommendations regarding the data sets analyzed (Hennink, Hutter & Bailey, 2020).
References
Hennink, M., Hutter, I., & Bailey, A. (2020). Qualitative research methods. SAGE Publications Limited.
Silverman, D. (Ed.). (2016). Qualitative research. Sage.
Teherani, A., Martimianakis, T., Stenfors-Hayes, T., Wadhwa, A., & Varpio, L. (2015). Choosing a qualitative research approach. Journal of graduate medical education, 7(4), 669.