Qualitative Research: The Social Constructivist Paradigm

Research Approach
There are several parameters that a researcher should consider before making their methodology or how their research should be conducted. Such parameters can take the form of queries such as, “Should I conduct a qualitative or a quantitative research?”. Now what are quantitative and qualitative research approaches? Quantitative research is related with the positivist paradigm. It involves the collection and conversion of data into numerical in which calculations (statistics) are used for data to be accepted or nulled before drawing a conclusion. Quantitative researches will be conducted with one or hypotheses. The hypothesis are inquiries that the topic addresses which includes predicting whether a certain event would happen or not or the relationship between intendents they wish to investigate (variables).
Qualitative research is an approach with the social constructivist paradigm that emphasizes the “social construct nature of reality”. The significance of qualitative research lies within the understanding human behavior based from experience, contradicting beliefs, and emotions; moreover, researchers using this approach must be interested in gaining insight of complex understanding of a person’s experience and not just obtaining data that generalizes a larger group (Alzheimer-europe.org, 2009). To be able to choose the type of research to use, a researcher must consider the following:
* The researcher should consider the type of data set he or she intends to gather based from suitability of specific approaches to their topic; moreover, he or she must be able to defend or justify their use of data.
* The researcher’s capability with the designated methods for data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
* The interest of the researcher on a topic.
* Must be able to answer their stated problems, and objectives.
* A research must be conducted for the good of nature and or mankind with accordance to the scripture 1 Peter3:8-9 where it states that like-minded individuals be sympathetic of one another and conduct good for good and not evil for evil.
Another question a researcher should address to is whether they should conduct a deductive, inductive, or abductive approach (with regards to qualitative and quantitative). The following table summarizes the difference between the three:

Deductive

Inductive

Abductive

Logic

If premises are true, then the conclusion must be true

Uses known premises to acquire untested conclusions

Premises generates testable conclusions

Generalizability

From general to specific

From specific to general

Interactions ...