The Value of Qualitative Research Paper

The Value of Qualitative Research Paper
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The Value of Qualitative Research Paper
Role of Researcher
Research has for a long time been the backbone of every invention or development in the world. The more knowledge created in the world, the higher the number of inventions. However, even as researchers set out to study the world and people, they play a role, especially regarding ensuring that all the knowledge they create is objective.
Explain the researcher’s role in qualitative research in general and specifically in an ethnographic approach.
The researcher is the person in charge of the entire research process. One of their key roles in qualitative research is to access the “thoughts and feelings of study participants” (Sutton, 2015). Research is built on the foundation of data. If the process of data collection is not worked upon, there is a likelihood that the results of the entire process could lose meaning. It is the work of a researcher to collect this information and ensure that they maintain objectivity. While considering the ethnographic approach, the researcher has to make sure that they collect crucial information from whichever group they study.
Aside from the above, a researcher has to protect the study participants throughout the research process. As the participants share information recorded as data, it is upon the researcher to ensure that this information is protected and the confidentiality principle taken into consideration.
Another role that the researcher does is to conduct analysis based on the data that is collected. In the ethnographic approach, the researcher concludes the data they collect. For example, having been a participant-observer, one gets to understand how a group of people operates, their mannerisms, and the reasons behind the same. So, such a study will mainly involve concluding the data that has been collected.
Discuss the unique issues that researchers should be concerned about in qualitative research.
While conducting qualitative research, there is a need to consider some crucial issues that could end up ruining the success of an entire research process. According to Sanjari et al. (2014), there are three crucial things that one needs to be concerned about in qualitative research. First, the study indicates that a researcher must be wary of anonymity, informed consent, and confidentiality. Second, as a researcher, one has to respect the participants in the study and ensure that their concerns are addressed. For example, children and other vulnerable individuals should not be allowed to participate in a study without a guardian or an advocate.
Explain the challenges researchers face in ethnographical research.
One challenge that researchers face in ethnographical research is the erection of boundaries. While trying to assimilate in a group, one can easily forfeit the boundaries they ought to observe as a researcher.
Jones and Smith (2017) also add that there is the challenge of overcoming one’s perceptions and stereotypes. For example, every research is dependent on the objectivity of the researcher. Therefore, pre-conceived perceptions can easily cloud the observations made and thus ruin the credibility ...