Why am I interested in qualitative research? I guess it primarily stems from my love of the field of Sociology. It took me 14 years to finish my Bachelor’s. Over those 14 years, I switched majors more times than I can remember. I could never quite decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. Then, one day, I discovered Sociology. Suddenly, I was excited about going to class and reading materials and learning. I had found my passion. (In fact, if UNF hadn’t discontinued their Master’s in Sociology, I might have ended up on an entirely different path.)
But back to qualitative research . . . Sociology is the study of society and social interaction. I would argue that these are things far too nuanced to study quantitatively. It would be difficult to quantify the subtleties and intricacies of our everyday interactions, and the influences on those interactions. Some people would argue that human behavior is predictable and, thus, can be quantified and measured. But I would argue that, even in “predictable” situations, quantitative research doesn’t tell the whole story. In order to get the rich data necessary to understand WHY that behavior is predictable (or not), qualitative means are indispensable. In other words, I don’t think it’s enough just to be able to predict. I think the goal should be to understand.
A great example is a standardized test score. You can take students’ scores and try to “predict” whether they will succeed or fail in school, but what if an extremely bright student had the flu on testing day, or his mom was in the hospital? Or what if a struggling student got frustrated and made a lot of really good guesses? These are things that tell the stories behind the numbers. And without qualitative methods, those stories don’t get told. I don’t want that to happen. And that is why I want to do qualitative research!