Category Archives: Qualitative research

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What is unit of analysis and why is it important for qualitative dissertations

All researchers must deal with questions related to their unit of analysis and the related idea of unit of observation. Unit of analysis helps the researcher define what is being studied as well as what aspects are being studied. For dissertations, the importance of this concept is that it provides guardrails to know what is in the scope of your dissertation and what is outside the bounds of what you are examining. More specifically, the unit of analysis describes the level at which you are conducting your study. Are you researching states, universities, schools/colleges, departments, presidents, deans, professors, or students just to name a few levels. If you determine that you are studying universities, this leads to a different focus than if you are studying departments. In this post, I will describe unit of analysis and why it is important for qualitative dissertations.

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Theoretical orientation of qualitative research

Qualitative research’s foundation can be considered as different as the variety of approaches for engaging in this type of methods. Since the very beginning of qualitative research, the approach as been central to the study of human behavior specifically and growth of social research more generally. Even with the growth and perceived prominence of quantitative approaches to social research, qualitative research methods have remained prominent due to the limitations of quantitive work. In today’s post, I want to share some background about the theoretical orientation of qualitative research.

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Tips for novice qualitative researchers when using quotes

One of the biggest struggles that new qualitative researchers experience is how to make use of their data, specifically the use of quotes. The balance is a delicate one where you want to maintain fidelity to the voices of your participants and other data sources, yet you cannot simply dump pages and pages of transcriptions into the findings section. You have to identify the most central elements, pick out representative quotes, and at the most basic level tell a story about what you found. In this post, I want to provide tips for novice qualitative researchers when using quotes to help navigate this difficult balancing act.

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