What is qualitative research? If we look for a precise definition of qualitative research, and specifically for one that addresses its distinctive feature of being “qualitative,” the literature is meager. In this article we systematically search, identify and analyze a sample of 89 sources using or attempting to define the term “qualitative.” Then, drawing on ideas we find scattered across existing work, and based on Becker’s classic study of marijuana consumption, we formulate and illustrate a definition that tries to capture its core elements. We define qualitative research as an iterative process in which improved understanding to the scientific community is achieved by making new significant distinctions resulting from getting closer to the phenomenon studied. This formulation is developed as a tool to help improve research designs while stressing that a qualitative dimension is present in quantitative work as well. Additionally, it can facilitate teaching, communication between researchers, diminish the gap between qualitative and quantitative researchers, help to address critiques of qualitative methods, and be used as a standard of evaluation of qualitative research.

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什么是定性研究中的定性

什么是定性研究？如果我们寻找定性研究的精确定义，特别是针对其“定性”这一显着特征的定义，那么文献很少。在本文中，我们系统地搜索、识别和分析了使用或试图定义“定性”一词的 89 个来源的样本。然后，利用我们发现分散在现有工作中的想法，并基于贝克尔对大麻消费的经典研究，我们制定并说明了一个试图捕捉其核心元素的定义。我们将定性研究定义为一个迭代过程，在这个过程中，通过更接近所研究的现象而产生新的显着区别，从而提高对科学界的理解。这个公式是作为一种工具来帮助改进研究设计的，同时强调定量工作中也存在定性维度。此外，它可以促进研究人员之间的教学和交流，缩小定性研究人员和定量研究人员之间的差距，有助于解决对定性方法的批评，并用作定性研究评估的标准。