Qualitative Research: An Introduction to Methods and Designs

Selecting Methods or Tools

Each researcher must decide which tools to use in order to answer study questions, how the tools should be implemented to the best effect, and who should implement them. The decisions researchers make about which tools to use will depend on the research questions, the training and skills of the research team, and the amount of time and money available to conduct research in the study setting. How much researchers actually know about the study setting also influences the tools they use for data collection. Those with prior experience in the setting, or who are already members of the study community, generally know more than novices or researchers new to the community and thus would resort less to exploratory approaches. ...