We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Engineering

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Are Qualitative Instruments?

By Jennifer Leigh
Updated: May 21, 2024
Views: 42,132
Share

Qualitative instruments are used in investigative qualitative research. This type of research is different from quantitative research because the researcher is a large part of the process and can be considered one of the qualitative instruments. Other types of qualitative instruments include focus groups, interviews, and documentary analysis. In addition, narratives are utilized as well as observation by the researcher in the field. The data is analyzed using different methods to produce information that is in the form of words or images and can be coded for further analysis.

The researcher is considered one of the major qualitative instruments in this type of research, as he or she is a large part of the process. When the researcher conducts an interview or observes a party, he or she is affecting and becoming involved in the situation. This is different from quantitative research that aims to be objective instead of subjective by utilizing instruments that have been normed on previous populations. A qualitative researcher generally develops the questions that he or she asks before the study begins, as the aim in qualitative research is to get a personal look at the subject, or subjects, being studied.

Interviews are often important instruments in qualitative research, and they can be done in both structured and unstructured ways. Structured interviews include a set of questions that the researcher has formulated beforehand. Unstructured interviews allow the researcher and subject to simply talk with one another and share information in an informal atmosphere. Focus groups are used to get a group talking about a certain subject while the members are under observation. This is a helpful instrument if a researcher wants to get more than one person's ideas at one time, or to see the interaction amongst members of the group.

Another of the major qualitative instruments is field observation, which is done by the researcher when the subject is in a seemingly normal setting. For example, a child playing with toys or other children could be observed with a video camera and the content analyzed at a later time. Narrative is another instrument often used, which allows the subject to tell a story or write something down that he or she gives to the researcher. This allows the subject to relay information completely in his or her own words that can be analyzed later for themes or trends. Analysis of old videos and objects can also be utilized as qualitative instruments.

Share
All The Science is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.allthescience.org/what-are-qualitative-instruments.htm
Copy this link
All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.