Qualitative Research
Qualitative research from design to defence — interviews and focus groups, thematic analysis, grounded theory, coding in NVivo, trustworthiness criteria, and writing up qualitative findings convincingly.
All Qualitative Research guides
6 articles
Case Study Research: Design, Types & Rigour (Yin vs Stake)
Single or multiple case? Holistic or embedded? What makes case study research rigorous — case selection, triangulation, replication logic — and how to defend generalisation in your viva.
How to Conduct Research Interviews: Protocol, Probes & Practice
From building the interview guide to probing without leading, recording ethically and knowing when you've reached saturation — the complete craft of the research interview.
Sampling Methods in Research: Types, Selection & Justification
Probability or non-probability? Random, stratified, purposive or snowball? How to choose a sampling method you can defend — and write the justification your committee expects.
Atlas.ti vs NVivo: Choosing Your Qualitative Analysis Software
The two dominant qualitative analysis packages do the same core job — coding and retrieving your data. Where they genuinely differ, what the AI features change (and don't), and how to choose in practice.
Qualitative vs Quantitative vs Mixed Methods: Which Fits Your Study?
Your method should follow your question, not your comfort zone. A clear guide to choosing between qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods designs.
How to Do Thematic Analysis (A Practical Walkthrough)
Thematic analysis turns interview transcripts into credible findings — if you follow the steps. Here's Braun & Clarke's six phases, applied to a real workflow.
Put it into practice
Free tools, templates and mentoring connected to qualitative research.
Frequently asked
How many interviews are enough for qualitative research?+
There is no magic number — the criterion is saturation: the point where new interviews stop producing new themes. Many published studies reach it between 12 and 30 interviews, but you must evidence saturation, not just assert a count.
How is rigour shown in qualitative research?+
Through trustworthiness criteria — credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability — evidenced by techniques like member checking, thick description, audit trails and reflexivity, rather than statistical reliability.
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