Pursue Innovative Qualitative Research Methods
Earn your doctoral degree at GCU and gain competency in qualitative research.
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GCE Editorial Team
Earn your doctoral degree at GCU and gain competency in qualitative research.
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Approved and verified accurate by the Dean of the College of Doctoral Studies on Jan. 20, 2026.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
Qualitative research methods allow scholars to generate deep insights about experiences and subjective phenomena. Data collection methods include interviews, focus groups and observations.
Scientific research is fundamental for driving societal progress, solving challenging problems and nurturing a deeper understanding of the world around us. One of the ways that scientific research can be conducted is through qualitative research methods. Whereas quantitative research focuses on measurable phenomena, qualitative research explores the hows and whys of phenomena and experiences, which means it’s capable of delivering in-depth insights.(See disclaimer 1)
To perform qualitative research, you must choose at least one type of qualitative research design that fits your topic. It is not uncommon for a researcher to employ more than one approach throughout their study. Consider this qualitative research design list:
Before constructing a qualitative study, you must first know your approach. Second, you must know how you intend to gather the research. These are research methods. Notably, qualitative research methods vary drastically from quantitative research methods.
The College of Doctoral Studies at Grand Canyon University strives to foster a community of academic engagement in which scholarly learners can collaborate, grow and make their own original contributions to their field of study. Here, you’ll receive close mentorship as you work to refine your scholarly topic and research question, perform data collection, analyze your findings and present your work in a dissertation.
The college offers numerous degree options for learners at the doctoral level across fields such as education, psychology and business administration. While many quantitative research degrees are available, our students can also choose from a broad array of qualitative research doctorates.
For example, data analytics is commonly thought of as solely a quantitative endeavor, yet it’s also possible to conduct qualitative research in this area. If this idea interests you, consider earning a Doctor of Business Administration: Data Analytics (Qualitative Research) degree. If you aspire to motivate others as a managerial professional, consider earning the Doctor of Business Administration: Management (Qualitative Research) degree. There are numerous options to choose from.
Qualitative data can be collected using a variety of methods. Researchers are not bound to just one qualitative research data collection method for the entirety of the study. Rather, multiple methods may be used throughout the data collection phase of a single qualitative study.(See disclaimer 4 )
Grand Canyon University’s College of Doctoral Studies provides robust support for our doctoral researchers, including the Center for Innovation in Research on Teaching (CIRT) and the Doctoral Community (DC) Network™. Explore our qualitative doctoral degrees today, such as the Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership: Health Care Administration degree and the Doctor of Business Administration: Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship degree. Fill out the form on this page to speak with a GCU counselor and learn more about advanced research training.
A historical study is the ideal choice for studies that involve extensive examination of the past — including people, events and documents. Historical research tries to maintain the relationship between the facts and it comes to the conclusion related to their past events or evidences or things. (See disclaimer 2)
This model depends on adequate interview sources and historical documents. It is essential to validate the accuracy of the data and find primary sources. Depending on the goal of the researcher, this form of study may result in a biography, which is why the term “historical study” is sometimes used interchangeably with “biographical study.” It may also be used to examine cultural trends and changes over time.
Phenomenology is a wide-ranging form of study. In this research model, the researcher gathers information that explains how individuals experience a phenomenon and how they feel about it. This model recognizes that there is no single objective reality; instead, everyone experiences things differently.(See disclaimer 1)
The outcome is described from the point of view of the participants. However, the researcher is still able to derive a set of findings that can be used to identify themes surrounding the phenomena under study.
The success of the phenomenology study depends on the willingness of the study participants to freely express their inner thoughts and feelings, and to describe their own experiences. This type of study can be useful for gaining deep insights into the subjective meanings of an experience. It may be particularly well-suited to research involving the experiences of marginalized groups.
The purpose of grounded theory is to develop a theory surrounding a social issue. This theory seeks not only to identify problems in social scenes, but also to define how people deal with those problems. Grounded theory is unique among qualitative design approaches because it depends solely on the data gleaned through the research process.(See disclaimer 4)
Researchers will typically begin with a broad topic and will develop a narrower research question after conducting interviews and other methods of data collection. Often, the initial research question is progressively reformed and refined as more information is gathered on the topic. In this sense, the participants help shape the study.
Ethnography is the study of a specific grouping within a culture. Researchers using this qualitative research method will immerse themselves in the culture they are researching.
Unlike other research methods, it emphasizes understanding the lived experiences of participants from their perspectives, providing rich, detailed insights.(See disclaimer 3 )This type of study is often applicable to researchers in fields like sociology and anthropology. One famous example of an ethnographic study is Dr. Jane Goodall’s study of chimpanzees.(See disclaimer 4)
In qualitative research, case studies provide in-depth accounts of events, relationships, experiences or processes.(See disclaimer 5) Researchers often use a bounded theory approach that confines the case study in terms of time or space.
To conduct the case study, the researcher must draw upon multiple sources of data, such as observation, interviews and documents. All participants chosen must share a unifying factor, which means they all must have a direct or indirect connection to the research question or subject being studied.(See disclaimer 4 )After collecting the data, the researcher will analyze them to identify common or prominent themes.
