Introduction

For many non-researchers, qualitative research means talking to a handful of people, asking some pre-planned questions, and taking some notes. Many non-researchers love to interview because it’s an approachable, straightforward, seemingly reasonable thing to do. From an outside view, qualitative research can seem easy and unscientific.

But when you look at what qualitative research is designed to do and how it approaches the world, you realize how powerful and structured it can be. If done well, this type of research allows you to understand how others view the world and recognize blind spots in your thinking.

This Handbook isn’t here to give you a lecture on qualitative research. It also can’t replace deeper education in a formal or academic setting. This Handbook exists for one purpose: to expand your understanding of the complexity, structure, and intention that’s necessary to conduct fruitful qualitative research. You can use these ideas to educate your stakeholders on what fruitful qualitative research can be and what it does for the business.

The main ideas covered in this Handbook are in the concept diagram below. It shows the major concepts you should be aware of and roughly when you should think about them when running any qualitative study. Don’t worry if this diagram feels a bit overwhelming. Every idea is covered throughout this Handbook using regular examples, simple language, and helpful visualizations.

While there are more qualitative concepts than what’s covered here, the idea behind the diagram is simple: all of these concepts affect how credible and meaningful your qualitative research will be, even if you don’t recognize it. Without being aware of these ideas, it’s too easy for your qualitative research to be biased, misleading, or abrasive.

Before getting too abstract, let’s start with answering a simple question: what is qualitative research?