Qualitative research from concepts to analysis

There are two main research approaches which are widely used by researchers: quantitative and qualitative research. They represent different research paradigms. The former is closely associated with statistically oriented scientific inquiry and the latter has become increasingly popular in social inquiry. In other words, the former is about numbers and variable relationships and the latter is about meaning and meaning making. Thematic analysis and grounded theories are often used together in qualitative inquiry in search of themes and theoretical constructs. Discourse analysis and critical discourse analysis focus more on discourse structure, social context, and empowerment. This chapter discusses these four types of analyses in qualitative research.