Qualitative method of research employs various approaches which include field research, ethnography, phenomenology, and grounded theory. In field research, the researcher is able to observe existing phenomena and record the findings. Ethnography can take the perspective of observation in that the researcher participates actively in the research. In Phenomenology; the researcher bases the research study on existing experiences and opinions (Denscombe, 2008). Grounded theory is a repetitive procedure in which the researcher seeks to develop a theory from a phenomenon of the research study. Generative questions are used to help the researcher to develop concrete concepts that will help develop a theory on the research study (Maykut & Morehouse, 2009).
These approaches of qualitative studies are adapted and blended in different ways and parts of a research study. In a situation where the researcher needs to develop a theory on a given research study, the phenomenon and the grounded theory will be blended. From the existing phenomena, questions on the key concepts of the research will be developed to help the researcher to come up with a theory that will conclude the research study. The field research method relies upon the phenomenon approach to gather data for a research study. This approach may also incorporate the ethnology method in which the researcher does not entirely depend on the phenomenon to collect data but actively participates in the research (Maykut & Morehouse, 2009).
In the case where the research study is about golf being a sport of the rich, the researcher may actively participate in the sport and observe which class of people play the game. A researcher may also use the already existing opinions about golf and compare them with the information from the golf players to collect data for f the study. Alternatively, the researcher may base his questions on the existing phenomena about golf players and combine them to the information collected from the players to develop a theory about the economic class of golf players.
References
- Denscombe, M. (2008). The Good Research Guide: for small-scale social research projects. Buckingham: Open University Press.
- Maykut, P., & Morehouse, R. (2009). Beginning Qualitative Research. A Philosophic and Practical Guide. London: Falmer Press.