Research and Writing in Human Services

Research and Writing in Human Services

There has been a raging debate and concern about the applicability of qualitative research in evidence-based practices. The resistance to  embrace a qualitative approach  has been influenced by the existence of the quantitative approach that provide evidence empirically. In the field of public health, the need to use qualitative approaches has increased because of the dynamics that influence the effectiveness of health care.

There are various benefits of using qualitative research in the areas relating to human services. The perception that qualitative approach is of poor quality is based on judgements that are made with quantitative research in mind. As such, aspects that only qualitative research can address are viewed to have minimal importance. In fields dealing with human services, there are diverse factors that influence service delivery. These factors can only be understood by evaluating them within their specific contexts. To achieve such an evaluation, only qualitative research can be used.

An example from the field of public health can demonstrate the importance of qualitative approach. In public health, there may exist knowledge gaps in understanding  people’s behaviors and reasons for such behaviors. Various studies conducted in this field are quantitative, which cannot address the gaps, since the issues are not quantifiable. Qualitative research, which is capable of examining the subjective aspects of  clients in public health can highlight  reasons why people engage in behaviors that affect their health (Jack, 2006). The information obtained through qualitative research can be used to guide policy makers in public health to design effective intervention programs. The second benefit of using qualitative research is that it can provide health providers with anticipatory guidance to counsel patients. Such guidance is derived from qualitative studies, which have revealed the social, cultural and political aspects that affect patients. Such information cannot be obtained from the widely used quantitative research among clinicians because the variables cannot be quantified. The third benefit of using qualitative research is that it can legitimize the use of experiential knowledge. According to quantitative researchers, experiential knowledge cannot be accepted as a source of evidence because it is tacit and intangible. However, professionals like clinicians have been using this knowledge, which has led to clients becoming more open than before, thereby providing extra information that can facilitate policy formulation. This indicates that non-empirical evidence can be crucial in guiding decisions.

Although qualitative research has gained popularity, it has weaknesses that hinder its full acceptance and applicability. One of the weaknesses that discredit qualitative research is its minimal rigor and legitimacy. As a result, it is poorly ranked among research methodologies because it is not viewed as a form of evidence. Previous studies in the field of social work may have contributed to the bad perception with which qualitative approach is viewed. According to  Daniel, Vera and Han (2005), a review of previous studies on works of different authors in the field of social work indicated various flaws that could have been avoided.  Critics of qualitative research have used such mistakes to validate their claims that  this research method cannot be relied on practically. Some of the mistakes identified in these studies include lack of information about the data collection procedures used,  failure to outline personal biases and lack of justification for the nature and the number of participants used in the study. In addition, the researchers did not use specific approaches, but general ones. Failure to use specific approaches may be explained by lack of such an approach in qualitative research because of the diversity of issues involved.  As a result of the diverse issues in the fields dealing with social services, qualitative research cannot  be viewed from the perspective of  fixed universal procedures (Meyrickw, 2006). The second weakness of using qualitative research emanate from its lack of credibility due to previous poorly conducted studies. When qualitative research is conducted, it is difficult to use the findings because of the perceived lack of credibility. Although some previous studies conducted using the qualitative approach failed to follow proper procedure, they should not be used to judge all qualitative studies.

According to Jack (2006), a good qualitative study must explain succinctly how the evidence obtained can be used to inform decisions in social services. On the other hand, Meyrickw (2006) asserts that a high quality qualitative research must fulfil two broad aspects namely transparency and systematicity. Transparency requires a researcher to be clear about the process of data collection, sampling methods and theoretical stance. On the other hand, systematicity requires the researcher to be systematic in the data analysis and ensure that the conclusions are based on the findings. Moreover, systematicity requires the researcher to validate the findings with the respondents and ensure that the findings are applicable. Another criterion to determine the quality of qualitative research is whether the study has provided detailed information on how the findings can be used to guide decision making. Therefore, these criteria should be used  to judge a qualitative research study. Articles that do not meet these criteria should not be included as sources of literature because they have limited credibility.

 

 

References

Daniel, T.L.S., Vera M.Y.T., & Han, X.Y. (2005). Evaluation of evaluation studies using qualitative research methods in the social work literature (1990-2003): evidence that constitutes a wake-up call. Research on Social Work Practice, (15) 3, 180-194.

Jack, S.M. (2006). Utility of qualitative research findings in evidence-based public health practice. Public Health Nursing, 23 (3), 277–283.

Meyrickw, J. (2006). What is good qualitative research? A first step towards a comprehensive approach to judging rigour/quality. Journal of Health Psychology, 11 (5), 799–808.

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