You consult for Fortune Globule 500 companies and serve as a project lead for qualitative studies. A CEO of one of your client companies strongly prefers quantitative over qualitative methodology. In one of the meetings, you overheard him make a remark to another executive about the lack of trustworthiness of qualitative data sources and results. You are tasked with presenting to this CEO a research proposal to conduct a qualitative descriptive study. Expert panel review and field testing are two strategies you will use to build trustworthiness into your qualitative study. What are the key strengths and weaknesses you should highlight for the CEO? What other strategies might you highlight for the CEO when presenting a rationale for conducting the research as a qualitative descriptive study? Explain IN 600 words, citation format is APA
Introduction
Qualitative studies are seen as the “underdog” method of research because they can be more difficult to understand and interpret than quantitative data. Qualitative descriptive studies provide an opportunity for a deeper understanding of the participants, behavior, and context which is impossible to obtain through quantitative methods. However, despite these benefits, many companies shy away from qualitative research due lack of trustworthiness in its results. As a project lead for qualitative studies consulting with Fortune 500 companies, you have been tasked with presenting a qualitative descriptive study to a CEO whose preference leans towards quantitative methodology. In this paper, I will explain the key strengths and weaknesses associated with conducting a qualitative descriptive study and present strategies that will build trustworthiness into your proposal when presenting this plan to the CEO.
Strengths & Weaknesses
The primary strength associated with utilizing qualitative approaches is their ability to capture detailed descriptions related to participant experiences and behaviors in order to gain insight into areas that cannot be revealed by traditional quantitative methods (Ruggiero & Jones, 2018). Qualitative methodology allows researchers greater flexibility in terms of determining how data is collected since there are no predetermined variables being looked at priori (Grossman et al., 2020). This affords opportunities for researcher reflexivity—the ability for researcher interpretation of events as well as insights gained during interviews or other forms of data collection (Grossman et al., 2020). These strengths enable researchers not only the capacity for interpreting results but also help foster meaningful relationships between researcher and participants which can enhance trustworthiness within results (McDaniel et al., 2020).
Strategies For Building Trustworthiness
Given these weaknesses it therefore becomes important that trustworthiness within a study’s design be built into your proposal when presenting it before executives like CEOs. Two strategies that can help maintain credibility include expert panel review along with field testing procedures used throughout data collection. Expert panel review involves collecting input from peers or experts in relevant fields—such as social workers–on topics proposed throughout each phase including design development through analysis stages(Lloyd-Oliver et al., 2021) . Field testing involves multiple trial runs prior implementation whereby questions included in surveys/interviews are reviewed so adjustments can be made prior implementation which ensures accuracy between intended meaning behind questions versus those actually asked during actual execution process(Sawyer & Williams , 2015 ). Additionally having protocols established ahead of time regarding handling outliers found during analyses helps ensure rigor especially given smaller sample sizes need –a common limitation encountered among most sequential exploratory designs(Bermann et al., 2019 ).
Conclusion
In conclusion there are many strengths inherent within conducting qualitative research such as its ability uncover details otherwise ignored under more traditional quantitative methodologies while building rapport between researchers and participant groups alike. Despite these advantages several weaknesses exist such as potential bias present due individual perspectives among other things thus making legitimacy dependant upon certain safeguards being put into place ahead before going forward with any plans proposed .Two effective methods discussed here would involve incorporating expert panel reviews along side field testing throughout all phases leading up until final analysis whereby outliers found could then be handled accordingly depending upon protocols set beforehand thereby enhancing overall reliability/validity should project move forward per initial request made by client company’s CEO..