• Privacy Policy

Research Method

Home » 500+ Qualitative Research Titles and Topics

500+ Qualitative Research Titles and Topics

Table of Contents

Qualitative Research Topics

Qualitative research is a methodological approach that involves gathering and analyzing non-numerical data to understand and interpret social phenomena. Unlike quantitative research , which emphasizes the collection of numerical data through surveys and experiments, qualitative research is concerned with exploring the subjective experiences, perspectives, and meanings of individuals and groups. As such, qualitative research topics can be diverse and encompass a wide range of social issues and phenomena. From exploring the impact of culture on identity formation to examining the experiences of marginalized communities, qualitative research offers a rich and nuanced perspective on complex social issues. In this post, we will explore some of the most compelling qualitative research topics and provide some tips on how to conduct effective qualitative research.

Qualitative Research Titles

Qualitative research titles often reflect the study’s focus on understanding the depth and complexity of human behavior, experiences, or social phenomena. Here are some examples across various fields:

  • “Understanding the Impact of Project-Based Learning on Student Engagement in High School Classrooms: A Qualitative Study”
  • “Navigating the Transition: Experiences of International Students in American Universities”
  • “The Role of Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education: Perspectives from Teachers and Parents”
  • “Exploring the Effects of Teacher Feedback on Student Motivation and Self-Efficacy in Middle Schools”
  • “Digital Literacy in the Classroom: Teacher Strategies for Integrating Technology in Elementary Education”
  • “Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices: A Case Study in Diverse Urban Schools”
  • “The Influence of Extracurricular Activities on Academic Achievement: Student Perspectives”
  • “Barriers to Implementing Inclusive Education in Public Schools: A Qualitative Inquiry”
  • “Teacher Professional Development and Its Impact on Classroom Practice: A Qualitative Exploration”
  • “Student-Centered Learning Environments: A Qualitative Study of Classroom Dynamics and Outcomes”
  • “The Experience of First-Year Teachers: Challenges, Support Systems, and Professional Growth”
  • “Exploring the Role of School Leadership in Fostering a Positive School Culture”
  • “Peer Relationships and Learning Outcomes in Cooperative Learning Settings: A Qualitative Analysis”
  • “The Impact of Social Media on Student Learning and Engagement: Teacher and Student Perspectives”
  • “Understanding Special Education Needs: Parent and Teacher Perceptions of Support Services in Schools

Health Science

  • “Living with Chronic Pain: Patient Narratives and Coping Strategies in Managing Daily Life”
  • “Healthcare Professionals’ Perspectives on the Challenges of Rural Healthcare Delivery”
  • “Exploring the Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 on Frontline Healthcare Workers: A Qualitative Study”
  • “Patient and Family Experiences of Palliative Care: Understanding Needs and Preferences”
  • “The Role of Community Health Workers in Improving Access to Maternal Healthcare in Rural Areas”
  • “Barriers to Mental Health Services Among Ethnic Minorities: A Qualitative Exploration”
  • “Understanding Patient Satisfaction in Telemedicine Services: A Qualitative Study of User Experiences”
  • “The Impact of Cultural Competence Training on Healthcare Provider-Patient Communication”
  • “Navigating the Transition to Adult Healthcare Services: Experiences of Adolescents with Chronic Conditions”
  • “Exploring the Use of Alternative Medicine Among Patients with Chronic Diseases: A Qualitative Inquiry”
  • “The Role of Social Support in the Rehabilitation Process of Stroke Survivors”
  • “Healthcare Decision-Making Among Elderly Patients: A Qualitative Study of Preferences and Influences”
  • “Nurse Perceptions of Patient Safety Culture in Hospital Settings: A Qualitative Analysis”
  • “Experiences of Women with Postpartum Depression: Barriers to Seeking Help”
  • “The Impact of Nutrition Education on Eating Behaviors Among College Students: A Qualitative Approach”
  • “Understanding Resilience in Survivors of Childhood Trauma: A Narrative Inquiry”
  • “The Role of Mindfulness in Managing Work-Related Stress Among Corporate Employees: A Qualitative Study”
  • “Coping Mechanisms Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder”
  • “Exploring the Psychological Impact of Social Isolation in the Elderly: A Phenomenological Study”
  • “Identity Formation in Adolescence: The Influence of Social Media and Peer Groups”
  • “The Experience of Forgiveness in Interpersonal Relationships: A Qualitative Exploration”
  • “Perceptions of Happiness and Well-Being Among University Students: A Cultural Perspective”
  • “The Impact of Art Therapy on Anxiety and Depression in Adult Cancer Patients”
  • “Narratives of Recovery: A Qualitative Study on the Journey Through Addiction Rehabilitation”
  • “Exploring the Psychological Effects of Long-Term Unemployment: A Grounded Theory Approach”
  • “Attachment Styles and Their Influence on Adult Romantic Relationships: A Qualitative Analysis”
  • “The Role of Personal Values in Career Decision-Making Among Young Adults”
  • “Understanding the Stigma of Mental Illness in Rural Communities: A Qualitative Inquiry”
  • “Exploring the Use of Digital Mental Health Interventions Among Adolescents: A Qualitative Study”
  • “The Psychological Impact of Climate Change on Young Adults: An Exploration of Anxiety and Action”
  • “Navigating Identity: The Role of Social Media in Shaping Youth Culture and Self-Perception”
  • “Community Resilience in the Face of Urban Gentrification: A Case Study of Neighborhood Change”
  • “The Dynamics of Intergenerational Relationships in Immigrant Families: A Qualitative Analysis”
  • “Social Capital and Economic Mobility in Low-Income Neighborhoods: An Ethnographic Approach”
  • “Gender Roles and Career Aspirations Among Young Adults in Conservative Societies”
  • “The Stigma of Mental Health in the Workplace: Employee Narratives and Organizational Culture”
  • “Exploring the Intersection of Race, Class, and Education in Urban School Systems”
  • “The Impact of Digital Divide on Access to Healthcare Information in Rural Communities”
  • “Social Movements and Political Engagement Among Millennials: A Qualitative Study”
  • “Cultural Adaptation and Identity Among Second-Generation Immigrants: A Phenomenological Inquiry”
  • “The Role of Religious Institutions in Providing Community Support and Social Services”
  • “Negotiating Public Space: Experiences of LGBTQ+ Individuals in Urban Environments”
  • “The Sociology of Food: Exploring Eating Habits and Food Practices Across Cultures”
  • “Work-Life Balance Challenges Among Dual-Career Couples: A Qualitative Exploration”
  • “The Influence of Peer Networks on Substance Use Among Adolescents: A Community Study”

Business and Management

  • “Navigating Organizational Change: Employee Perceptions and Adaptation Strategies in Mergers and Acquisitions”
  • “Corporate Social Responsibility: Consumer Perceptions and Brand Loyalty in the Retail Sector”
  • “Leadership Styles and Organizational Culture: A Comparative Study of Tech Startups”
  • “Workplace Diversity and Inclusion: Best Practices and Challenges in Multinational Corporations”
  • “Consumer Trust in E-commerce: A Qualitative Study of Online Shopping Behaviors”
  • “The Gig Economy and Worker Satisfaction: Exploring the Experiences of Freelance Professionals”
  • “Entrepreneurial Resilience: Success Stories and Lessons Learned from Failed Startups”
  • “Employee Engagement and Productivity in Remote Work Settings: A Post-Pandemic Analysis”
  • “Brand Storytelling: How Narrative Strategies Influence Consumer Engagement”
  • “Sustainable Business Practices: Stakeholder Perspectives in the Fashion Industry”
  • “Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges in Global Teams: Strategies for Effective Collaboration”
  • “Innovative Workspaces: The Impact of Office Design on Creativity and Collaboration”
  • “Consumer Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in Customer Service: A Qualitative Exploration”
  • “The Role of Mentoring in Career Development: Insights from Women in Leadership Positions”
  • “Agile Management Practices: Adoption and Impact in Traditional Industries”

Environmental Studies

  • “Community-Based Conservation Efforts in Tropical Rainforests: A Qualitative Study of Local Perspectives and Practices”
  • “Urban Sustainability Initiatives: Exploring Resident Participation and Impact in Green City Projects”
  • “Perceptions of Climate Change Among Indigenous Populations: Insights from Traditional Ecological Knowledge”
  • “Environmental Justice and Industrial Pollution: A Case Study of Community Advocacy and Response”
  • “The Role of Eco-Tourism in Promoting Conservation Awareness: Perspectives from Tour Operators and Visitors”
  • “Sustainable Agriculture Practices Among Smallholder Farmers: Challenges and Opportunities”
  • “Youth Engagement in Climate Action Movements: Motivations, Perceptions, and Outcomes”
  • “Corporate Environmental Responsibility: A Qualitative Analysis of Stakeholder Expectations and Company Practices”
  • “The Impact of Plastic Pollution on Marine Ecosystems: Community Awareness and Behavioral Change”
  • “Renewable Energy Adoption in Rural Communities: Barriers, Facilitators, and Social Implications”
  • “Water Scarcity and Community Adaptation Strategies in Arid Regions: A Grounded Theory Approach”
  • “Urban Green Spaces: Public Perceptions and Use Patterns in Megacities”
  • “Environmental Education in Schools: Teachers’ Perspectives on Integrating Sustainability into Curricula”
  • “The Influence of Environmental Activism on Policy Change: Case Studies of Grassroots Campaigns”
  • “Cultural Practices and Natural Resource Management: A Qualitative Study of Indigenous Stewardship Models”

Anthropology

  • “Kinship and Social Organization in Matrilineal Societies: An Ethnographic Study”
  • “Rituals and Beliefs Surrounding Death and Mourning in Diverse Cultures: A Comparative Analysis”
  • “The Impact of Globalization on Indigenous Languages and Cultural Identity”
  • “Food Sovereignty and Traditional Agricultural Practices Among Indigenous Communities”
  • “Navigating Modernity: The Integration of Traditional Healing Practices in Contemporary Healthcare Systems”
  • “Gender Roles and Equality in Hunter-Gatherer Societies: An Anthropological Perspective”
  • “Sacred Spaces and Religious Practices: An Ethnographic Study of Pilgrimage Sites”
  • “Youth Subcultures and Resistance: An Exploration of Identity and Expression in Urban Environments”
  • “Cultural Constructions of Disability and Inclusion: A Cross-Cultural Analysis”
  • “Interethnic Marriages and Cultural Syncretism: Case Studies from Multicultural Societies”
  • “The Role of Folklore and Storytelling in Preserving Cultural Heritage”
  • “Economic Anthropology of Gift-Giving and Reciprocity in Tribal Communities”
  • “Digital Anthropology: The Role of Social Media in Shaping Political Movements”
  • “Migration and Diaspora: Maintaining Cultural Identity in Transnational Communities”
  • “Cultural Adaptations to Climate Change Among Coastal Fishing Communities”

Communication Studies

  • “The Dynamics of Family Communication in the Digital Age: A Qualitative Inquiry”
  • “Narratives of Identity and Belonging in Diaspora Communities Through Social Media”
  • “Organizational Communication and Employee Engagement: A Case Study in the Non-Profit Sector”
  • “Cultural Influences on Communication Styles in Multinational Teams: An Ethnographic Approach”
  • “Media Representation of Women in Politics: A Content Analysis and Audience Perception Study”
  • “The Role of Communication in Building Sustainable Community Development Projects”
  • “Interpersonal Communication in Online Dating: Strategies, Challenges, and Outcomes”
  • “Public Health Messaging During Pandemics: A Qualitative Study of Community Responses”
  • “The Impact of Mobile Technology on Parent-Child Communication in the Digital Era”
  • “Crisis Communication Strategies in the Hospitality Industry: A Case Study of Reputation Management”
  • “Narrative Analysis of Personal Stories Shared on Mental Health Blogs”
  • “The Influence of Podcasts on Political Engagement Among Young Adults”
  • “Visual Communication and Brand Identity: A Qualitative Study of Consumer Interpretations”
  • “Communication Barriers in Cross-Cultural Healthcare Settings: Patient and Provider Perspectives”
  • “The Role of Internal Communication in Managing Organizational Change: Employee Experiences”

Information Technology

  • “User Experience Design in Augmented Reality Applications: A Qualitative Study of Best Practices”
  • “The Human Factor in Cybersecurity: Understanding Employee Behaviors and Attitudes Towards Phishing”
  • “Adoption of Cloud Computing in Small and Medium Enterprises: Challenges and Success Factors”
  • “Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management: A Qualitative Exploration of Potential Impacts”
  • “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Personalizing User Experiences on E-commerce Platforms”
  • “Digital Transformation in Traditional Industries: A Case Study of Technology Adoption Challenges”
  • “Ethical Considerations in the Development of Smart Home Technologies: A Stakeholder Analysis”
  • “The Impact of Social Media Algorithms on News Consumption and Public Opinion”
  • “Collaborative Software Development: Practices and Challenges in Open Source Projects”
  • “Understanding the Digital Divide: Access to Information Technology in Rural Communities”
  • “Data Privacy Concerns and User Trust in Internet of Things (IoT) Devices”
  • “The Effectiveness of Gamification in Educational Software: A Qualitative Study of Engagement and Motivation”
  • “Virtual Teams and Remote Work: Communication Strategies and Tools for Effectiveness”
  • “User-Centered Design in Mobile Health Applications: Evaluating Usability and Accessibility”
  • “The Influence of Technology on Work-Life Balance: Perspectives from IT Professionals”

Tourism and Hospitality

  • “Exploring the Authenticity of Cultural Heritage Tourism in Indigenous Communities”
  • “Sustainable Tourism Practices: Perceptions and Implementations in Small Island Destinations”
  • “The Impact of Social Media Influencers on Destination Choice Among Millennials”
  • “Gastronomy Tourism: Exploring the Culinary Experiences of International Visitors in Rural Regions”
  • “Eco-Tourism and Conservation: Stakeholder Perspectives on Balancing Tourism and Environmental Protection”
  • “The Role of Hospitality in Enhancing the Cultural Exchange Experience of Exchange Students”
  • “Dark Tourism: Visitor Motivations and Experiences at Historical Conflict Sites”
  • “Customer Satisfaction in Luxury Hotels: A Qualitative Study of Service Excellence and Personalization”
  • “Adventure Tourism: Understanding the Risk Perception and Safety Measures Among Thrill-Seekers”
  • “The Influence of Local Communities on Tourist Experiences in Ecotourism Sites”
  • “Event Tourism: Economic Impacts and Community Perspectives on Large-Scale Music Festivals”
  • “Heritage Tourism and Identity: Exploring the Connections Between Historic Sites and National Identity”
  • “Tourist Perceptions of Sustainable Accommodation Practices: A Study of Green Hotels”
  • “The Role of Language in Shaping the Tourist Experience in Multilingual Destinations”
  • “Health and Wellness Tourism: Motivations and Experiences of Visitors to Spa and Retreat Centers”

Qualitative Research Topics

Qualitative Research Topics are as follows:

  • Understanding the lived experiences of first-generation college students
  • Exploring the impact of social media on self-esteem among adolescents
  • Investigating the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress reduction
  • Analyzing the perceptions of employees regarding organizational culture
  • Examining the impact of parental involvement on academic achievement of elementary school students
  • Investigating the role of music therapy in managing symptoms of depression
  • Understanding the experience of women in male-dominated industries
  • Exploring the factors that contribute to successful leadership in non-profit organizations
  • Analyzing the effects of peer pressure on substance abuse among adolescents
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with disabilities in the workplace
  • Understanding the factors that contribute to burnout among healthcare professionals
  • Examining the impact of social support on mental health outcomes
  • Analyzing the perceptions of parents regarding sex education in schools
  • Investigating the experiences of immigrant families in the education system
  • Understanding the impact of trauma on mental health outcomes
  • Exploring the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy for individuals with anxiety
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful intergenerational relationships
  • Investigating the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace
  • Understanding the impact of online gaming on social skills development among adolescents
  • Examining the perceptions of teachers regarding technology integration in the classroom
  • Analyzing the experiences of women in leadership positions
  • Investigating the factors that contribute to successful marriage and long-term relationships
  • Understanding the impact of social media on political participation
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with mental health disorders in the criminal justice system
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful community-based programs for youth development
  • Investigating the experiences of veterans in accessing mental health services
  • Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health outcomes
  • Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood obesity prevention
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful multicultural education programs
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in the workplace
  • Understanding the impact of poverty on academic achievement
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in the workplace
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful employee retention strategies
  • Investigating the experiences of caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease
  • Understanding the impact of parent-child communication on adolescent sexual behavior
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding mental health services on campus
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful team building in the workplace
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with eating disorders in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of mentorship on career success
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with physical disabilities in the workplace
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful community-based programs for mental health
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with substance use disorders in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of social media on romantic relationships
  • Examining the perceptions of parents regarding child discipline strategies
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful cross-cultural communication in the workplace
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with anxiety disorders in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of cultural differences on healthcare delivery
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with hearing loss in the workplace
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful parent-teacher communication
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with depression in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of childhood trauma on adult mental health outcomes
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding alcohol and drug use on campus
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful mentor-mentee relationships
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities in the workplace
  • Understanding the impact of work-family balance on employee satisfaction and well-being
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in vocational rehabilitation programs
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful project management in the construction industry
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with substance use disorders in peer support groups
  • Understanding the impact of mindfulness meditation on stress reduction and mental health
  • Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood nutrition
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful environmental sustainability initiatives in organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with bipolar disorder in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of job stress on employee burnout and turnover
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with physical disabilities in recreational activities
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful strategic planning in nonprofit organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with hoarding disorder in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of culture on leadership styles and effectiveness
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding sexual health education on campus
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain management in the retail industry
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with personality disorders in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of multiculturalism on group dynamics in the workplace
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in mindfulness-based pain management programs
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful employee engagement strategies in organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with internet addiction disorder in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of social comparison on body dissatisfaction and self-esteem
  • Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood sleep habits
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful diversity and inclusion initiatives in organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with schizophrenia in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of job crafting on employee motivation and job satisfaction
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with vision impairments in navigating public spaces
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful customer relationship management strategies in the service industry
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with dissociative amnesia in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of cultural intelligence on intercultural communication and collaboration
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding campus diversity and inclusion efforts
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain sustainability initiatives in organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of transformational leadership on organizational performance and employee well-being
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with mobility impairments in public transportation
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful talent management strategies in organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with substance use disorders in harm reduction programs
  • Understanding the impact of gratitude practices on well-being and resilience
  • Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood mental health and well-being
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful corporate social responsibility initiatives in organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with borderline personality disorder in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of emotional labor on job stress and burnout
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with hearing impairments in healthcare settings
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful customer experience strategies in the hospitality industry
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with gender dysphoria in gender-affirming healthcare
  • Understanding the impact of cultural differences on cross-cultural negotiation in the global marketplace
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding academic stress and mental health
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain agility in organizations
  • Understanding the impact of music therapy on mental health and well-being
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with dyslexia in educational settings
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful leadership in nonprofit organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in online support groups
  • Understanding the impact of exercise on mental health and well-being
  • Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood screen time
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful change management strategies in organizations
  • Understanding the impact of cultural differences on international business negotiations
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with hearing impairments in the workplace
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful team building in corporate settings
  • Understanding the impact of technology on communication in romantic relationships
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful community engagement strategies for local governments
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of financial stress on mental health and well-being
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful mentorship programs in organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with gambling addictions in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of social media on body image and self-esteem
  • Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood education
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful virtual team management strategies
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with dissociative identity disorder in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of cultural differences on cross-cultural communication in healthcare settings
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in cognitive-behavioral therapy programs
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful community-building strategies in urban neighborhoods
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with alcohol use disorders in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of personality traits on romantic relationships
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding mental health stigma on campus
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful fundraising strategies for political campaigns
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with traumatic brain injuries in rehabilitation programs
  • Understanding the impact of social support on mental health and well-being among the elderly
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in medical treatment decision-making processes
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful innovation strategies in organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with dissociative disorders in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of cultural differences on cross-cultural communication in education settings
  • Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood physical activity
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful conflict resolution in family relationships
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with opioid use disorders in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of emotional intelligence on leadership effectiveness
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with learning disabilities in the workplace
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful change management in educational institutions
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with eating disorders in recovery support groups
  • Understanding the impact of self-compassion on mental health and well-being
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding campus safety and security measures
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful marketing strategies for nonprofit organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with postpartum depression in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of ageism in the workplace
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with dyslexia in the education system
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with anxiety disorders in cognitive-behavioral therapy programs
  • Understanding the impact of socioeconomic status on access to healthcare
  • Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood screen time usage
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain management strategies
  • Understanding the impact of parenting styles on child development
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with addiction in harm reduction programs
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful crisis management strategies in organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with trauma in trauma-focused therapy programs
  • Examining the perceptions of healthcare providers regarding patient-centered care
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful product development strategies
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in employment programs
  • Understanding the impact of cultural competence on healthcare outcomes
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in healthcare navigation
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful community engagement strategies for non-profit organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with physical disabilities in the workplace
  • Understanding the impact of childhood trauma on adult mental health
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain sustainability strategies
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with personality disorders in dialectical behavior therapy programs
  • Understanding the impact of gender identity on mental health treatment seeking behaviors
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with schizophrenia in community-based treatment programs
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful project team management strategies
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder in exposure and response prevention therapy programs
  • Understanding the impact of cultural competence on academic achievement and success
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding academic integrity
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful social media marketing strategies
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with bipolar disorder in community-based treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of mindfulness on academic achievement and success
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with substance use disorders in medication-assisted treatment programs
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with anxiety disorders in exposure therapy programs
  • Understanding the impact of healthcare disparities on health outcomes
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain optimization strategies
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with borderline personality disorder in schema therapy programs
  • Understanding the impact of culture on perceptions of mental health stigma
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with trauma in art therapy programs
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful digital marketing strategies
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with eating disorders in online support groups
  • Understanding the impact of workplace bullying on job satisfaction and performance
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding mental health resources on campus
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain risk management strategies
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in mindfulness-based pain management programs
  • Understanding the impact of cognitive-behavioral therapy on social anxiety disorder
  • Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with eating disorders in treatment programs
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful leadership in business organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in cognitive-behavioral therapy programs
  • Understanding the impact of cultural differences on intercultural communication
  • Examining the perceptions of teachers regarding inclusive education for students with disabilities
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with depression in therapy programs
  • Understanding the impact of workplace culture on employee retention and turnover
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with traumatic brain injuries in rehabilitation programs
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful crisis communication strategies in organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with anxiety disorders in mindfulness-based interventions
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in healthcare settings
  • Understanding the impact of technology on work-life balance
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with learning disabilities in academic settings
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful entrepreneurship in small businesses
  • Understanding the impact of gender identity on mental health and well-being
  • Examining the perceptions of individuals with disabilities regarding accessibility in public spaces
  • Understanding the impact of religion on coping strategies for stress and anxiety
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in complementary and alternative medicine treatments
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful customer retention strategies in business organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with postpartum depression in therapy programs
  • Understanding the impact of ageism on older adults in healthcare settings
  • Examining the perceptions of students regarding online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful team building in virtual work environments
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with gambling disorders in treatment programs
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in peer support groups
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful social media marketing strategies for businesses
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with ADHD in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of sleep on cognitive and emotional functioning
  • Examining the perceptions of individuals with chronic illnesses regarding healthcare access and affordability
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with borderline personality disorder in dialectical behavior therapy programs
  • Understanding the impact of social support on caregiver well-being
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in disability activism
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful cultural competency training programs in healthcare settings
  • Understanding the impact of personality disorders on interpersonal relationships
  • Examining the perceptions of healthcare providers regarding the use of telehealth services
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with dissociative disorders in therapy programs
  • Understanding the impact of gender bias in hiring practices
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with visual impairments in the workplace
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful diversity and inclusion programs in the workplace
  • Understanding the impact of online dating on romantic relationships
  • Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood vaccination
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful communication in healthcare settings
  • Understanding the impact of cultural stereotypes on academic achievement
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with substance use disorders in sober living programs
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful classroom management strategies
  • Understanding the impact of social support on addiction recovery
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding mental health stigma
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful conflict resolution in the workplace
  • Understanding the impact of race and ethnicity on healthcare access and outcomes
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder in treatment programs
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful project management strategies
  • Understanding the impact of teacher-student relationships on academic achievement
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful customer service strategies
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with social anxiety disorder in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of workplace stress on job satisfaction and performance
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with disabilities in sports and recreation
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful marketing strategies for small businesses
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with phobias in treatment programs
  • Understanding the impact of culture on attitudes towards mental health and illness
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding sexual assault prevention
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful time management strategies
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with addiction in recovery support groups
  • Understanding the impact of mindfulness on emotional regulation and well-being
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in treatment programs
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful conflict resolution in romantic relationships
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in social skills training programs
  • Understanding the impact of parent-child communication on adolescent substance use
  • Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood mental health services
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful fundraising strategies for non-profit organizations
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in support groups
  • Understanding the impact of personality traits on career success and satisfaction
  • Exploring the experiences of individuals with disabilities in accessing public transportation
  • Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful team building in sports teams
  • Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in alternative medicine treatments
  • Understanding the impact of stigma on mental health treatment seeking behaviors
  • Examining the perceptions of college students regarding diversity and inclusion on campus.

About the author

' src=

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Funny Research Topics

200+ Funny Research Topics

Sports Research Topics

500+ Sports Research Topics

American History Research Paper Topics

300+ American History Research Paper Topics

Cyber Security Research Topics

500+ Cyber Security Research Topics

Environmental Research Topics

500+ Environmental Research Topics

Economics Research Topics

500+ Economics Research Topics

Top 60 Examples of Qualitative Research Topics

image

Table of contents

  • 1.1 Align your research topic with your field of interest
  • 1.2 Make sure you have all the right research on the topic
  • 1.3 Follow your university guidelines!
  • 2 List of qualitative research topics examples
  • 3 Conclusion

Qualitative research refers to the intuitive and creative analysis of intangible information you can use for writing a top-class college paper. Due to interacting with the data before and after the collection, having the best qualitative research topics is paramount to writing a research assignment that stands above the rest.

These topics can involve gathering key data from the most relevant sources to your assignment topics and are fundamental to your effort to collect first-hand information. Some of the major fields where qualitative research is performed include:

  • Anthropology
  • Political science
  • Business management
  • Social science

The main goal of qualitative research is to help you understand the topic of your assignment by identifying the most important aspects of your topic and gathering enough information to provide an in-depth analysis of the topic at hand and provide the answers to all the related questions. This type of research aims to identify and understand the general lifestyle, issues, and problems to provide solutions to a global problem. Since doing all the research on your own can turn out to be quite daunting, you can always resort to hiring an  affordable research paper writing service  to get professional assistance.

Tips on how to choose good qualitative research topics

Writing a research paper or a college assignment with success solely depends on your ability to choose suitable qualitative research topics. It’s essential to carefully examine and explore the field with all the challenges before you start writing to identify the key factors and aspects of your assignment. Here are a few tips on how to do that to get good research paper ideas.

Align your research topic with your field of interest

Your assignment topic should be something that interests you deeply so that you can completely get into it and make the most out of your efforts. More importantly, your topic should allow you to develop your personal skills and learn new things.

Make sure you have all the right research on the topic

If you choose a topic that has little to no supporting research available, you’ll end up getting stuck. You must properly research the topic before you start writing. This research will also help you shortlist unrelated topics and narrow down your scope so that you can focus on the information that matches your exact needs.

Follow your university guidelines!

Consulting with your professors and going through the assessment guidelines is paramount to writing a top-class paper. Follow your university guidelines to make sure your efforts get approved by your supervisor.

List of qualitative research topics examples

  • Long-term planning methods for better project management
  • How to deal with issues during a project implementation program
  • The best practices for dealing with tight project deadlines
  • Why time management is essential for goal setting
  • Flexibility in management: How to improve decision-making as a manager
  • Top professional techniques for developing management skills
  • Healthcare in low-income societies: How to achieve affordable medical care
  • Dealing with a loss and the process of recovery
  • How to make eco-friendly facemasks
  • Preventing flu during cold seasons: The most effective preventative methods
  • The importance of developing community-based sanitization programs
  • The best practices for quitting alcohol and cigarettes
  • Helping the young manage their obesity: The most effective obesity management strategies
  • Promoting healthcare during COVID-19: Strategies for expanding the health sector
  • Guide to collecting resources for building a centralized community
  • How academic and social practices can help uplift a society
  • Professional practices for building a one-on-one relationship between teachers and students
  • The science behind consumer motivations and appraisals
  • Reshaping the traditional form of virtual ethnography
  • Are homeschooling programs as efficient as they should be?
  • The importance of developing healthy eating habits
  • The best strategies for getting ahead of the prospective market
  • How to track the dynamics of real estate investments
  • How effective are modern newsgathering technologies?
  • Developing introvert behavior and its key effects
  • Can sharing help an individual overcome addictions?
  • Guide to creating a one-people community
  • The most effective methods for dealing with cyberbullying
  • The best way to bringing social equity to patriarchal societies
  • How quarantine prevents the spread of infectious diseases
  • The aging populations and the trends they follow
  • The latest digital media trends
  • Methods for mitigating communicable diseases
  • How governments work on protocol observance
  • Practices for preventing the spread of the coronavirus in crowded places
  • Alleviating pain during childbirth
  • Maternal healthcare in developing countries
  • Can pop music change erratic youth behavior?
  • The best therapies for recovering from brain surgery
  • How alcohol changes normal behavior
  • Depression management among school-going children
  • Strategies for avoiding a viral disease
  • Ways to influence the eating habits of children
  • How and when to engage in sporting activities
  • How low socioeconomic background impacts self-esteem
  • The importance of parenting for shaping children’s morals
  • The impact of poor market completion on supply and demand
  • Do children under four years need preschool education?
  • Single-gender schools vs. mixed schools
  • How the world would benefit from the same education system
  • How virtual reality helps reshape the world
  • The hottest destinations for traveling at the moment
  • How fast does the ozone layer deplete?
  • Is it possible to predict natural disasters before they occur?
  • The effects of digital marketing on modern businesses
  • Physical learning vs. online learning
  • How related are Windows and Apple products?
  • Study cases of bullying in schools
  • The effect of stress on human behavior
  • Patient behavior and the influence of social processes

If you’re looking for the best way to choose some of the most suitable qualitative research paper topics for your college assignment, these 60 topics should help you get ahead of your task and write an engaging paper. All topics above are for your personal education and motivation. If you still need help with your assignment, our professional paper writing services are available 24/7.

Readers also enjoyed

Research Design Basics: Building Blocks of Scholarly Research

WHY WAIT? PLACE AN ORDER RIGHT NOW!

Just fill out the form, press the button, and have no worries!

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy.

qualitative research proposal topic

StatAnalytica

151+ Research Proposal Topics [Updated 2024]

Research Proposal Topics

Crafting a compelling research proposal begins with selecting the right topic—a task that demands careful consideration and a thoughtful approach. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the intricacies of choosing research proposal topics, exploring the importance of a well-defined focus and guiding you through the steps to create a robust proposal.

How to Select Research Proposal Topics?

Table of Contents

Selecting research proposal topics is a crucial step in the research process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you choose a compelling and impactful research topic:

  • Self-reflection:
  • Identify your personal interests, passions, and curiosities.
  • Consider topics that resonate with you on a deep level.
  • Academic and Professional Interests:
  • Reflect on subjects that captivated you during coursework or work experience.
  • Assess the relevance of these interests to your academic or career goals.
  • Current Issues and Trends:
  • Stay informed about contemporary challenges and emerging trends in your field.
  • Choose a topic that addresses current issues for greater relevance and impact.
  • Literature Review:
  • Conduct a thorough review of existing research in your chosen field.
  • Identify gaps and limitations in the current body of knowledge.
  • Formulate Clear Research Questions:
  • Develop clear and concise research questions based on the gaps identified.
  • Ensure your questions are feasible and align with the chosen topic.
  • Choose a Methodology:
  • Select an appropriate research methodology (experimental, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods).
  • Justify your choice and discuss data collection techniques.
  • Significance and Contribution:
  • Articulate the relevance of your proposed research.
  • Highlight the potential contributions your work can make to the field.
  • Research Design and Plan:
  • Outline the specifics of your research design.
  • Create a realistic timeline, allocating resources and budget effectively.
  • Address Challenges and Limitations:
  • Acknowledge potential challenges and limitations.
  • Discuss strategies to mitigate challenges and be transparent about constraints.
  • Conclusion:
  • Summarize key points of your research proposal.
  • Emphasize the importance of the chosen topic and encourage feedback.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your research proposal topic is not only engaging but also has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to your field of study.

151+ Research Proposal Topics: Category Wise

Science and technology.

  • The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Job Market Trends
  • Advancements in Renewable Energy Technologies
  • Exploring the Potential of CRISPR Technology in Genetic Engineering
  • Cybersecurity Measures for Critical Infrastructure Protection
  • The Role of Blockchain in Supply Chain Management
  • Augmented Reality in Education: Enhancing Learning Experiences
  • Quantum Computing: Current Status and Future Implications
  • Sustainable Technologies for Environmental Conservation
  • Smart Cities: Integrating Technology for Urban Development
  • Robotics in Healthcare: Applications and Ethical Considerations

Health and Medicine

  • Precision Medicine: Customizing Healthcare Based on Genetic Factors
  • The Impact of Telemedicine on Patient Care
  • Mental Health Stigma: Strategies for Reduction and Education
  • Vaccination Hesitancy: Understanding Causes and Developing Interventions
  • Aging Population and Healthcare Challenges
  • Bioinformatics and Personalized Cancer Therapies
  • The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Diagnosing Medical Conditions
  • Emerging Infectious Diseases: Preparedness and Response Strategies
  • Nutrition Education in Schools: Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
  • Healthcare Disparities: Addressing and Eliminating Gaps in Access

Social Sciences

  • Social Media and its Influence on Political Discourse
  • Impact of Social Isolation on Mental Health in Elderly Populations
  • Cultural Competence in Education: Training and Implementation
  • The Role of Gender Stereotypes in Career Choices
  • Cyberbullying: Prevention and Intervention Strategies
  • The Effects of Immigration Policies on Migrant Communities
  • Restorative Justice in Criminal Justice Systems
  • Examining the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Self-Esteem
  • Intersectionality in Feminist Movements: Challenges and Opportunities
  • Community Policing: Building Trust between Law Enforcement and Communities
  • E-Learning Platforms: Effectiveness and Challenges
  • Inquiry-Based Learning: Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills
  • Inclusive Education Practices: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners
  • The Impact of Standardized Testing on Educational Equity
  • School Safety Measures: Strategies for Prevention and Response
  • Teacher Professional Development: Models and Effectiveness
  • Online Education Accessibility for Students with Disabilities
  • Gamification in Education: Engaging Students in Learning
  • Bilingual Education: Benefits and Challenges
  • STEM Education Initiatives: Encouraging Interest in Science and Technology

Business and Economics

  • Sustainable Business Practices: Balancing Profit and Environmental Impact
  • Corporate Social Responsibility in Multinational Corporations
  • Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Business Operations
  • Economic Consequences of Global Health Crises
  • Digital Marketing Trends and Consumer Behavior
  • Financial Literacy Education: Bridging the Gap
  • Small Business Sustainability: Challenges and Strategies
  • The Gig Economy: Implications for Workers and Employers
  • Supply Chain Resilience in the Face of Global Disruptions
  • Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets

Environment and Sustainability

  • Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Coastal Communities
  • Biodiversity Conservation in Urban Environments
  • Circular Economy Models: Reducing Waste and Promoting Sustainability
  • Water Scarcity: Technological Solutions and Policy Measures
  • Impact of Plastic Pollution on Marine Ecosystems
  • Sustainable Agriculture Practices: Balancing Production and Conservation
  • Environmental Education in Schools: Fostering Eco-Consciousness
  • Green Building Technologies: Enhancing Energy Efficiency
  • Ecotourism: Balancing Conservation and Economic Development
  • The Role of International Agreements in Addressing Environmental Issues

Psychology and Behavior

  • The Influence of Social Media on Body Image and Self-Esteem
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Depression
  • Impact of Childhood Trauma on Adult Mental Health
  • Positive Psychology Interventions: Enhancing Well-Being
  • Sleep Hygiene and its Impact on Mental Health
  • The Psychology of Procrastination: Causes and Interventions
  • Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: Benefits and Training
  • The Impact of Parenting Styles on Child Development
  • Cross-Cultural Psychology: Understanding Cultural Influences on Behavior
  • The Role of Music in Emotional Regulation and Stress Reduction

Political Science and International Relations

  • The Rise of Populism: Causes and Consequences
  • Cyber Warfare and International Security
  • Human Rights Violations in Conflict Zones: Challenges and Solutions
  • The Role of International Organizations in Global Governance
  • Political Polarization: Understanding Divisive Trends
  • Nuclear Proliferation and Arms Control Agreements
  • Comparative Analysis of Electoral Systems
  • Immigration Policies and Social Cohesion
  • Global Health Diplomacy: Collaborative Approaches to Health Challenges
  • The Impact of Disinformation on Democratic Processes

History and Cultural Studies

  • Reevaluating Historical Narratives: Perspectives and Interpretations
  • Cultural Impact of Globalization: Trends and Reactions
  • Indigenous Rights and Representation in Historical Context
  • History of Scientific Discoveries and their Societal Impact
  • Archaeological Excavations: Uncovering Lost Civilizations
  • Cultural Appropriation: Examining Controversies and Contexts
  • The Role of Women in Historical Movements
  • Preservation of Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Innovations
  • Historical Trauma and its Contemporary Repercussions
  • Impact of Colonialism on Contemporary Societies

Communication and Media Studies

  • Influence of Social Media on Political Participation
  • Media Representation of Marginalized Groups
  • Fake News and Misinformation: Identifying and Combating Trends
  • The Evolution of Print Media in the Digital Age
  • Media Literacy Education: Navigating Information in the Digital Era
  • Celebrity Culture and its Impact on Society
  • The Role of Public Relations in Shaping Organizational Image
  • Cross-Cultural Communication in Global Business
  • Podcasting as an Emerging Medium of Communication
  • Advertising and Consumer Behavior: Analyzing Persuasion Techniques

Philosophy and Ethics

  • Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence Research
  • Bioethics in Medical Decision-Making
  • Existentialism and its Relevance in Contemporary Society
  • Animal Rights and Ethical Treatment in Scientific Research
  • Environmental Ethics: Balancing Human Needs and Ecological Sustainability
  • The Ethics of Genetic Engineering and Cloning
  • Virtue Ethics in Professional Decision-Making
  • Technology and Privacy: Ethical Dilemmas in the Digital Age
  • Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Warfare
  • Utilitarianism and its Application in Ethical Decision-Making

Education Policy and Administration

  • School Voucher Programs: Impact on Educational Equity
  • Teacher Evaluation Systems: Effectiveness and Fairness
  • Inclusive Leadership in Educational Institutions
  • Early Childhood Education: Policy and Implementation
  • Standardized Testing: Implications for Educational Policy
  • Education Funding Models: Challenges and Solutions
  • School Choice and its Impact on Student Achievement
  • Educational Technology Integration in Classroom Settings
  • Community Engagement in School Decision-Making
  • The Role of Educational Leaders in Fostering Inclusive Schools

Economics and Development Studies

  • Microfinance and Poverty Alleviation Strategies
  • Impact of Global Trade Policies on Developing Economies
  • Economic Empowerment of Women in Developing Countries
  • Sustainable Development Goals: Progress and Challenges
  • Rural-Urban Migration: Economic and Social Impacts
  • Financial Inclusion: Strategies for Bridging the Gap
  • Foreign Aid Effectiveness: Assessing Outcomes
  • Technology Transfer and Innovation in Developing Nations
  • Income Inequality: Causes and Policy Solutions
  • The Role of Microenterprise in Local Economic Development

Criminal Justice and Law

  • Restorative Justice: Implementation and Impact on Recidivism
  • Police Body Cameras: Efficacy and Ethical Considerations
  • Cybercrime Laws and Challenges in the Digital Age
  • Juvenile Justice Reform: Strategies for Rehabilitation
  • Bail Reform: Addressing Inequities in Pretrial Detention
  • Criminal Profiling: Validity and Ethical Concerns
  • Drug Policy Reform: Exploring Alternatives to Criminalization
  • The Impact of Hate Crime Legislation on Social Cohesion
  • Eyewitness Testimony Reliability: Challenges and Improvements
  • International Criminal Court: Effectiveness and Challenges

Public Health and Epidemiology

  • Disease Surveillance Systems: Enhancing Early Detection
  • Health Inequalities: Social Determinants and Interventions
  • Maternal and Child Health Interventions in Developing Countries
  • Impact of Health Education on Preventive Behaviors
  • Access to Healthcare Services in Rural Areas
  • Lifestyle Interventions for Chronic Disease Prevention
  • Community-Based Participatory Research in Public Health
  • Mental Health Interventions in School Settings
  • The Role of Public Health in Pandemic Preparedness and Response

Computer Science

  • Explainable Artificial Intelligence: Bridging the Gap Between Performance and Interpretability
  • The Role of Quantum Computing in Revolutionizing Cryptography
  • Ethical Considerations in the Development of Autonomous Vehicles
  • Cybersecurity Challenges in the Internet of Things (IoT) Ecosystem
  • Human-Computer Interaction: Enhancing User Experience in Virtual Reality Environments

How to Compose a Research Proposal?

Composing a research proposal is a systematic process that involves careful planning, organization, and clear articulation of your research idea. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to compose a research proposal:

  • Title: 
  • Create a clear and concise title that reflects the essence of your research.
  • Introduction:
  • Provide background information on the research topic.
  • Clearly state the research problem or question.
  • Justify the importance and relevance of your research.
  • Summarize relevant existing literature.
  • Identify gaps, limitations, and areas for further exploration.
  • Establish a theoretical framework for your study.
  • Research Questions or Hypotheses:
  • Formulate clear and specific research questions or hypotheses.
  • Ensure they align with the research problem and are feasible.
  • Objectives or Aims:
  • Outline the specific goals of your research.
  • Clearly state what you aim to achieve with your study.
  • Methodology:
  • Describe the research design and justify your choice.
  • Detail the data collection methods and tools you plan to use.
  • Address ethical considerations related to your research.
  • Explain the importance of your research.
  • Clearly state the potential contributions your study can make.
  • Provide a detailed plan for executing your research.
  • Include a timeline, milestones, and the allocation of resources.
  • Potential Challenges and Limitations:
  • Acknowledge possible obstacles and limitations.
  • Discuss strategies to address challenges proactively.
  • Summarize the key points of your research proposal.
  • Reiterate the significance of your research.
  • Invite feedback and suggestions.
  • References:
  • Cite all the sources and literature used in your proposal.
  • Follow the appropriate citation style ( APA, MLA, Chicago , etc.).
  • Appendices (if necessary):
  • Include any supplementary materials such as surveys, questionnaires, or additional data.

Tips for Composing a Research Proposal

  • Clarity and Conciseness: Use clear and straightforward language. Avoid unnecessary jargon that may confuse readers.
  • Alignment: Ensure that each section of your proposal aligns with the overall research objective.
  • Feasibility: Confirm that your proposed research is feasible within the given time and resource constraints.
  • Review and Revise: Review your proposal for coherence, consistency, and clarity. Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or advisors and make revisions accordingly.
  • Adherence to Guidelines: Follow any specific guidelines or instructions provided by your institution or funding agency.
  • Engage the Reader: Capture the reader’s attention in the introduction and maintain engagement throughout.
  • Ethical Considerations: Clearly address any ethical concerns related to your research, ensuring compliance with ethical standards.

Selecting research proposal topics is a nuanced process that requires a blend of personal passion, academic rigor, and an understanding of the broader context.

By following this comprehensive guide, you can navigate the seas of research proposal development with confidence, ensuring that your chosen topic is not only compelling but also lays the foundation for meaningful and impactful research.

Related Posts

best way to finance car

Step by Step Guide on The Best Way to Finance Car

how to get fund for business

The Best Way on How to Get Fund For Business to Grow it Efficiently

  • Write my thesis
  • Thesis writers
  • Buy thesis papers
  • Bachelor thesis
  • Master's thesis
  • Thesis editing services
  • Thesis proofreading services
  • Buy a thesis online
  • Write my dissertation
  • Dissertation proposal help
  • Pay for dissertation
  • Custom dissertation
  • Dissertation help online
  • Buy dissertation online
  • Cheap dissertation
  • Dissertation editing services
  • Write my research paper
  • Buy research paper online
  • Pay for research paper
  • Research paper help
  • Order research paper
  • Custom research paper
  • Cheap research paper
  • Research papers for sale
  • Thesis subjects
  • How It Works

Qualitative Research Topics & Ideas For Students

The Best Qualitative Research Topics For Students

Do you have difficulty finding a qualitative research title for your project? If you are, you need not worry because you are not alone. However, there are many unique qualitative titles you can explore for your research. You just need a few qualitative research title examples to get you started. Qualitative research is focused on data obtained through a researcher’s first-hand observations, natural setting recording, artifacts, case studies, documents, questionnaires, and interviews. The findings in qualitative research are usually non-numerical. Also, it is common in humanities and social sciences. This post provides over 100 qualitative research topics you can consider.

  • The Best Qualitative Research Topics That Impress the Teacher

Exceptional Qualitative Research Topics In Social Science

Qualitative research title examples for students, fantastic examples of qualitative research titles, good topics to start for qualitative research, qualitative research topics in education, quick examples of qualitative research topics, qualitative research topics in the philippines, qualitative researches topics about humanity & social science, great choices of qualitative research title examples, qualitative research topics for students to think about, our examples of the best qualitative research topics that impress the teacher.

An excellent research topic will help you earn a good grade. Consider any example of a qualitative research title from the following options:

  • The impacts of social media on physical social engagement in society
  • The benefits of treating mental disorders with medication
  • The effects of Gender-Based Violence on women’s social lives in rural areas
  • The decline of academic pursuit in third-world countries
  • Sexual workers: the stigma they experience
  • How has the promotion of feminist values influenced workplaces?
  • Free education: its impact in third-world countries
  • What is the correlation between education and success?
  • Ableism: its effects on disabled people in society
  • Food insecurity in third-world nations
The topic of your research paper can influence how easily you can conduct your study and draw conclusions.

Here are fantastic examples of qualitative research titles:

  • Female harm: how it is influenced by culture
  • The socioeconomic impacts of free education
  • The link between food insecurity and poor performance in schools
  • Alcoholism among college students: a critical study
  • How to mitigate child labor in our society
  • The root causes of child labor in Latin America
  • The stigma of living with transmissive medical conditions
  • The root cause of the stigma of people living with disabilities
  • How to identify depression in small children
  • Signs of autism in kids below two years old

Choosing a qualitative research topic is not a task you should take lightly because it can influence your performance. Here are some noteworthy qualitative research titles examples:

  • Basic patient care policies in developing nations
  • The impacts of alcoholism on education
  • Adult learning: what does it entail?
  • Homeschooling: Is it the latest trend after the pandemic?
  • Does computer literacy influence the quality of education kids enjoy?
  • How to effectively teach students with learning disabilities
  • The relationship between poor education systems and crime rates in third-world countries
  • Student bullying: the psychological impacts
  • Should high school students go through university preparedness programs?
  • research writing in high schools: its significance

Are you looking for qualitative research topic examples to start your study? Below are some creative examples to consider:

  • Remote tests: are they as effective as in-class tests?
  • The value of social activities in academic institutions
  • Why should healthcare be free in all countries?
  • The implications of racist laws on society
  • The reception of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments
  • What is the difference between foreign policies in first-world and third-world nations?
  • Racism and Colorism: what is the difference?
  • Dissecting the causes of low voter turnouts in the 21 st century
  • The challenges of social media on kid’s brain development
  • The inclusion of black women in American politics and its impacts

When competing with several brilliant minds, a good research topic can do you greatly. The following qualitative research examples titles are a great place to start:

  • Should school uniforms be discarded for high schoolers?
  • The need for equal representation in global politics
  • The implications of police brutality on politics
  • The role of parental care in foster kids
  • The distinction between Islamic values and Christian values
  • The correlation between political instability and migration
  • Sex trafficking and violence against women: what is the link?
  • How can global governments eradicate homelessness?
  • Fraternities and sororities: are they still relevant?
  • The role of literature in promoting societal changes

Qualitative research is popular in the education field and other social sciences. Choose a qualitative research title example on the subject of education from the following list:

  • Effectively introducing foreign languages in the high school curriculum
  • How can teachers help students with disabilities improve their learning?
  • The link between social activities and comprehension among students
  • Research writing in high schools: is it necessary?
  • How has virtual learning influenced teacher-student relationships?
  • The implications of allowing smartphones in classes
  • Should all schools introduce sign language lessons in their curriculum?
  • Student loans: their impacts on black students
  • The impacts of race on college acceptance rates
  • Poverty and education: what is the link?
  • Ethnic and socioeconomic causes of poor school attendance in developing worlds
  • Various teaching methods and their efficiency
  • Efficient teaching methods for children below two years
  • Why do students perform better in humanities than in sciences?
  • The difference between college acceptance and completion in most nations
  • Remote learning in developing countries
  • What are the best ways of approaching bullying in schools?
  • How do teachers promote inequality among students?
  • Does social class influence academic performance negatively or positively?
  • How do teachers shape their students’ personalities?

Coming up with a qualitative research title can be hard because of the numerous subject areas and the issue of uniqueness. Therefore, we have prepared the following qualitative title examples for you:

  • How to promote oral learning in classrooms
  • Political instability in developing countries: its economic impacts
  • The impacts of weather on social activities
  • Boredom and poor-decision making: the connection
  • Exploring the connection between attachment types and love languages
  • Socioeconomic impacts of instability on a country
  • How does social media impact the perception of reality
  • Reality TV shows: are they a true reflection of reality?
  • How culture applies to different age groups
  • Is social media influencing the loss of cultural values?

You can base your research topic on a specific region or nation, like the Philippines. A sample qualitative research title can get you started. You can pick a sample qualitative research title from the ideas below:

  • Why are so many Philippines residents migrating to America?
  • The impact of politics on migration in the Philippines
  • How has violence led to food insecurity in rural areas in the Philippines?
  • The Philippine education system: an overview
  • How cultural norms influence social activities in the Philippines
  • Gender roles in the Philippines society
  • How popular Filipino cultures have served as agents of social change in the nation
  • The link between male dominance and GBV in the Philippines
  • Barriers to clean hygiene in health centers in the Philippines
  • The spread of COVID in rural areas in the Philippines

Most top performers in research subjects attribute their success to choosing the best title for qualitative research. Here are some qualitative research topics about humanities and social science to promote good performance:

  • The impact of poor market rivalry on supply and demand
  • The role of parents in shaping kids’ morals
  • Is social media the root cause of poor societal morals?
  • How does alcohol impact a person’s normal behavior?
  • How often should adults engage in sporting activities?
  • Children’s eating habits and their influences
  • Low socioeconomic backgrounds and their impacts on self-esteem
  • The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world’s views on viral diseases
  • How can school-going kids manage depression
  • Causes of mental challenges among school-going kids

Finding a good topic for qualitative research is a critical task that requires a lot of thought and research. However, we have simplified the process with the following qualitative topic ideas:

  • Pop music and erratic youth behavior: is there a link?
  • How do public figures influence cultures?
  • Ideas for improving healthcare in developing nations
  • Possible solutions for alleviating the food crisis in developing nations
  • New ways of mitigating viral diseases
  • Social media trends among the elderly
  • Quarantine as a mitigation approach for infectious diseases
  • Promoting social justice in patriarchal societies
  • Worrying trends among the young population
  • Emerging marketing trends in 2023

Qualitative research for college and high school students helps improve reading, writing, and intellectual skills. Here are some qualitative research examples and topic ideas for students :

  • How to detect and prevent natural disasters beforehand
  • Can the whole world have the same education system?
  • What is the most effective therapy for patients recuperating from brain surgery?
  • Possible solutions for promoting ethical practices in telehealth
  • Can addicts overcome addiction without therapy?
  • The latest technology trends and their impacts?
  • How can global governments promote mental health awareness?
  • Have smartphones caused reduced attention spans among users?
  • Sexual violence in rural areas
  • The introduction of Islam in African nations

We Are Here for You

Qualitative research is an investigative analysis of intangible or inexact data, mostly non-numerical. The title of qualitative research you choose will guide your entire research process and influence its conclusions. Do you need a paper or an example of a research title qualitative topic? Our expert team is ready to write it for you.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

  • How It Works
  • PhD thesis writing
  • Master thesis writing
  • Bachelor thesis writing
  • Dissertation writing service
  • Dissertation abstract writing
  • Thesis proposal writing
  • Thesis editing service
  • Thesis proofreading service
  • Thesis formatting service
  • Coursework writing service
  • Research paper writing service
  • Architecture thesis writing
  • Computer science thesis writing
  • Engineering thesis writing
  • History thesis writing
  • MBA thesis writing
  • Nursing dissertation writing
  • Psychology dissertation writing
  • Sociology thesis writing
  • Statistics dissertation writing
  • Buy dissertation online
  • Write my dissertation
  • Cheap thesis
  • Cheap dissertation
  • Custom dissertation
  • Dissertation help
  • Pay for thesis
  • Pay for dissertation
  • Senior thesis
  • Write my thesis

131 Interesting Qualitative Research Topics For High Scoring Thesis

qualitative research topics

Qualitative research topics are undoubtedly not easy. While statistics enthralls some students, others don’t like the subject. That’s because qualitative assignments entail cognitive analysis, which complicates them. But apart from the hardships of completing the projects, selecting topics for qualitative research papers is also a challenge.

This article presents a list of 130-plus qualitative research topic ideas to help learners that struggle to get titles for their papers. It is helpful because many learners have difficulties picking titles that will make their essays impressive to educators. But before presenting the topics, this article defines qualitative research.

What Is Qualitative Research?

Qualitative research is an investigative and innovative abstract data analysis. When writing a qualitative research paper, a learner analyzes intangible data. Qualitative researchers code the data after or during collection. Therefore, having top-notch research topics is necessary for a first-class essay.

Knowing how to write a qualitative research paper is vital because it helps the student deliver a copy that provides a clear picture of an event or situation. A researcher can achieve this via practical experience, reliable reporting, and conversations. Gathering raw data is the initial step in qualitative research. A researcher can gather raw data by conducting reviews, observations, and surveys. Also, researchers can use creative methods to collect data.

Best Examples Of Qualitative Research Topics

Qualitative research covers many things. Here are examples of topics that learners can explore in their qualitative study.

  • What causes stigma around some health challenges?
  • Stigma facing the people living with disabilities- What is the cause?
  • Can Pro Bono legal assistance improve the criminal justice system?
  • How the less privileged can benefit from Pro Bono services
  • The educational challenges facing rural children- Are there ways to help them?
  • Child labor causes- How to mitigate the practice
  • Substance and drugs- What are young people abusing more?
  • How alcohol affects college students
  • Can food insecurity interfere with children’s performance in school?
  • Food banks intricacies- Understanding the challenge in low-income areas
  • Free education- Does it have socioeconomic benefits?
  • Culture and female harm- What’s the connection?
  • The impact of social media on physical and social engagement among teens in urban areas
  • Using medication to treat depression- What are the health benefits?
  • Investigating peer educators’ efficiency in creating awareness of health and social issues
  • Gender-based violence- What causes it in rural areas, and how does it affect victims?
  • Sexual reproductive health challenges of child brides- Are there ways to control it?
  • Investigating the causes of school dropout among teenagers
  • How to address school dropout among young adults
  • Investigating the deteriorating academic pursuit in Third-World countries
  • Social activities- Do they have benefits for depressed people?
  • Investigating cerebral palsy and the stigma that people associate with it.
  • Living with disabilities- Are there social implications?
  • The impact of ableism on disabled people
  • Exploring the promotion and benefits of feminist values
  • Why should society promote free education in all learning environments?
  • What causes food insecurities among low-income earners?
  • Food and housing insecurity- What are the root causes?
  • What are the effects of displacement- Investigating the homeless people’s mental health

These are good examples of qualitative research topics. However, a student that picks a title in this category should research it extensively to impress the educator with their work.

Qualitative Nursing Research Topics

Professors ask students to write about qualitative topics when pursuing nursing studies. Here are issues to consider in this category.

  • How does the nurse-patient relationship affect health outcomes?
  • How can nurses deal with complex patients?
  • How can nurses provide culturally competent care?
  • How do personal beliefs affect nursing practice?
  • What is the impact of spirituality on nursing care?
  • How does the nurse’s role change when working with terminally ill patients?
  • What challenges do nurses face when providing end-of-life care?
  • How can nurses best support families whose members have serious illnesses?
  • What are the unique challenges of caring for elderly patients?
  • How does the nurse’s role change when working in a hospice setting?
  • Health outreach programs- What are the most effective ways to execute them?
  • Effective methods of curbing drug abuse
  • Effective ways to help rape survivors
  • How can nurses administer care to female genital mutilation victims?
  • How to care for special needs individuals
  • Anxiety and depression symptoms
  • Methods of administering care to Dyslexia patients
  • How to help individuals dealing with mental disorders
  • Signs of Alzheimer’s disease in older people
  • How to provide primary patient care

These are good qualitative research topics for students pursuing nursing studies. Nevertheless, learners must research any of these titles before writing their papers.

Qualitative Research Topics In Education

Most topics spring up from the education niche despite fitting other specifications. Here are examples of qualitative research topics that include the education niche.

  • Are guidance and counseling essential in schools?
  • How computer literacy affects education
  • Why governments in developing schools should encourage adult education
  • Autistic children’s education- Which learning style suits them?
  • Is mental health education relevant in the modern school curriculum?
  • Exploring the learning conditions for kids in third world countries
  • Child education and food insecurity- What is the connection?
  • The impact of virtual learning on high school students
  • How does alcoholism affect a student and their education?
  • Homeschooling- What are its advantages and disadvantages?
  • How do teachers’ beliefs about intelligence affect their teaching?
  • What is the teacher’s role in developing a student’s self-concept?
  • Does race or ethnicity play a role in how teachers treat their students?
  • What are the teachers’ experiences with teaching students with special needs?
  • What methods do effective teachers use to motivate their students?
  • What are the most effective ways to teach reading and writing?
  • How does technology use affect how teachers teach, and students learn?
  • What are the challenges faced by teachers in rural areas?
  • What are the challenges faced by teachers in urban areas?
  • How do charter schools differ from traditional public schools?

Many topics and issues in the education system allow learners to find subjects to investigate and cover in their papers quickly. And this is not an exhaustive qualitative research topic list in this field. Nevertheless, it covers the most exciting ideas to explore.

Qualitative Research Topics In Public Health

Educators ask students to write academic papers while studying the public health sector. And this provides insights into crucial and relevant aspects of this sector. Here are qualitative research topics examples in this category.

  • How does the public health sector manage epidemics?
  • The role of public health in disaster management
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of public health campaigns
  • An analysis of the factors that hinder effective public health delivery
  • Access to healthcare: A study of rural and urban populations
  • Health needs assessment of refugees
  • Mental health support within the public health sector
  • The role of technology in public health
  • Understanding and addressing health disparities
  • Sexual and reproductive health rights in the public health discourse
  • How immunization benefits people in rural areas
  • What causes water-borne diseases, and how can society mitigate them?
  • Symptoms of high blood pressure among young people
  • How antenatal care helps pregnant women
  • How to boost breast cancer awareness

These are excellent qualitative research paper topics in the public health sector. Nevertheless, learners need sufficient time and resources to investigate their preferred titles in this category to write winning papers.

Qualitative Research Topics In Project Management

Project management writing focuses on ways to achieve results and goals while basing the achievement on the process. This subject covers planning, structuring, proffering, and controlling ways to execute plans to accomplish desired goals. Here are research topics for qualitative research in project management.

  • How effective communication strategies can impact the outcome of a project
  • How different leadership styles affect team productivity during a project
  • The role of conflict management in ensuring successful project outcomes
  • Gender differences in the perception and understanding of project risk
  • The impact of organizational culture on a project’s likelihood of success
  • How different project management methodologies affect its outcome
  • The effect of stakeholder involvement on project success
  • How to manage virtual teams effectively to ensure successful project outcomes
  • What motivates project managers to achieve successful results?
  • How can project managers create a positive work environment that leads to successful outcomes?
  • What challenges do project managers face when trying to achieve successful outcomes?
  • How can project management be used to achieve social change?
  • What are the ethical implications of project management?
  • What are the global impacts of project management?
  • Ways to achieve sustainable development through project management

These are topics to explore in project management. Nevertheless, learners need adequate time to investigate their chosen titles and write winning essays.

Qualitative Research Topics In Political Science

Qualitative research can also cover political science. Investigating this field enables people to understand it better and can be broad. Here are sample titles to consider in for your scientific thesis .

  • How do social media affect the way people engage with politics?
  • What motivates people to vote?
  • How does voting behavior change over time?
  • What are the consequences of gerrymandering?
  • How does campaign finance influence elections?
  • Interest groups- What is their role in politics?
  • How do the media cover politics?
  • What are the effects of political scandals?
  • How does public opinion influence policymakers?
  • How feminism enhanced the American politics
  • The adverse effects of misrepresentation
  • The American democracy- A look into its dimensions
  • Colorism, racism, and classism- How the American ideologies differ
  • What causes an election crisis?
  • Two-party system- What challenges does it face in America?
  • Black women’s inclusion in the American politics
  • Should America have a multi-party system?
  • Why mass media matters in politics’ scrutiny and promotion

While political science is a broad field, these narrow topics help learners handle their research effectively. Pick any of these ideas to write a winning essay.

Topics For Ethnography Qualitative Research

Ethnographic research entails studying and paying attention to society and describing it. Here are topics to consider for a research paper in this field.

  • Studying a subculture: Reasons people join and stay in gangs
  • How does social media use vary by culture?
  • An ethnographic study of a homeless shelter or soup kitchen
  • Understanding the lives of sex workers through ethnography
  • The impact of religion on family life
  • How does parenting vary between cultures?
  • How do children learn and socialize in different cultures?
  • What is the effect of migration on family life?
  • What are the experiences of refugees?- An explorative case study
  • What is the impact of poverty on family life?
  • How do people in different cultures understand and experience mental illness?
  • What is the role of the family in other cultures?
  • What are the end-of-life experiences and beliefs around death in different cultures?

This article has presented easy qualitative research topics. However, some need time and resources to investigate and write quality papers. Therefore, pick your paper title carefully to write an essay that will earn you an excellent grade.

Get Quality Writing Help Online

Maybe you have a title for your paper but not time for writing a unique, top-notch thesis. In that case, get the best dissertation services from our writers. We’re educated, native ENL writers with a proven track record of exceeding customers’ expectations. Our team helps university, college, and high school learners complete their writing and editing assignments. Whether writing a research paper is a requirement for a degree or a diploma course, we can help you. Contact us to get quality, custom, and cheap help from qualified experts in your study field.

do professors check sources

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment * Error message

Name * Error message

Email * Error message

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

As Putin continues killing civilians, bombing kindergartens, and threatening WWIII, Ukraine fights for the world's peaceful future.

Ukraine Live Updates

Designing a Research Proposal in Qualitative Research

  • First Online: 27 October 2022

Cite this chapter

qualitative research proposal topic

  • Md. Ismail Hossain 4 ,
  • Nafiul Mehedi 4 &
  • Iftakhar Ahmad 4  

2597 Accesses

The chapter discusses designing a research proposal in qualitative research. The main objective is to outline the major components of a qualitative research proposal with example(s) so that the students and novice scholars easily get an understanding of a qualitative proposal. The chapter highlights the major components of a qualitative research proposal and discusses the steps involved in designing a proposal. In each step, an example is given with some essential tips. Following these steps and tips, a novice researcher can easily prepare a qualitative research proposal. Readers, especially undergraduate and master’s students, might use this as a guideline while preparing a thesis proposal. After reading this chapter, they can easily prepare a qualitative proposal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
  • Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Abdulai, R. T., & Owusu-Ansah, A. (2014). Essential ingredients of a good research proposal for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the social sciences. SAGE Open, 4 (3), 2158244014548178.

Article   Google Scholar  

Ahmad, S., Wasim, S., Irfan, S., Gogoi, S., Srivastava, A., & Farheen, Z. (2019). Qualitative versus quantitative research. Population, 1 , 2.

Google Scholar  

Al-Riyami, A. (2008). How to prepare a research proposal. Oman Medical Journal, 23 (2), 66.

Aspers, P., & Corte, U. (2019). What is qualitative in qualitative research? Qualitative Sociology, 42 (2), 139–160.

Balakumar, P., Inamdar, M. N., & Jagadeesh, G. (2013). The critical steps for successful research: The research proposal and scientific writing (A report on the pre-conference workshop held in conjunction with the 64th annual conference of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress-2012). Journal of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapeutics, 4 (2), 130.

Becker, H. (1996). The epistemology of qualitative research. In R. Jessor, A. Colby & R. A Shweder (Eds.), Ethnography and human development: Context and meaning in social inquiry .

Boeije, H. (2010). Analysis in qualitative research . Los Angeles Sage Publications.

Bryman, A., Bresnen, M., Beardsworth, A., & Keil, T. (1988). Qualitative research and the study of leadership. Human Relations, 41 (1), 13–29.

Campbell, D. T., & Stanley, J. C. (2015). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research . Ravenio Books.

Creswell, J. W. (1994). Research design: Qualitative and quantitative approach . London: Publications.

Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th Edn.). London: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Davis, B. (2021). What is the scope of the study in research proposal? Retrieved from https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-is-the-scope-of-the-study-in-research-proposal-4/#What_are_strengths_and_limitations . Accessed on August 28, 2021.

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). Introduction: The discipline and practice of qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research (pp. 1–32). Sage Publications Ltd.

DJS Research. (2021). Qualitative research design . Retrieved from https://www.djsresearch.co.uk/glossary/item/Qualitative-Research-Design . Accessed on September 12, 2021.

Durrheim, K. (2006). Research design. In M. T. Blanche, M. J. T. Blanche, K. Durrheim, & D. Painter (Eds.), Research in practice: Applied methods for the social sciences (Vol. 2, pp. 33–59). Juta and Company Ltd.

Editage Insights. (2019). How do I present the scope of my study? Retrieved from https://www.editage.com/insights/how-do-i-present-scope-of-my-study . Accessed on August 31, 2021.

Fry, J., Scammell, J., & Barker, S. (2017). Drowning in muddied waters or swimming downstream? A critical analysis of literature reviewing in a phenomenological study through an exploration of the lifeworld, reflexivity and role of the researcher. Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology , 17 (1).

Grove, S. K., Burns, N., & Gray, J. (2012). The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence . Elsevier Health Sciences.

Islam, M. R. (2019). Designing a Ph.D. proposal in qualitative research. In Social research methodology and new techniques in analysis, interpretation, and writing (pp. 1–22). IGI Global.

James, N., & Busher, H. (2009). Epistemological dimensions in qualitative research: The construction of knowledge online. SAGE Internet Research Methods , 5–18.

Liamputtong, P., & Ezzy, D. (2005). Qualitative research methods. Second . Oxford University Press.

Morse, J. M., & Field, P. A. (1996). The purpose of qualitative research. In Nursing research (pp. 1–17). Springer.

Mouton, J., & Marais, H. C. (1990). Basic concepts in the methodology of the social sciences (Revised). Human Sciences Research Council.

Parahoo, K. (2014). Nursing research: principles, process and issues (3rd ed.). Palgrave.

Pathak, V., Jena, B., & Kalra, S. (2013). Qualitative research. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 4 (3), 192. https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-3485.115389

Patton, A. J. (2001). Modelling time-varying exchange rate dependence using the conditional copula.

Pietilä, A. M., Nurmi, S. M., Halkoaho, A., & Kyngäs, H. (2020). Qualitative research: Ethical considerations. In The application of content analysis in nursing science research (pp. 49–69). Springer.

Rosenthal, M. (2016). Qualitative research methods: Why, when, and how to conduct interviews and focus groups in pharmacy research. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 8 (4), 509–516.

Russell, C. K., & Gregory, D. M. (2003). Evaluation of qualitative research studies. Evidence-Based Nursing, 6 (2), 36–40.

Sandelowski, M., & Barroso, J. (2003). Writing the proposal for a qualitative research methodology project. Qualitative Health Research, 13 (6), 781–820.

Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research . Sage publications.

Walker, W. (2007). Ethical considerations in phenomenological research. Nurse researcher , 14 (3).

Wilson, A. (2015). A guide to phenomenological research. Nursing Standard, 29 (34), 38–43.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Social Work, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh

Md. Ismail Hossain, Nafiul Mehedi & Iftakhar Ahmad

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Md. Ismail Hossain .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Centre for Family and Child Studies, Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

M. Rezaul Islam

Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Niaz Ahmed Khan

Department of Social Work, School of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

Rajendra Baikady

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Hossain, M.I., Mehedi, N., Ahmad, I. (2022). Designing a Research Proposal in Qualitative Research. In: Islam, M.R., Khan, N.A., Baikady, R. (eds) Principles of Social Research Methodology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5441-2_18

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5441-2_18

Published : 27 October 2022

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

Print ISBN : 978-981-19-5219-7

Online ISBN : 978-981-19-5441-2

eBook Packages : Social Sciences

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

  • Publish with us

Policies and ethics

  • Find a journal
  • Track your research

Thesis Helpers

qualitative research proposal topic

Find the best tips and advice to improve your writing. Or, have a top expert write your paper.

202 Best Choice Qualitative Research Topics for Students 2023

qualitative research topics

As a college student, you’ll always encounter a series of essays to write while in school. These essays will always be of different types, and they’ll include research essays. There are two important things to know when embarking on research paper writing. First, you have to understand if your research work is to be quantitative or qualitative.

For qualitative research writing, you’ll be required to go through a fundamental research process which entails gathering raw and primary information through field research which can either be done through interviews, surveys, observations, or through any other way of harnessing raw data.

There are so many research topics to look into when preparing for your essay writing. Among these are some of the qualitative research topics ideas to look out for.

Examples of Qualitative Research Topics

There is a wide variety of what qualitative research can cover. Below you’ll find a qualitative research topics list with some initial ideas that can get you started.

  • How Social media is affecting the physical social engagement of Teenagers in Urban areas
  • Health benefits of treating depression with medication and some of them realize results
  • The efficiency of Peer educators in creating social awareness on social and health issues
  • Understanding the effects of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in rural areas and how this negatively impacts women in such areas
  • Challenges of the sexual reproductive health of child brides and how this can be controlled
  • Social investigation into the cause of dropping out of the school of teenagers and young adults and some of the ways through which it can be addressed
  • Academic pursuit: is it deteriorating in Third World countries
  • Benefits of engaging in social activities to depressed people and those struggling with certain mental health challenges
  • Understanding the learning challenges of dyslexic children and progressive ways to administer help to them
  • A questioning of the stigma associated with cerebral palsy
  • The social implications of living with disabilities
  • How ableism affects disabled people in our society
  • Understanding the benefits and promotion of feminist values in rural areas
  • The need to promote free education across every learning environment
  • Investigating the root causes of food insecurities in low-income neighborhoods
  • Understanding the challenges of housing insecurity and food insecurity
  • Displacement and its accompanying effects: a look into the mental health of homeless people
  • How culture contributes to female harm in the society
  • Socioeconomic benefits of free education in our society
  • Understanding the intricacies of food banks in low-income neighborhoods
  • How food insecurity causes children to perform poorly in school
  • The effects of alcohol on college students
  • Drugs & Substance: which do young adults abuse more
  • The causes of child labor and how to mitigate against such practices
  • Educational challenges on children in rural areas and ways to proffer help
  • Benefits of Pro Bono services to the less privileged
  • How Pro Bono legal aids improve the justice system
  • Understanding the stigma of living with disabilities
  • Causes of the stigma that surrounds certain health challenges

Qualitative Nursing Research Topics

Even while your area of specialization in college is in medicine or health care, you’ll still be required to carry out research writing. If your specialization is in nursing, there is still research to embark on. Because nursing itself as a field of study touches across a lot of medical and health care issues which requires research to be paid attention to and brought relevance to. Here are some qualitative research topics examples on nursing to look into.

  • How to administer care to patients with Dyslexia
  • How to help patients with mental disorders
  • Signs and Symptoms of autism and how to extend help to these patients
  • How to identify Alzheimer’s in older patients
  • Understanding how to deal with pregnant women and emergencies
  • Administering antenatal care to pregnant women
  • Patient care in psychiatric units and a look into that
  • Identifying and treating Alzheimer’s
  • Basics of patient care
  • Difference between workloads of ICU nurses and OR nurses
  • Care for hypertensive patients with diabetes
  • First aid treatments for gun victims
  • Pros & cons of nurses’ drug prescription
  • The role of nurses in rural healthcare services
  • Understanding care in nursing homes
  • Intensive care for visually and verbally impaired patients
  • Benefits of immunization in rural areas
  • Outlining and handling the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine
  • Why compassion and sensitivity is important for nurses
  • The role of nurses and healthcare corporations
  • How nurses can handle cardiovascular challenges
  • Signs of Depression and anxiety in patients
  • How to take care of people with special needs
  • How to take care of elderly
  • How to administer care to survivors of female genital mutilation
  • How to assist rape survivors
  • Bipolar symptoms in young adults
  • How to curb drug abuse
  • Effective ways to carry out health outreach programs

Qualitative Research Topics in Education

While there are other topics specific to different other specifications, they all mostly spring up from education. There are so many issues and topics that pertain to the education system which allows for more research to be embarked on this aspect of learning. The one realistic and easy way to evaluate and improve the quality of education is through the carrying out of the research. Here are some good qualitative research topics in education.

  • Which learning style is efficient for autistic children
  • Importance of mental health education in the school curriculum
  • The importance of computer literacy
  • Learning condition of children in third world countries
  • Food insecurity and child education
  • How virtual learning affects high school students
  • Can students manipulate lockdown browsers?
  • Effects of alcoholism on education
  • Understanding adult learning
  • The need to encourage adult education
  • Impacts of computer literacy on education
  • Disadvantages of homeschooling
  • Importance of guidance and counseling in schools
  • Significance of school uniform to learning
  • How to improve oral learning in classrooms
  • The negative impacts of student loans
  • How to teach and improve the learning abilities of ADHD students
  • The importance of sign language learning
  • Impacts of the poor educational system
  • The need to include technology into the education system
  • How smartphones affect students academic performance in the academic system
  • Psychological impacts of student bullying
  • Developing connecting through virtual learning
  • Importance of research writing in schools
  • The need to improve educational learning for children in low-income neighborhoods
  • The importance of reading to preschoolers
  • Importance of social activities in schools
  • Ways to help children with learning disabilities to improve their learning
  • Easy ways to master foreign languages for students in high school.

Qualitative Research Topics in Political Science

Writing qualitative research also extends to the field of political sciences. Qualitative research is very important in the political field because it allows people to have a clearer understanding of the field as in most cases, it can easily become broad. Narrowing your research to specific topics will help you handle the research effectively. Here are some qualitative research topics lists in political science.

  • How COVID-19 impacts low-income neighborhoods
  • The need for the cancellation of student loans and not the suspension of student loans
  • Racism as a dividing factor in America
  • Segregation and racist laws
  • Effects of capitalism on America’s health system
  • Why healthcare in America should be free
  • The abortion regulation bill and its effects
  • What the return to office move says about American capitalism
  • The distinction between Liberalism and Conservatism and places where they merge
  • Understanding neoliberalism and how it impacts our activities in the society
  • COVID-19: Vaccines and treatments
  • The importance of independent judiciary and legislation to improve the American legal system
  • Understanding the effects of American incarceration
  • Carceral system in America and how it targets mostly people in minority groups
  • Understanding American foreign policy
  • The negative impacts of peace war in affected countries
  • A look into the dimensions of the American democracy
  • Classism, racism, colorism: understanding the different American ideologies
  • The need for the cancellation of the American carceral system
  • Dissecting the causes of the election crisis
  • The need for a free polling system to encourage free and fair voting practices
  • The challenges of Americans two-party system
  • The role of mass media in promoting and scrutinizing politics
  • Why America needs a multi-party system
  • The inclusion of black women in American politics
  • The need for representation in American politics
  • The negative impacts of misrepresentation
  • Addressing Police brutality in America
  • The role of feminism in enhancing American politics

Topics for Ethnography Qualitative Research

Carrying out Ethnographic research requires paying attention and studying society from a descriptive perspective. This form of research writing is usually useful in cultural anthropology. Practically, when you are writing ethnographic research, you’ll be required to carry out a series of research writings. One of the most important researches you’ll be embarking on which in turn becomes primarily beneficial to the essay is qualitative research. With qualitative research writing in ethnography, every single collected raw data is useful information to you that will enable you to pull through with your essay. Listed below are some qualitative research paper topics.

  • How does Sexual violence in rural areas affect the psychological well-being of the women and girls in such locality
  • Evaluating the role of parental care and the lack of it thereof in the lives of some foster kids
  • An insight into the primary causes of the swift migration happening from African to Europe
  • Examining the distinction between the Sharia laws applicable to Muslims abroad and those in African countries
  • Explain how political instability in certain countries is often the remote cause of the general instability that arises in any country.
  • The relationship between political and instability and migration
  • Exploring the link between violence against women and sex trafficking
  • Analyzing the socioeconomic impacts of instability on a nation
  • An overview of the rise of oral literature study in literature
  • The social implications of American confinement systems on individuals
  • What are the ways through which sororities impacts the lives of those within it
  • A study into the ways through which government enables homelessness
  • A study of the American society and how to reach it is in culture and history
  • Outlining some of the challenges of Muslims in Africa
  • Discussing the leniency of the practice of Islam in foreign spaces
  • A study into the importance of fraternities and sororities
  • How is the popular culture impacting the psyche of Americans
  • The impacts of westernization in human perception
  • How does literature contribute to change the world
  • Discussing the challenges transgender people undergo within and outside the LGBTQ+ community
  • How social media distorts the perception of reality
  • The role of the smartphone in our deteriorating attention span
  • Understanding culture and how it applies to different American groups
  • The importance of books in the lives of children in rural areas
  • How violence breeds housing and food insecurity
  • The role of capitalism in generating food insecurity
  • Understanding the effects of female genitalia mutilation in girls
  • How popular culture serves as an agent of social change
  • How male dominance breeds male violence

Qualitative Research Topics in Public Health

Even while within the public health sector, you’ll still be required to write qualitative research on your field of study. What this allows is that it gives you the much-needed insight into looking into relevant and crucial aspects of your field of specialty that might need the extra attention. Knowing this while writing research will enable you to broaden your understanding of the intricacies of your course of study as it allows you to gather information firsthand. Here are some research topics for qualitative research on public health.

  • The benefits of immunization in rural areas
  • Causes of water-borne diseases in such our society and how this can be mitigated against
  • The simple signs and symptoms on how to indicate high blood pressure in young people
  • The importance of antenatal care to every pregnant woman
  • Ways to create awareness for breast cancer
  • Barriers to clean hygiene in health centers
  • Understanding the health challenges of lack of drinkable water in a community
  • Prevalence of COVID and how to control its spread
  • Importance of nose masks in the times of Covid-19
  • Health insurance and how it benefits people
  • Importance of safe menstrual care for girls
  • How to control the widespread of Flu
  • Benefits of exercise to obese people
  • How to properly manage to live with Diabetes type II
  • Causes of malnutrition in young children
  • Control of the prevalence of drug and substance abuse
  • Prevention methods for COVID-19
  • The importance of contraceptives for sexually active teenagers
  • Why do teenagers need sex education and not complete abstinence
  • Poorly maintained public hospitals and their effects
  • The need to properly manage the source of our waste products disposal
  • Factors generating health issues in pregnant women
  • The importance of post-natal to nursing mothers
  • The need for the creation of health awareness in rural areas
  • The growing impacts of COVID-19 on the healthcare system
  • The health benefits of constant sanitation
  • Role of social distancing in limiting the cases of COVID-19 in the society
  • The difference between epidemic and pandemic
  • The role of finance in propagating an inclusive and efficient healthcare system.

Qualitative Research Topics in Project Management

Project management entails making plans, structuring, controlling, and proffering reliable ways for the carrying out of such plans to achieve desirable results or goals. The main focus of every form of project management writing is that it focuses on ways through which goals or results can be achieved while basing it on a given process. There are so many topics that are in line with project management. Here is a look into some of the easy qualitative research topics within this particular field of study.

  • The leading causes of underdevelopment in most sectors in the society and possible ways to mitigate against this.
  • The assessment of the contributing factors that lead to failed healthcare systems in rural areas
  • Understanding the challenges that often generate food insecurity and scarcity within a given locality
  • Plausible ways through which food insecurity can be handled within a given society
  • An investigation into the causes of increased child mortality cases in rural areas
  • Impacts of financial management in a country and how it benefits citizens
  • How to set up an operation pest control activity in a society
  • Investigation into the current cost of living in the society and how this is propagated by capitalism
  • The need to create a more inclusive healthcare system
  • The root causes of lack of medical insurance and possible ways to curb it.
  • The importance of health management in organizations and possible ways to ensure it
  • Procedure to encourage the building of health centers in underdeveloped areas
  • Promoting the growth and enhancement of management systems that ensure positive impacts on underserved areas
  • Analysis of the cost-effectiveness of manufacturing learning centers in urban areas
  • Evaluation of accommodation spaces in public nursing homes
  • Enhancing the living situation of charity homes and ways to ensure it
  • What is the benefit of building communication masts in rural areas
  • Efficient ways of regulating revenue distribution
  • Design system for building online regulated parking system
  • Design process and management of geolocators
  • How to ensure effective budget planning
  • The importance of budgeting systems and revenue regulatory systems in government sectors
  • Overview of budgeting and budget padding as a financial regulatory system.
  • The problem with healthcare construction projects in Louisiana
  • The role of strategy in enhancing business management
  • Student loan challenges faced by academic students in America
  • The importance of developing healthy customer-client relationships
  • Foreign policy and its impact on developing industrial complexes

Are you writing your college research essay and wondering about how to go about it and, at the same time, if it will require expert writing help? Look no further, for you can rest assured that there are professional research writing experts here that will provide you with quality but cheap essays that will get you high grades! Don’t hesitate to try it out if you are struggling.

technology research topics

Make PhD experience your own

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Search Menu

Sign in through your institution

  • Browse content in Arts and Humanities
  • Browse content in Archaeology
  • Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Archaeology
  • Archaeological Methodology and Techniques
  • Archaeology by Region
  • Archaeology of Religion
  • Archaeology of Trade and Exchange
  • Biblical Archaeology
  • Contemporary and Public Archaeology
  • Environmental Archaeology
  • Historical Archaeology
  • History and Theory of Archaeology
  • Industrial Archaeology
  • Landscape Archaeology
  • Mortuary Archaeology
  • Prehistoric Archaeology
  • Underwater Archaeology
  • Zooarchaeology
  • Browse content in Architecture
  • Architectural Structure and Design
  • History of Architecture
  • Residential and Domestic Buildings
  • Theory of Architecture
  • Browse content in Art
  • Art Subjects and Themes
  • History of Art
  • Industrial and Commercial Art
  • Theory of Art
  • Biographical Studies
  • Byzantine Studies
  • Browse content in Classical Studies
  • Classical History
  • Classical Philosophy
  • Classical Mythology
  • Classical Literature
  • Classical Reception
  • Classical Art and Architecture
  • Classical Oratory and Rhetoric
  • Greek and Roman Papyrology
  • Greek and Roman Epigraphy
  • Greek and Roman Law
  • Greek and Roman Archaeology
  • Late Antiquity
  • Religion in the Ancient World
  • Digital Humanities
  • Browse content in History
  • Colonialism and Imperialism
  • Diplomatic History
  • Environmental History
  • Genealogy, Heraldry, Names, and Honours
  • Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
  • Historical Geography
  • History by Period
  • History of Emotions
  • History of Agriculture
  • History of Education
  • History of Gender and Sexuality
  • Industrial History
  • Intellectual History
  • International History
  • Labour History
  • Legal and Constitutional History
  • Local and Family History
  • Maritime History
  • Military History
  • National Liberation and Post-Colonialism
  • Oral History
  • Political History
  • Public History
  • Regional and National History
  • Revolutions and Rebellions
  • Slavery and Abolition of Slavery
  • Social and Cultural History
  • Theory, Methods, and Historiography
  • Urban History
  • World History
  • Browse content in Language Teaching and Learning
  • Language Learning (Specific Skills)
  • Language Teaching Theory and Methods
  • Browse content in Linguistics
  • Applied Linguistics
  • Cognitive Linguistics
  • Computational Linguistics
  • Forensic Linguistics
  • Grammar, Syntax and Morphology
  • Historical and Diachronic Linguistics
  • History of English
  • Language Evolution
  • Language Reference
  • Language Acquisition
  • Language Variation
  • Language Families
  • Lexicography
  • Linguistic Anthropology
  • Linguistic Theories
  • Linguistic Typology
  • Phonetics and Phonology
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Sociolinguistics
  • Translation and Interpretation
  • Writing Systems
  • Browse content in Literature
  • Bibliography
  • Children's Literature Studies
  • Literary Studies (Romanticism)
  • Literary Studies (American)
  • Literary Studies (Asian)
  • Literary Studies (European)
  • Literary Studies (Eco-criticism)
  • Literary Studies (Modernism)
  • Literary Studies - World
  • Literary Studies (1500 to 1800)
  • Literary Studies (19th Century)
  • Literary Studies (20th Century onwards)
  • Literary Studies (African American Literature)
  • Literary Studies (British and Irish)
  • Literary Studies (Early and Medieval)
  • Literary Studies (Fiction, Novelists, and Prose Writers)
  • Literary Studies (Gender Studies)
  • Literary Studies (Graphic Novels)
  • Literary Studies (History of the Book)
  • Literary Studies (Plays and Playwrights)
  • Literary Studies (Poetry and Poets)
  • Literary Studies (Postcolonial Literature)
  • Literary Studies (Queer Studies)
  • Literary Studies (Science Fiction)
  • Literary Studies (Travel Literature)
  • Literary Studies (War Literature)
  • Literary Studies (Women's Writing)
  • Literary Theory and Cultural Studies
  • Mythology and Folklore
  • Shakespeare Studies and Criticism
  • Browse content in Media Studies
  • Browse content in Music
  • Applied Music
  • Dance and Music
  • Ethics in Music
  • Ethnomusicology
  • Gender and Sexuality in Music
  • Medicine and Music
  • Music Cultures
  • Music and Media
  • Music and Religion
  • Music and Culture
  • Music Education and Pedagogy
  • Music Theory and Analysis
  • Musical Scores, Lyrics, and Libretti
  • Musical Structures, Styles, and Techniques
  • Musicology and Music History
  • Performance Practice and Studies
  • Race and Ethnicity in Music
  • Sound Studies
  • Browse content in Performing Arts
  • Browse content in Philosophy
  • Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
  • Epistemology
  • Feminist Philosophy
  • History of Western Philosophy
  • Metaphysics
  • Moral Philosophy
  • Non-Western Philosophy
  • Philosophy of Language
  • Philosophy of Mind
  • Philosophy of Perception
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Philosophy of Action
  • Philosophy of Law
  • Philosophy of Religion
  • Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic
  • Practical Ethics
  • Social and Political Philosophy
  • Browse content in Religion
  • Biblical Studies
  • Christianity
  • East Asian Religions
  • History of Religion
  • Judaism and Jewish Studies
  • Qumran Studies
  • Religion and Education
  • Religion and Health
  • Religion and Politics
  • Religion and Science
  • Religion and Law
  • Religion and Art, Literature, and Music
  • Religious Studies
  • Browse content in Society and Culture
  • Cookery, Food, and Drink
  • Cultural Studies
  • Customs and Traditions
  • Ethical Issues and Debates
  • Hobbies, Games, Arts and Crafts
  • Natural world, Country Life, and Pets
  • Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
  • Sports and Outdoor Recreation
  • Technology and Society
  • Travel and Holiday
  • Visual Culture
  • Browse content in Law
  • Arbitration
  • Browse content in Company and Commercial Law
  • Commercial Law
  • Company Law
  • Browse content in Comparative Law
  • Systems of Law
  • Competition Law
  • Browse content in Constitutional and Administrative Law
  • Government Powers
  • Judicial Review
  • Local Government Law
  • Military and Defence Law
  • Parliamentary and Legislative Practice
  • Construction Law
  • Contract Law
  • Browse content in Criminal Law
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Criminal Evidence Law
  • Sentencing and Punishment
  • Employment and Labour Law
  • Environment and Energy Law
  • Browse content in Financial Law
  • Banking Law
  • Insolvency Law
  • History of Law
  • Human Rights and Immigration
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Browse content in International Law
  • Private International Law and Conflict of Laws
  • Public International Law
  • IT and Communications Law
  • Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law
  • Law and Politics
  • Law and Society
  • Browse content in Legal System and Practice
  • Courts and Procedure
  • Legal Skills and Practice
  • Primary Sources of Law
  • Regulation of Legal Profession
  • Medical and Healthcare Law
  • Browse content in Policing
  • Criminal Investigation and Detection
  • Police and Security Services
  • Police Procedure and Law
  • Police Regional Planning
  • Browse content in Property Law
  • Personal Property Law
  • Study and Revision
  • Terrorism and National Security Law
  • Browse content in Trusts Law
  • Wills and Probate or Succession
  • Browse content in Medicine and Health
  • Browse content in Allied Health Professions
  • Arts Therapies
  • Clinical Science
  • Dietetics and Nutrition
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Operating Department Practice
  • Physiotherapy
  • Radiography
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Browse content in Anaesthetics
  • General Anaesthesia
  • Neuroanaesthesia
  • Clinical Neuroscience
  • Browse content in Clinical Medicine
  • Acute Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Clinical Genetics
  • Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
  • Dermatology
  • Endocrinology and Diabetes
  • Gastroenterology
  • Genito-urinary Medicine
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Medical Toxicology
  • Medical Oncology
  • Pain Medicine
  • Palliative Medicine
  • Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology
  • Rheumatology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Sports and Exercise Medicine
  • Community Medical Services
  • Critical Care
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Forensic Medicine
  • Haematology
  • History of Medicine
  • Browse content in Medical Skills
  • Clinical Skills
  • Communication Skills
  • Nursing Skills
  • Surgical Skills
  • Browse content in Medical Dentistry
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Paediatric Dentistry
  • Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics
  • Surgical Dentistry
  • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Statistics and Methodology
  • Browse content in Neurology
  • Clinical Neurophysiology
  • Neuropathology
  • Nursing Studies
  • Browse content in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
  • Gynaecology
  • Occupational Medicine
  • Ophthalmology
  • Otolaryngology (ENT)
  • Browse content in Paediatrics
  • Neonatology
  • Browse content in Pathology
  • Chemical Pathology
  • Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics
  • Histopathology
  • Medical Microbiology and Virology
  • Patient Education and Information
  • Browse content in Pharmacology
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Browse content in Popular Health
  • Caring for Others
  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  • Self-help and Personal Development
  • Browse content in Preclinical Medicine
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • Reproduction, Growth and Development
  • Primary Care
  • Professional Development in Medicine
  • Browse content in Psychiatry
  • Addiction Medicine
  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Forensic Psychiatry
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Old Age Psychiatry
  • Psychotherapy
  • Browse content in Public Health and Epidemiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health
  • Browse content in Radiology
  • Clinical Radiology
  • Interventional Radiology
  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Browse content in Surgery
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Gastro-intestinal and Colorectal Surgery
  • General Surgery
  • Neurosurgery
  • Paediatric Surgery
  • Peri-operative Care
  • Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Transplant Surgery
  • Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Vascular Surgery
  • Browse content in Science and Mathematics
  • Browse content in Biological Sciences
  • Aquatic Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Ecology and Conservation
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics and Genomics
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular and Cell Biology
  • Natural History
  • Plant Sciences and Forestry
  • Research Methods in Life Sciences
  • Structural Biology
  • Systems Biology
  • Zoology and Animal Sciences
  • Browse content in Chemistry
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Computational Chemistry
  • Crystallography
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Industrial Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Materials Chemistry
  • Medicinal Chemistry
  • Mineralogy and Gems
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Study and Communication Skills in Chemistry
  • Theoretical Chemistry
  • Browse content in Computer Science
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Architecture and Logic Design
  • Game Studies
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Mathematical Theory of Computation
  • Programming Languages
  • Software Engineering
  • Systems Analysis and Design
  • Virtual Reality
  • Browse content in Computing
  • Business Applications
  • Computer Security
  • Computer Games
  • Computer Networking and Communications
  • Digital Lifestyle
  • Graphical and Digital Media Applications
  • Operating Systems
  • Browse content in Earth Sciences and Geography
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Environmental Geography
  • Geology and the Lithosphere
  • Maps and Map-making
  • Meteorology and Climatology
  • Oceanography and Hydrology
  • Palaeontology
  • Physical Geography and Topography
  • Regional Geography
  • Soil Science
  • Urban Geography
  • Browse content in Engineering and Technology
  • Agriculture and Farming
  • Biological Engineering
  • Civil Engineering, Surveying, and Building
  • Electronics and Communications Engineering
  • Energy Technology
  • Engineering (General)
  • Environmental Science, Engineering, and Technology
  • History of Engineering and Technology
  • Mechanical Engineering and Materials
  • Technology of Industrial Chemistry
  • Transport Technology and Trades
  • Browse content in Environmental Science
  • Applied Ecology (Environmental Science)
  • Conservation of the Environment (Environmental Science)
  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Environmental Science)
  • Management of Land and Natural Resources (Environmental Science)
  • Natural Disasters (Environmental Science)
  • Nuclear Issues (Environmental Science)
  • Pollution and Threats to the Environment (Environmental Science)
  • Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Environmental Science)
  • History of Science and Technology
  • Browse content in Materials Science
  • Ceramics and Glasses
  • Composite Materials
  • Metals, Alloying, and Corrosion
  • Nanotechnology
  • Browse content in Mathematics
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Biomathematics and Statistics
  • History of Mathematics
  • Mathematical Education
  • Mathematical Finance
  • Mathematical Analysis
  • Numerical and Computational Mathematics
  • Probability and Statistics
  • Pure Mathematics
  • Browse content in Neuroscience
  • Cognition and Behavioural Neuroscience
  • Development of the Nervous System
  • Disorders of the Nervous System
  • History of Neuroscience
  • Invertebrate Neurobiology
  • Molecular and Cellular Systems
  • Neuroendocrinology and Autonomic Nervous System
  • Neuroscientific Techniques
  • Sensory and Motor Systems
  • Browse content in Physics
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
  • Biological and Medical Physics
  • Classical Mechanics
  • Computational Physics
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Electromagnetism, Optics, and Acoustics
  • History of Physics
  • Mathematical and Statistical Physics
  • Measurement Science
  • Nuclear Physics
  • Particles and Fields
  • Plasma Physics
  • Quantum Physics
  • Relativity and Gravitation
  • Semiconductor and Mesoscopic Physics
  • Browse content in Psychology
  • Affective Sciences
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Criminal and Forensic Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • History and Systems in Psychology
  • Music Psychology
  • Neuropsychology
  • Organizational Psychology
  • Psychological Assessment and Testing
  • Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction
  • Psychology Professional Development and Training
  • Research Methods in Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Browse content in Social Sciences
  • Browse content in Anthropology
  • Anthropology of Religion
  • Human Evolution
  • Medical Anthropology
  • Physical Anthropology
  • Regional Anthropology
  • Social and Cultural Anthropology
  • Theory and Practice of Anthropology
  • Browse content in Business and Management
  • Business Ethics
  • Business Strategy
  • Business History
  • Business and Technology
  • Business and Government
  • Business and the Environment
  • Comparative Management
  • Corporate Governance
  • Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Health Management
  • Human Resource Management
  • Industrial and Employment Relations
  • Industry Studies
  • Information and Communication Technologies
  • International Business
  • Knowledge Management
  • Management and Management Techniques
  • Operations Management
  • Organizational Theory and Behaviour
  • Pensions and Pension Management
  • Public and Nonprofit Management
  • Strategic Management
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Browse content in Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • Criminal Justice
  • Criminology
  • Forms of Crime
  • International and Comparative Criminology
  • Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
  • Development Studies
  • Browse content in Economics
  • Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Resource Economics
  • Asian Economics
  • Behavioural Finance
  • Behavioural Economics and Neuroeconomics
  • Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
  • Economic History
  • Economic Systems
  • Economic Methodology
  • Economic Development and Growth
  • Financial Markets
  • Financial Institutions and Services
  • General Economics and Teaching
  • Health, Education, and Welfare
  • History of Economic Thought
  • International Economics
  • Labour and Demographic Economics
  • Law and Economics
  • Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
  • Microeconomics
  • Public Economics
  • Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
  • Welfare Economics
  • Browse content in Education
  • Adult Education and Continuous Learning
  • Care and Counselling of Students
  • Early Childhood and Elementary Education
  • Educational Equipment and Technology
  • Educational Strategies and Policy
  • Higher and Further Education
  • Organization and Management of Education
  • Philosophy and Theory of Education
  • Schools Studies
  • Secondary Education
  • Teaching of a Specific Subject
  • Teaching of Specific Groups and Special Educational Needs
  • Teaching Skills and Techniques
  • Browse content in Environment
  • Applied Ecology (Social Science)
  • Climate Change
  • Conservation of the Environment (Social Science)
  • Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Social Science)
  • Natural Disasters (Environment)
  • Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Social Science)
  • Browse content in Human Geography
  • Cultural Geography
  • Economic Geography
  • Political Geography
  • Browse content in Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Communication Studies
  • Museums, Libraries, and Information Sciences
  • Browse content in Politics
  • African Politics
  • Asian Politics
  • Chinese Politics
  • Comparative Politics
  • Conflict Politics
  • Elections and Electoral Studies
  • Environmental Politics
  • European Union
  • Foreign Policy
  • Gender and Politics
  • Human Rights and Politics
  • Indian Politics
  • International Relations
  • International Organization (Politics)
  • International Political Economy
  • Irish Politics
  • Latin American Politics
  • Middle Eastern Politics
  • Political Behaviour
  • Political Economy
  • Political Institutions
  • Political Methodology
  • Political Communication
  • Political Philosophy
  • Political Sociology
  • Political Theory
  • Politics and Law
  • Politics of Development
  • Public Policy
  • Public Administration
  • Quantitative Political Methodology
  • Regional Political Studies
  • Russian Politics
  • Security Studies
  • State and Local Government
  • UK Politics
  • US Politics
  • Browse content in Regional and Area Studies
  • African Studies
  • Asian Studies
  • East Asian Studies
  • Japanese Studies
  • Latin American Studies
  • Middle Eastern Studies
  • Native American Studies
  • Scottish Studies
  • Browse content in Research and Information
  • Research Methods
  • Browse content in Social Work
  • Addictions and Substance Misuse
  • Adoption and Fostering
  • Care of the Elderly
  • Child and Adolescent Social Work
  • Couple and Family Social Work
  • Direct Practice and Clinical Social Work
  • Emergency Services
  • Human Behaviour and the Social Environment
  • International and Global Issues in Social Work
  • Mental and Behavioural Health
  • Social Justice and Human Rights
  • Social Policy and Advocacy
  • Social Work and Crime and Justice
  • Social Work Macro Practice
  • Social Work Practice Settings
  • Social Work Research and Evidence-based Practice
  • Welfare and Benefit Systems
  • Browse content in Sociology
  • Childhood Studies
  • Community Development
  • Comparative and Historical Sociology
  • Economic Sociology
  • Gender and Sexuality
  • Gerontology and Ageing
  • Health, Illness, and Medicine
  • Marriage and the Family
  • Migration Studies
  • Occupations, Professions, and Work
  • Organizations
  • Population and Demography
  • Race and Ethnicity
  • Social Theory
  • Social Movements and Social Change
  • Social Research and Statistics
  • Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
  • Sociology of Religion
  • Sociology of Education
  • Sport and Leisure
  • Urban and Rural Studies
  • Browse content in Warfare and Defence
  • Defence Strategy, Planning, and Research
  • Land Forces and Warfare
  • Military Administration
  • Military Life and Institutions
  • Naval Forces and Warfare
  • Other Warfare and Defence Issues
  • Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
  • Weapons and Equipment

A Practical Guide to Using Qualitative Research with Randomized Controlled Trials

  • < Previous chapter
  • Next chapter >

7 Writing a proposal

  • Published: May 2018
  • Cite Icon Cite
  • Permissions Icon Permissions

When researchers plan to undertake qualitative research with a pilot or full RCT they write a proposal to apply for funding, seek ethical approval, or as part of their PhD studies. These proposals can be published in journals. Guidance for writing a proposal for the qualitative research undertaken with RCTs has been published, and there is existing guidance for writing proposals in related areas such as mixed methods research. In this chapter, existing guidance is introduced and built upon to offer comprehensive and detailed guidance for writing a proposal for the qualitative research undertaken with an RCT. There are challenges to writing these proposals and these are discussed and potential solutions proposed.

Signed in as

Institutional accounts.

  • GoogleCrawler [DO NOT DELETE]
  • Google Scholar Indexing

Personal account

  • Sign in with email/username & password
  • Get email alerts
  • Save searches
  • Purchase content
  • Activate your purchase/trial code
  • Add your ORCID iD

Institutional access

Sign in with a library card.

  • Sign in with username/password
  • Recommend to your librarian
  • Institutional account management
  • Get help with access

Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:

IP based access

Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.

Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.

  • Click Sign in through your institution.
  • Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
  • When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
  • Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.

Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.

Society Members

Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:

Sign in through society site

Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:

  • Click Sign in through society site.
  • When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.

If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.

Sign in using a personal account

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.

A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.

Viewing your signed in accounts

Click the account icon in the top right to:

  • View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
  • View the institutional accounts that are providing access.

Signed in but can't access content

Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.

For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.

  • About Oxford Academic
  • Publish journals with us
  • University press partners
  • What we publish
  • New features  
  • Open access
  • Rights and permissions
  • Accessibility
  • Advertising
  • Media enquiries
  • Oxford University Press
  • Oxford Languages
  • University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

  • Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
  • Cookie settings
  • Cookie policy
  • Privacy policy
  • Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Logo for Open Educational Resources

Chapter 2. Research Design

Getting started.

When I teach undergraduates qualitative research methods, the final product of the course is a “research proposal” that incorporates all they have learned and enlists the knowledge they have learned about qualitative research methods in an original design that addresses a particular research question. I highly recommend you think about designing your own research study as you progress through this textbook. Even if you don’t have a study in mind yet, it can be a helpful exercise as you progress through the course. But how to start? How can one design a research study before they even know what research looks like? This chapter will serve as a brief overview of the research design process to orient you to what will be coming in later chapters. Think of it as a “skeleton” of what you will read in more detail in later chapters. Ideally, you will read this chapter both now (in sequence) and later during your reading of the remainder of the text. Do not worry if you have questions the first time you read this chapter. Many things will become clearer as the text advances and as you gain a deeper understanding of all the components of good qualitative research. This is just a preliminary map to get you on the right road.

Null

Research Design Steps

Before you even get started, you will need to have a broad topic of interest in mind. [1] . In my experience, students can confuse this broad topic with the actual research question, so it is important to clearly distinguish the two. And the place to start is the broad topic. It might be, as was the case with me, working-class college students. But what about working-class college students? What’s it like to be one? Why are there so few compared to others? How do colleges assist (or fail to assist) them? What interested me was something I could barely articulate at first and went something like this: “Why was it so difficult and lonely to be me?” And by extension, “Did others share this experience?”

Once you have a general topic, reflect on why this is important to you. Sometimes we connect with a topic and we don’t really know why. Even if you are not willing to share the real underlying reason you are interested in a topic, it is important that you know the deeper reasons that motivate you. Otherwise, it is quite possible that at some point during the research, you will find yourself turned around facing the wrong direction. I have seen it happen many times. The reason is that the research question is not the same thing as the general topic of interest, and if you don’t know the reasons for your interest, you are likely to design a study answering a research question that is beside the point—to you, at least. And this means you will be much less motivated to carry your research to completion.

Researcher Note

Why do you employ qualitative research methods in your area of study? What are the advantages of qualitative research methods for studying mentorship?

Qualitative research methods are a huge opportunity to increase access, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Qualitative research allows us to engage and examine the uniquenesses/nuances within minoritized and dominant identities and our experiences with these identities. Qualitative research allows us to explore a specific topic, and through that exploration, we can link history to experiences and look for patterns or offer up a unique phenomenon. There’s such beauty in being able to tell a particular story, and qualitative research is a great mode for that! For our work, we examined the relationships we typically use the term mentorship for but didn’t feel that was quite the right word. Qualitative research allowed us to pick apart what we did and how we engaged in our relationships, which then allowed us to more accurately describe what was unique about our mentorship relationships, which we ultimately named liberationships ( McAloney and Long 2021) . Qualitative research gave us the means to explore, process, and name our experiences; what a powerful tool!

How do you come up with ideas for what to study (and how to study it)? Where did you get the idea for studying mentorship?

Coming up with ideas for research, for me, is kind of like Googling a question I have, not finding enough information, and then deciding to dig a little deeper to get the answer. The idea to study mentorship actually came up in conversation with my mentorship triad. We were talking in one of our meetings about our relationship—kind of meta, huh? We discussed how we felt that mentorship was not quite the right term for the relationships we had built. One of us asked what was different about our relationships and mentorship. This all happened when I was taking an ethnography course. During the next session of class, we were discussing auto- and duoethnography, and it hit me—let’s explore our version of mentorship, which we later went on to name liberationships ( McAloney and Long 2021 ). The idea and questions came out of being curious and wanting to find an answer. As I continue to research, I see opportunities in questions I have about my work or during conversations that, in our search for answers, end up exposing gaps in the literature. If I can’t find the answer already out there, I can study it.

—Kim McAloney, PhD, College Student Services Administration Ecampus coordinator and instructor

When you have a better idea of why you are interested in what it is that interests you, you may be surprised to learn that the obvious approaches to the topic are not the only ones. For example, let’s say you think you are interested in preserving coastal wildlife. And as a social scientist, you are interested in policies and practices that affect the long-term viability of coastal wildlife, especially around fishing communities. It would be natural then to consider designing a research study around fishing communities and how they manage their ecosystems. But when you really think about it, you realize that what interests you the most is how people whose livelihoods depend on a particular resource act in ways that deplete that resource. Or, even deeper, you contemplate the puzzle, “How do people justify actions that damage their surroundings?” Now, there are many ways to design a study that gets at that broader question, and not all of them are about fishing communities, although that is certainly one way to go. Maybe you could design an interview-based study that includes and compares loggers, fishers, and desert golfers (those who golf in arid lands that require a great deal of wasteful irrigation). Or design a case study around one particular example where resources were completely used up by a community. Without knowing what it is you are really interested in, what motivates your interest in a surface phenomenon, you are unlikely to come up with the appropriate research design.

These first stages of research design are often the most difficult, but have patience . Taking the time to consider why you are going to go through a lot of trouble to get answers will prevent a lot of wasted energy in the future.

There are distinct reasons for pursuing particular research questions, and it is helpful to distinguish between them.  First, you may be personally motivated.  This is probably the most important and the most often overlooked.   What is it about the social world that sparks your curiosity? What bothers you? What answers do you need in order to keep living? For me, I knew I needed to get a handle on what higher education was for before I kept going at it. I needed to understand why I felt so different from my peers and whether this whole “higher education” thing was “for the likes of me” before I could complete my degree. That is the personal motivation question. Your personal motivation might also be political in nature, in that you want to change the world in a particular way. It’s all right to acknowledge this. In fact, it is better to acknowledge it than to hide it.

There are also academic and professional motivations for a particular study.  If you are an absolute beginner, these may be difficult to find. We’ll talk more about this when we discuss reviewing the literature. Simply put, you are probably not the only person in the world to have thought about this question or issue and those related to it. So how does your interest area fit into what others have studied? Perhaps there is a good study out there of fishing communities, but no one has quite asked the “justification” question. You are motivated to address this to “fill the gap” in our collective knowledge. And maybe you are really not at all sure of what interests you, but you do know that [insert your topic] interests a lot of people, so you would like to work in this area too. You want to be involved in the academic conversation. That is a professional motivation and a very important one to articulate.

Practical and strategic motivations are a third kind. Perhaps you want to encourage people to take better care of the natural resources around them. If this is also part of your motivation, you will want to design your research project in a way that might have an impact on how people behave in the future. There are many ways to do this, one of which is using qualitative research methods rather than quantitative research methods, as the findings of qualitative research are often easier to communicate to a broader audience than the results of quantitative research. You might even be able to engage the community you are studying in the collecting and analyzing of data, something taboo in quantitative research but actively embraced and encouraged by qualitative researchers. But there are other practical reasons, such as getting “done” with your research in a certain amount of time or having access (or no access) to certain information. There is nothing wrong with considering constraints and opportunities when designing your study. Or maybe one of the practical or strategic goals is about learning competence in this area so that you can demonstrate the ability to conduct interviews and focus groups with future employers. Keeping that in mind will help shape your study and prevent you from getting sidetracked using a technique that you are less invested in learning about.

STOP HERE for a moment

I recommend you write a paragraph (at least) explaining your aims and goals. Include a sentence about each of the following: personal/political goals, practical or professional/academic goals, and practical/strategic goals. Think through how all of the goals are related and can be achieved by this particular research study . If they can’t, have a rethink. Perhaps this is not the best way to go about it.

You will also want to be clear about the purpose of your study. “Wait, didn’t we just do this?” you might ask. No! Your goals are not the same as the purpose of the study, although they are related. You can think about purpose lying on a continuum from “ theory ” to “action” (figure 2.1). Sometimes you are doing research to discover new knowledge about the world, while other times you are doing a study because you want to measure an impact or make a difference in the world.

Purpose types: Basic Research, Applied Research, Summative Evaluation, Formative Evaluation, Action Research

Basic research involves research that is done for the sake of “pure” knowledge—that is, knowledge that, at least at this moment in time, may not have any apparent use or application. Often, and this is very important, knowledge of this kind is later found to be extremely helpful in solving problems. So one way of thinking about basic research is that it is knowledge for which no use is yet known but will probably one day prove to be extremely useful. If you are doing basic research, you do not need to argue its usefulness, as the whole point is that we just don’t know yet what this might be.

Researchers engaged in basic research want to understand how the world operates. They are interested in investigating a phenomenon to get at the nature of reality with regard to that phenomenon. The basic researcher’s purpose is to understand and explain ( Patton 2002:215 ).

Basic research is interested in generating and testing hypotheses about how the world works. Grounded Theory is one approach to qualitative research methods that exemplifies basic research (see chapter 4). Most academic journal articles publish basic research findings. If you are working in academia (e.g., writing your dissertation), the default expectation is that you are conducting basic research.

Applied research in the social sciences is research that addresses human and social problems. Unlike basic research, the researcher has expectations that the research will help contribute to resolving a problem, if only by identifying its contours, history, or context. From my experience, most students have this as their baseline assumption about research. Why do a study if not to make things better? But this is a common mistake. Students and their committee members are often working with default assumptions here—the former thinking about applied research as their purpose, the latter thinking about basic research: “The purpose of applied research is to contribute knowledge that will help people to understand the nature of a problem in order to intervene, thereby allowing human beings to more effectively control their environment. While in basic research the source of questions is the tradition within a scholarly discipline, in applied research the source of questions is in the problems and concerns experienced by people and by policymakers” ( Patton 2002:217 ).

Applied research is less geared toward theory in two ways. First, its questions do not derive from previous literature. For this reason, applied research studies have much more limited literature reviews than those found in basic research (although they make up for this by having much more “background” about the problem). Second, it does not generate theory in the same way as basic research does. The findings of an applied research project may not be generalizable beyond the boundaries of this particular problem or context. The findings are more limited. They are useful now but may be less useful later. This is why basic research remains the default “gold standard” of academic research.

Evaluation research is research that is designed to evaluate or test the effectiveness of specific solutions and programs addressing specific social problems. We already know the problems, and someone has already come up with solutions. There might be a program, say, for first-generation college students on your campus. Does this program work? Are first-generation students who participate in the program more likely to graduate than those who do not? These are the types of questions addressed by evaluation research. There are two types of research within this broader frame; however, one more action-oriented than the next. In summative evaluation , an overall judgment about the effectiveness of a program or policy is made. Should we continue our first-gen program? Is it a good model for other campuses? Because the purpose of such summative evaluation is to measure success and to determine whether this success is scalable (capable of being generalized beyond the specific case), quantitative data is more often used than qualitative data. In our example, we might have “outcomes” data for thousands of students, and we might run various tests to determine if the better outcomes of those in the program are statistically significant so that we can generalize the findings and recommend similar programs elsewhere. Qualitative data in the form of focus groups or interviews can then be used for illustrative purposes, providing more depth to the quantitative analyses. In contrast, formative evaluation attempts to improve a program or policy (to help “form” or shape its effectiveness). Formative evaluations rely more heavily on qualitative data—case studies, interviews, focus groups. The findings are meant not to generalize beyond the particular but to improve this program. If you are a student seeking to improve your qualitative research skills and you do not care about generating basic research, formative evaluation studies might be an attractive option for you to pursue, as there are always local programs that need evaluation and suggestions for improvement. Again, be very clear about your purpose when talking through your research proposal with your committee.

Action research takes a further step beyond evaluation, even formative evaluation, to being part of the solution itself. This is about as far from basic research as one could get and definitely falls beyond the scope of “science,” as conventionally defined. The distinction between action and research is blurry, the research methods are often in constant flux, and the only “findings” are specific to the problem or case at hand and often are findings about the process of intervention itself. Rather than evaluate a program as a whole, action research often seeks to change and improve some particular aspect that may not be working—maybe there is not enough diversity in an organization or maybe women’s voices are muted during meetings and the organization wonders why and would like to change this. In a further step, participatory action research , those women would become part of the research team, attempting to amplify their voices in the organization through participation in the action research. As action research employs methods that involve people in the process, focus groups are quite common.

If you are working on a thesis or dissertation, chances are your committee will expect you to be contributing to fundamental knowledge and theory ( basic research ). If your interests lie more toward the action end of the continuum, however, it is helpful to talk to your committee about this before you get started. Knowing your purpose in advance will help avoid misunderstandings during the later stages of the research process!

The Research Question

Once you have written your paragraph and clarified your purpose and truly know that this study is the best study for you to be doing right now , you are ready to write and refine your actual research question. Know that research questions are often moving targets in qualitative research, that they can be refined up to the very end of data collection and analysis. But you do have to have a working research question at all stages. This is your “anchor” when you get lost in the data. What are you addressing? What are you looking at and why? Your research question guides you through the thicket. It is common to have a whole host of questions about a phenomenon or case, both at the outset and throughout the study, but you should be able to pare it down to no more than two or three sentences when asked. These sentences should both clarify the intent of the research and explain why this is an important question to answer. More on refining your research question can be found in chapter 4.

Chances are, you will have already done some prior reading before coming up with your interest and your questions, but you may not have conducted a systematic literature review. This is the next crucial stage to be completed before venturing further. You don’t want to start collecting data and then realize that someone has already beaten you to the punch. A review of the literature that is already out there will let you know (1) if others have already done the study you are envisioning; (2) if others have done similar studies, which can help you out; and (3) what ideas or concepts are out there that can help you frame your study and make sense of your findings. More on literature reviews can be found in chapter 9.

In addition to reviewing the literature for similar studies to what you are proposing, it can be extremely helpful to find a study that inspires you. This may have absolutely nothing to do with the topic you are interested in but is written so beautifully or organized so interestingly or otherwise speaks to you in such a way that you want to post it somewhere to remind you of what you want to be doing. You might not understand this in the early stages—why would you find a study that has nothing to do with the one you are doing helpful? But trust me, when you are deep into analysis and writing, having an inspirational model in view can help you push through. If you are motivated to do something that might change the world, you probably have read something somewhere that inspired you. Go back to that original inspiration and read it carefully and see how they managed to convey the passion that you so appreciate.

At this stage, you are still just getting started. There are a lot of things to do before setting forth to collect data! You’ll want to consider and choose a research tradition and a set of data-collection techniques that both help you answer your research question and match all your aims and goals. For example, if you really want to help migrant workers speak for themselves, you might draw on feminist theory and participatory action research models. Chapters 3 and 4 will provide you with more information on epistemologies and approaches.

Next, you have to clarify your “units of analysis.” What is the level at which you are focusing your study? Often, the unit in qualitative research methods is individual people, or “human subjects.” But your units of analysis could just as well be organizations (colleges, hospitals) or programs or even whole nations. Think about what it is you want to be saying at the end of your study—are the insights you are hoping to make about people or about organizations or about something else entirely? A unit of analysis can even be a historical period! Every unit of analysis will call for a different kind of data collection and analysis and will produce different kinds of “findings” at the conclusion of your study. [2]

Regardless of what unit of analysis you select, you will probably have to consider the “human subjects” involved in your research. [3] Who are they? What interactions will you have with them—that is, what kind of data will you be collecting? Before answering these questions, define your population of interest and your research setting. Use your research question to help guide you.

Let’s use an example from a real study. In Geographies of Campus Inequality , Benson and Lee ( 2020 ) list three related research questions: “(1) What are the different ways that first-generation students organize their social, extracurricular, and academic activities at selective and highly selective colleges? (2) how do first-generation students sort themselves and get sorted into these different types of campus lives; and (3) how do these different patterns of campus engagement prepare first-generation students for their post-college lives?” (3).

Note that we are jumping into this a bit late, after Benson and Lee have described previous studies (the literature review) and what is known about first-generation college students and what is not known. They want to know about differences within this group, and they are interested in ones attending certain kinds of colleges because those colleges will be sites where academic and extracurricular pressures compete. That is the context for their three related research questions. What is the population of interest here? First-generation college students . What is the research setting? Selective and highly selective colleges . But a host of questions remain. Which students in the real world, which colleges? What about gender, race, and other identity markers? Will the students be asked questions? Are the students still in college, or will they be asked about what college was like for them? Will they be observed? Will they be shadowed? Will they be surveyed? Will they be asked to keep diaries of their time in college? How many students? How many colleges? For how long will they be observed?

Recommendation

Take a moment and write down suggestions for Benson and Lee before continuing on to what they actually did.

Have you written down your own suggestions? Good. Now let’s compare those with what they actually did. Benson and Lee drew on two sources of data: in-depth interviews with sixty-four first-generation students and survey data from a preexisting national survey of students at twenty-eight selective colleges. Let’s ignore the survey for our purposes here and focus on those interviews. The interviews were conducted between 2014 and 2016 at a single selective college, “Hilltop” (a pseudonym ). They employed a “purposive” sampling strategy to ensure an equal number of male-identifying and female-identifying students as well as equal numbers of White, Black, and Latinx students. Each student was interviewed once. Hilltop is a selective liberal arts college in the northeast that enrolls about three thousand students.

How did your suggestions match up to those actually used by the researchers in this study? It is possible your suggestions were too ambitious? Beginning qualitative researchers can often make that mistake. You want a research design that is both effective (it matches your question and goals) and doable. You will never be able to collect data from your entire population of interest (unless your research question is really so narrow to be relevant to very few people!), so you will need to come up with a good sample. Define the criteria for this sample, as Benson and Lee did when deciding to interview an equal number of students by gender and race categories. Define the criteria for your sample setting too. Hilltop is typical for selective colleges. That was a research choice made by Benson and Lee. For more on sampling and sampling choices, see chapter 5.

Benson and Lee chose to employ interviews. If you also would like to include interviews, you have to think about what will be asked in them. Most interview-based research involves an interview guide, a set of questions or question areas that will be asked of each participant. The research question helps you create a relevant interview guide. You want to ask questions whose answers will provide insight into your research question. Again, your research question is the anchor you will continually come back to as you plan for and conduct your study. It may be that once you begin interviewing, you find that people are telling you something totally unexpected, and this makes you rethink your research question. That is fine. Then you have a new anchor. But you always have an anchor. More on interviewing can be found in chapter 11.

Let’s imagine Benson and Lee also observed college students as they went about doing the things college students do, both in the classroom and in the clubs and social activities in which they participate. They would have needed a plan for this. Would they sit in on classes? Which ones and how many? Would they attend club meetings and sports events? Which ones and how many? Would they participate themselves? How would they record their observations? More on observation techniques can be found in both chapters 13 and 14.

At this point, the design is almost complete. You know why you are doing this study, you have a clear research question to guide you, you have identified your population of interest and research setting, and you have a reasonable sample of each. You also have put together a plan for data collection, which might include drafting an interview guide or making plans for observations. And so you know exactly what you will be doing for the next several months (or years!). To put the project into action, there are a few more things necessary before actually going into the field.

First, you will need to make sure you have any necessary supplies, including recording technology. These days, many researchers use their phones to record interviews. Second, you will need to draft a few documents for your participants. These include informed consent forms and recruiting materials, such as posters or email texts, that explain what this study is in clear language. Third, you will draft a research protocol to submit to your institutional review board (IRB) ; this research protocol will include the interview guide (if you are using one), the consent form template, and all examples of recruiting material. Depending on your institution and the details of your study design, it may take weeks or even, in some unfortunate cases, months before you secure IRB approval. Make sure you plan on this time in your project timeline. While you wait, you can continue to review the literature and possibly begin drafting a section on the literature review for your eventual presentation/publication. More on IRB procedures can be found in chapter 8 and more general ethical considerations in chapter 7.

Once you have approval, you can begin!

Research Design Checklist

Before data collection begins, do the following:

  • Write a paragraph explaining your aims and goals (personal/political, practical/strategic, professional/academic).
  • Define your research question; write two to three sentences that clarify the intent of the research and why this is an important question to answer.
  • Review the literature for similar studies that address your research question or similar research questions; think laterally about some literature that might be helpful or illuminating but is not exactly about the same topic.
  • Find a written study that inspires you—it may or may not be on the research question you have chosen.
  • Consider and choose a research tradition and set of data-collection techniques that (1) help answer your research question and (2) match your aims and goals.
  • Define your population of interest and your research setting.
  • Define the criteria for your sample (How many? Why these? How will you find them, gain access, and acquire consent?).
  • If you are conducting interviews, draft an interview guide.
  •  If you are making observations, create a plan for observations (sites, times, recording, access).
  • Acquire any necessary technology (recording devices/software).
  • Draft consent forms that clearly identify the research focus and selection process.
  • Create recruiting materials (posters, email, texts).
  • Apply for IRB approval (proposal plus consent form plus recruiting materials).
  • Block out time for collecting data.
  • At the end of the chapter, you will find a " Research Design Checklist " that summarizes the main recommendations made here ↵
  • For example, if your focus is society and culture , you might collect data through observation or a case study. If your focus is individual lived experience , you are probably going to be interviewing some people. And if your focus is language and communication , you will probably be analyzing text (written or visual). ( Marshall and Rossman 2016:16 ). ↵
  • You may not have any "live" human subjects. There are qualitative research methods that do not require interactions with live human beings - see chapter 16 , "Archival and Historical Sources." But for the most part, you are probably reading this textbook because you are interested in doing research with people. The rest of the chapter will assume this is the case. ↵

One of the primary methodological traditions of inquiry in qualitative research, ethnography is the study of a group or group culture, largely through observational fieldwork supplemented by interviews. It is a form of fieldwork that may include participant-observation data collection. See chapter 14 for a discussion of deep ethnography. 

A methodological tradition of inquiry and research design that focuses on an individual case (e.g., setting, institution, or sometimes an individual) in order to explore its complexity, history, and interactive parts.  As an approach, it is particularly useful for obtaining a deep appreciation of an issue, event, or phenomenon of interest in its particular context.

The controlling force in research; can be understood as lying on a continuum from basic research (knowledge production) to action research (effecting change).

In its most basic sense, a theory is a story we tell about how the world works that can be tested with empirical evidence.  In qualitative research, we use the term in a variety of ways, many of which are different from how they are used by quantitative researchers.  Although some qualitative research can be described as “testing theory,” it is more common to “build theory” from the data using inductive reasoning , as done in Grounded Theory .  There are so-called “grand theories” that seek to integrate a whole series of findings and stories into an overarching paradigm about how the world works, and much smaller theories or concepts about particular processes and relationships.  Theory can even be used to explain particular methodological perspectives or approaches, as in Institutional Ethnography , which is both a way of doing research and a theory about how the world works.

Research that is interested in generating and testing hypotheses about how the world works.

A methodological tradition of inquiry and approach to analyzing qualitative data in which theories emerge from a rigorous and systematic process of induction.  This approach was pioneered by the sociologists Glaser and Strauss (1967).  The elements of theory generated from comparative analysis of data are, first, conceptual categories and their properties and, second, hypotheses or generalized relations among the categories and their properties – “The constant comparing of many groups draws the [researcher’s] attention to their many similarities and differences.  Considering these leads [the researcher] to generate abstract categories and their properties, which, since they emerge from the data, will clearly be important to a theory explaining the kind of behavior under observation.” (36).

An approach to research that is “multimethod in focus, involving an interpretative, naturalistic approach to its subject matter.  This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.  Qualitative research involves the studied use and collection of a variety of empirical materials – case study, personal experience, introspective, life story, interview, observational, historical, interactional, and visual texts – that describe routine and problematic moments and meanings in individuals’ lives." ( Denzin and Lincoln 2005:2 ). Contrast with quantitative research .

Research that contributes knowledge that will help people to understand the nature of a problem in order to intervene, thereby allowing human beings to more effectively control their environment.

Research that is designed to evaluate or test the effectiveness of specific solutions and programs addressing specific social problems.  There are two kinds: summative and formative .

Research in which an overall judgment about the effectiveness of a program or policy is made, often for the purpose of generalizing to other cases or programs.  Generally uses qualitative research as a supplement to primary quantitative data analyses.  Contrast formative evaluation research .

Research designed to improve a program or policy (to help “form” or shape its effectiveness); relies heavily on qualitative research methods.  Contrast summative evaluation research

Research carried out at a particular organizational or community site with the intention of affecting change; often involves research subjects as participants of the study.  See also participatory action research .

Research in which both researchers and participants work together to understand a problematic situation and change it for the better.

The level of the focus of analysis (e.g., individual people, organizations, programs, neighborhoods).

The large group of interest to the researcher.  Although it will likely be impossible to design a study that incorporates or reaches all members of the population of interest, this should be clearly defined at the outset of a study so that a reasonable sample of the population can be taken.  For example, if one is studying working-class college students, the sample may include twenty such students attending a particular college, while the population is “working-class college students.”  In quantitative research, clearly defining the general population of interest is a necessary step in generalizing results from a sample.  In qualitative research, defining the population is conceptually important for clarity.

A fictional name assigned to give anonymity to a person, group, or place.  Pseudonyms are important ways of protecting the identity of research participants while still providing a “human element” in the presentation of qualitative data.  There are ethical considerations to be made in selecting pseudonyms; some researchers allow research participants to choose their own.

A requirement for research involving human participants; the documentation of informed consent.  In some cases, oral consent or assent may be sufficient, but the default standard is a single-page easy-to-understand form that both the researcher and the participant sign and date.   Under federal guidelines, all researchers "shall seek such consent only under circumstances that provide the prospective subject or the representative sufficient opportunity to consider whether or not to participate and that minimize the possibility of coercion or undue influence. The information that is given to the subject or the representative shall be in language understandable to the subject or the representative.  No informed consent, whether oral or written, may include any exculpatory language through which the subject or the representative is made to waive or appear to waive any of the subject's rights or releases or appears to release the investigator, the sponsor, the institution, or its agents from liability for negligence" (21 CFR 50.20).  Your IRB office will be able to provide a template for use in your study .

An administrative body established to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects recruited to participate in research activities conducted under the auspices of the institution with which it is affiliated. The IRB is charged with the responsibility of reviewing all research involving human participants. The IRB is concerned with protecting the welfare, rights, and privacy of human subjects. The IRB has the authority to approve, disapprove, monitor, and require modifications in all research activities that fall within its jurisdiction as specified by both the federal regulations and institutional policy.

Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods Copyright © 2023 by Allison Hurst is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

ct-logo

189+ Most Exciting Qualitative Research Topics For Students

Researchers conduct qualitative studies to gain a holistic understanding of the topic under investigation. Analyzing qualitative? Looking for the best qualitative research topics? 

If yes, you are here at the right place. We are discussing here all the topics in every field. Basically, qualitative research is the most valuable approach within the fields of social sciences, humanities, and various other fields. 

Qualitative research uses a wide array of methods such as interviews, focus groups, participant observation, content analysis, and case studies. Even among others, to gather and analyze non-numerical data. 

In this blog, we will explore the diverse, most interesting qualitative research topics, highlighting their importance. Whether you are a student, a scholar, or a practitioner in your field, these best qualitative research ideas are most helpful for you.

Must Read: 21 Ways To Get Good Grades In College

What Is Qualitative Research

Table of Contents

Qualitative research is a systematic and exploratory approach to research that focuses on understanding and interpreting the complexities of human experiences, behaviors, and phenomena. It aims to provide in-depth insights into the “how” and “why” of various issues by examining them in their natural settings and contexts. Unlike quantitative research, which primarily deals with numerical data and statistical analysis, qualitative research relies on non-numerical data such as interviews, observations, textual analysis, and participant narratives to uncover deeper meanings and patterns.

Key Characteristics Of Qualitative Research

These are the main features of Qualitative research. It is such as;

1. Subjective Understanding

Qualitative research is concerned with subjective aspects of human experiences, such as beliefs, emotions, values, and perceptions. It seeks to understand the world from the perspectives of the individuals being studied.

2. Contextual Exploration

Researchers immerse themselves in the context or environment in which the phenomenon of interest occurs. This contextual understanding is crucial for interpreting the findings accurately.

3. Flexibility

Qualitative research methods are flexible and adaptive, allowing researchers to adjust their approaches as they gain insights during the research process.

4. Small Sample Sizes

Qualitative studies often involve smaller samples compared to quantitative research, but they prioritize depth over breadth, aiming to gain a profound understanding of a particular group or issue.

5. Data Collection Techniques

Qualitative data is gathered through various techniques, including interviews, focus groups, participant observations, document analysis, and open-ended surveys. Researchers often use a combination of these methods to triangulate their findings.

6. Inductive Approach

Qualitative research typically employs an inductive approach, meaning that researchers develop theories or concepts based on the data they collect, rather than testing pre-existing hypotheses.

7. Rich and Detailed Data

The data collected in qualitative research is rich and descriptive, often involving transcripts of interviews, field notes, or coded textual data. Researchers analyze this data to identify themes, patterns, and relationships.

8 Great Tips On How To Choose Good Qualitative Research Topics

Here are some tips to help you select strong qualitative research topics:

How To Choose Good Qualitative Research Topics

1. Personal Interest and Passion: Start by considering what genuinely interests and excites you. Your enthusiasm for the topic will sustain your motivation throughout the research process.

2. Relevance: Ensure that your chosen topic is relevant to your field of study or the discipline you are working within. It should contribute to existing knowledge or address a meaningful research gap.

3. Research Gap Identification: Review relevant literature and research to identify gaps or areas where there is limited qualitative research. Look for unanswered questions or underexplored aspects of a particular subject.

4. Feasibility: Assess whether the topic is feasible within the scope of your research project. Consider factors like available time, resources, and access to potential participants or data sources.

5. Clarity and Specificity: Your research topic should be clear, specific, and well-defined. Avoid overly broad topics that are difficult to explore in depth. Narrow it down to a manageable focus.

6. Significance: Ask yourself why your research topic matters. Consider the potential implications and applications of your findings. How might your research contribute to understanding, policy, or practice?

7. Originality: Aim for a unique angle or perspective on the topic. While you can build on existing research, strive to offer a fresh viewpoint or new insights.

8. Researchable : Ensure that your topic is researchable using qualitative methods. It should allow you to collect relevant data and answer research questions effectively.

137+ Most Exciting Qualitative Research Topics For All Students 

These are The following best qualitative research topics are given below for the students. 

Qualitative Research Topics In Health and Medicine

  • Experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Perceptions of alternative medicine among cancer patients.
  • Coping mechanisms of individuals with chronic illnesses.
  • The impact of telemedicine on patient-doctor relationships.
  • Barriers to mental health treatment-seeking among minority populations.
  • Qualitative analysis of patient experiences with organ transplantation.
  • Decision-making processes of families regarding end-of-life care.

Qualitative Research Topics In Education

  • The role of parental involvement in student academic achievement.
  • Teacher perceptions of remote learning during a pandemic.
  • Peer influence on academic motivation and performance.
  • Exploring the experiences of homeschooling families.
  • The impact of technology on the classroom environment.
  • Factors influencing student dropout rates in higher education.

Qualitative Research Topics In Psychology and Mental Health

  • Understanding the stigma associated with seeking therapy.
  • Experiences of individuals living with anxiety disorders.
  • Perceptions of body image among adolescents.
  • Coping strategies of survivors of traumatic events.
  • The impact of social support on mental health recovery.
  • Narratives of individuals with eating disorders.

Qualitative Research Topics In Sociology and Culture

  • Experiences of immigrants in adapting to a new culture.
  • The role of social media in shaping cultural identities.
  • Perceptions of police-community relations in marginalized communities.
  • Gender dynamics in the workplace and career progression.
  • Qualitative analysis of online dating experiences.
  • Narratives of LGBTQ+ individuals coming out to their families.

Qualitative Research Topics In Technology and Society

  • User experiences with augmented reality applications.
  • Perceptions of online privacy and data security.
  • The impact of social media on political activism.
  • Ethical considerations in artificial intelligence development.
  • Qualitative analysis of online gaming communities.
  • Experiences of individuals participating in virtual reality environments.

Qualitative Research Topics In Environmental Studies

  • Public perceptions of climate change and environmental policies.
  • Experiences of individuals involved in sustainable living practices.
  • Qualitative analysis of environmental activism movements.
  • Community responses to natural disasters and climate change.
  • Perspectives on wildlife conservation efforts.

Qualitative Research Topics In Business and Economics

  • Qualitative analysis of consumer behavior and brand loyalty.
  • Entrepreneurial experiences of women in male-dominated industries.
  • Factors influencing small business success or failure.
  • Corporate social responsibility and its impact on consumer trust.
  • Experiences of employees in remote work settings.

Qualitative Research Topics In Politics and Governance

  • Perceptions of voter suppression and electoral integrity.
  • Experiences of political activists in grassroots movements.
  • The role of social media in shaping political discourse.
  • Narratives of individuals involved in civil rights movements.
  • Qualitative analysis of government responses to crises.

Qualitative Research Topics In Family and Relationships

  • Experiences of couples in long-distance relationships.
  • Parenting styles and their impact on child development.
  • Sibling dynamics and their influence on individual development.
  • Narratives of individuals in arranged marriages.
  • Experiences of single parents in raising their children.

Qualitative Research Topics In Art and Culture

  • Qualitative analysis of the impact of art therapy on mental health.
  • Experiences of artists in exploring social and political themes.
  • Perceptions of cultural appropriation in the arts.
  • Narratives of individuals involved in the hip-hop culture.
  • The role of art in preserving cultural heritage.

Qualitative Research Topics In Crime and Justice

  • Experiences of formerly incarcerated individuals reentering society.
  • Perceptions of racial profiling and police violence.
  • Qualitative analysis of restorative justice programs.
  • Narratives of victims of cyberbullying.
  • Perspectives on juvenile justice reform.

Qualitative Research Topics In Sports and Recreation

  • Experiences of athletes in overcoming career-threatening injuries.
  • The role of sports in building resilience among youth.
  • Perceptions of performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports.
  • Qualitative analysis of sports fandom and its impact on identity.
  • Narratives of individuals involved in adaptive sports.

Qualitative Research Topics In History and Heritage

  • Experiences of descendants of historical events or figures.
  • Perceptions of cultural preservation and heritage conservation.
  • Narratives of individuals connected to indigenous cultures.
  • The impact of oral history on preserving traditions.
  • Qualitative analysis of historical reenactment communities.

Qualitative Research Topics In Religion and Spirituality

  • Experiences of individuals who have undergone religious conversion.
  • Perceptions of spirituality and well-being.
  • The role of religion in shaping moral values and ethics.
  • Narratives of individuals who have left religious communities.
  • Qualitative analysis of interfaith dialogue and cooperation.

Qualitative Research Topics In Travel and Tourism

  • Experiences of solo travelers in foreign countries.
  • Perceptions of sustainable tourism practices.
  • Qualitative analysis of cultural immersion through travel.
  • Narratives of individuals on pilgrimages or spiritual journeys.
  • Experiences of individuals living in tourist destinations.

Qualitative Research Topics In Human Rights and Social Justice

  • Narratives of human rights activists in advocating for change.
  • Experiences of refugees and asylum seekers.
  • Perceptions of income inequality and wealth distribution.
  • Qualitative analysis of anti-discrimination campaigns.
  • Perspectives on global efforts to combat human trafficking.

Qualitative Research Topics In Aging and Gerontology

  • Experiences of individuals in assisted living facilities.
  • Perceptions of aging and quality of life in older adults.
  • Narratives of caregivers for elderly family members.
  • The impact of intergenerational relationships on well-being.
  • Qualitative analysis of end-of-life decisions and hospice care.

Qualitative Research Topics In Language and Communication

  • Experiences of individuals learning a second language.
  • Perceptions of non-verbal communication in cross-cultural interactions.
  • Narratives of people who communicate primarily through sign language.
  • The role of language in shaping identity and belonging.
  • Qualitative analysis of online communication in virtual communities.

Qualitative Research Topics In Media and Entertainment

  • Experiences of content creators in the digital media industry.
  • Perceptions of representation in the film and television industry.
  • The impact of music on emotional well-being and identity.
  • Narratives of individuals involved in fan communities.
  • Qualitative analysis of the effects of binge-watching on mental health.

Qualitative Research Topics In Ethics and Morality

  • Experiences of individuals faced with ethical dilemmas.
  • Perceptions of moral relativism and cultural differences.
  • Narratives of whistleblowers in exposing corporate misconduct.
  • The role of empathy in ethical decision-making.
  • Qualitative analysis of the ethics of artificial intelligence.

Qualitative Research Topics In Technology and Education

  • Experiences of teachers integrating technology in the classroom.
  • Perceptions of online learning and its effectiveness.
  • The impact of educational apps on student engagement.
  • Narratives of students with disabilities using assistive technology.
  • Qualitative analysis of the digital divide in education.

Qualitative Research Topics In Gender and Sexuality

  • Experiences of transgender individuals in transitioning.
  • Perceptions of gender roles and expectations.
  • Narratives of individuals in same-sex relationships.
  • The impact of intersectionality on experiences of gender and sexuality.
  • Qualitative analysis of gender-based violence and advocacy.

Qualitative Research Topics In Migration and Diaspora

  • Experiences of immigrants in maintaining cultural ties to their home country.
  • Perceptions of identity among second-generation immigrants.
  • Narratives of refugees resettling in new countries.
  • The role of diaspora communities in supporting homeland causes.
  • Qualitative analysis of immigration policies and their impact on families.

Qualitative Research Topics In Food and Nutrition

  • Experiences of individuals with specific dietary restrictions.
  • Perceptions of food sustainability and ethical consumption.
  • Narratives of people with eating disorders seeking recovery.
  • The role of food in cultural identity and traditions.
  • Qualitative analysis of food insecurity and hunger relief efforts.

Qualitative Research Topics In Urban Studies and Community Development

  • Experiences of residents in gentrifying neighborhoods.
  • Perceptions of community engagement and empowerment.
  • Narratives of individuals involved in urban farming initiatives.
  • The impact of housing policies on homelessness.
  • Qualitative analysis of neighborhood safety and crime prevention.

Qualitative Research Topics In Science and Technology Ethics

  • Experiences of scientists in navigating ethical dilemmas.
  • Perceptions of scientific responsibility in climate change research.
  • Narratives of whistleblowers in scientific misconduct cases.
  • The role of ethics in emerging technology development.
  • Qualitative analysis of the ethics of genetic engineering.

Qualitative Research Topics In Social Media and Online Communities

  • Experiences of individuals in online support groups.
  • Perceptions of social media’s influence on self-esteem.
  • Narratives of social media influencers and their impact.
  • The role of online communities in social and political movements.
  • Qualitative analysis of cyberbullying and online harassment.

Qualitative Research Topics in Daily Life

  • The Impact of Social Media on Personal Relationships and Well-being.
  • Exploring the Experience of Remote Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
  • Perceptions of Sustainable Living Practices Among Urban Dwellers.
  • Qualitative Analysis of Food Choices and Eating Habits in a Fast-paced Society.
  • Understanding the Motivations and Barriers to Physical Activity Among Adults.

Qualitative Research Topics for Students

  • Student Perceptions of Online Learning: Challenges and Opportunities.
  • Peer Pressure and Decision-making Among Adolescents.
  • Exploring the Transition from High School to College: Student Experiences.
  • The Role of Extracurricular Activities in Student Development.
  • Motivations and Challenges of Student Entrepreneurs in Starting Their Businesses.

Qualitative Research Topics for STEM Students

  • Qualitative Analysis of Ethical Dilemmas in Scientific Research.
  • Women in STEM: Barriers, Challenges, and Strategies for Success.
  • Understanding the Decision-making Process in Biomedical Research.
  • Qualitative Exploration of Team Dynamics in Engineering Projects.
  • Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence and Automation Among STEM Professionals.

Qualitative Research Titles Examples

  • “Voices of Resilience: Narratives of Cancer Survivors.”
  • “Exploring Cultural Identity Among Immigrant Communities.”
  • “From Addiction to Recovery: Life Stories of Former Substance Abusers.”
  • “Inside the Classroom: Student and Teacher Perspectives on Inclusive Education.”
  • “Navigating Caregiving: Experiences of Family Members Caring for Alzheimer’s Patients.”

Qualitative Research Topics in Education

  • Teacher Beliefs and Practices in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.
  • Qualitative Study of Bullying Incidents in Elementary Schools.
  • Homeschooling: Parent and Student Perspectives on Alternative Education.
  • Evaluating the Impact of Technology Integration in Classroom Learning.
  • Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education: A Qualitative Analysis.

Qualitative Research Topics for Nursing Students

  • Patient Experiences of Chronic Illness Management.
  • The Role of Empathy in Nursing Practice: A Qualitative Study.
  • Qualitative Exploration of End-of-Life Care Decision-making.
  • Perceptions of Nurse-Patient Communication in Intensive Care Units.
  • Nursing Burnout: Causes, Consequences, and Coping Strategies.

Qualitative Research Topics for Human Studies

  • Understanding the Impact of Climate Change on Vulnerable Communities.
  • The Role of Social Support in Mental Health Recovery.
  • Experiences of First-time Homebuyers in the Real Estate Market.
  • Exploring the Motivations and Challenges of Volunteering.
  • Narratives of Trauma Survivors: Coping and Resilience.

Qualitative Research Topics 2023

  • Emerging Trends in Remote Work: Employee Perspectives.
  • The Influence of Social Media on Political Engagement in the Post-COVID-19 Era.
  • Qualitative Study of Mental Health Stigma Reduction Campaigns.
  • Sustainability Practices in Business: Stakeholder Perceptions and Implementation.
  • Narratives of Long COVID: The Lived Experience of Survivors.

10 Major Differences Between Qualitative And Quantitative Research 

Here are the 10 best differences between qualitative and quantitative research:

Conclusion – Qualitative Research Topics 

Consequently, the selection of qualitative research topics is a critical phase in the journey of any researcher or student pursuing qualitative inquiry. The process of choosing the right topic involves a delicate balance of personal passion, research significance, feasibility, and ethical considerations. 

As we’ve discussed, it’s essential to choose a topic that not only resonates with your interests but also contributes to the broader academic or practical discourse. Qualitative research offers a unique lens through which to examine the complexities of human experiences, behaviors, and phenomena. 

It provides the opportunity to delve deep into the “how” and “why” of various subjects, offering nuanced insights that quantitative methods may not capture. Whether you are investigating personal narratives, cultural dynamics, educational practices, or social phenomena, qualitative research allows you to uncover the rich tapestry of human existence.

What is a good topic for qualitative research?

Self-esteem among people from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The advantages of online learning over physical learning.

What are the five topics of qualitative research?

These are biography, ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, and case study.

What is the easiest type of qualitative research?

Content analysis is possibly the most common and straightforward QDA method. At the simplest level, content analysis.

What are the 4 R’s of qualitative research?

Qualitative social research, whether conducted as ethnography, participant observation, or in situ interviewing, fares poorly when examined by the criteria of representativeness, reactivity, reliability, and replicability.

Similar Articles

How To Do Homework Fast

How To Do Homework Fast – 11 Tips To Do Homework Fast

Homework is one of the most important parts that have to be done by students. It has been around for…

Write assignment introduction

How to Write an Assignment Introduction – 6 Best Tips

In essence, the writing tasks in academic tenure students are an integral part of any curriculum. Whether in high school,…

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Grad Coach

Research Topics & Ideas: Healthcare

100+ Healthcare Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

Healthcare-related research topics and ideas

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’re looking for a healthcare-related research topic , but aren’t sure where to start. Here, we’ll explore a variety of healthcare-related research ideas and topic thought-starters across a range of healthcare fields, including allopathic and alternative medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, optometry, pharmacology and public health.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the healthcare domain. This is the starting point, but to develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. In it, we cover the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from start to end. Be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic.

Overview: Healthcare Research Topics

  • Allopathic medicine
  • Alternative /complementary medicine
  • Veterinary medicine
  • Physical therapy/ rehab
  • Optometry and ophthalmology
  • Pharmacy and pharmacology
  • Public health
  • Examples of healthcare-related dissertations

Allopathic (Conventional) Medicine

  • The effectiveness of telemedicine in remote elderly patient care
  • The impact of stress on the immune system of cancer patients
  • The effects of a plant-based diet on chronic diseases such as diabetes
  • The use of AI in early cancer diagnosis and treatment
  • The role of the gut microbiome in mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety
  • The efficacy of mindfulness meditation in reducing chronic pain: A systematic review
  • The benefits and drawbacks of electronic health records in a developing country
  • The effects of environmental pollution on breast milk quality
  • The use of personalized medicine in treating genetic disorders
  • The impact of social determinants of health on chronic diseases in Asia
  • The role of high-intensity interval training in improving cardiovascular health
  • The efficacy of using probiotics for gut health in pregnant women
  • The impact of poor sleep on the treatment of chronic illnesses
  • The role of inflammation in the development of chronic diseases such as lupus
  • The effectiveness of physiotherapy in pain control post-surgery

Research topic idea mega list

Topics & Ideas: Alternative Medicine

  • The benefits of herbal medicine in treating young asthma patients
  • The use of acupuncture in treating infertility in women over 40 years of age
  • The effectiveness of homoeopathy in treating mental health disorders: A systematic review
  • The role of aromatherapy in reducing stress and anxiety post-surgery
  • The impact of mindfulness meditation on reducing high blood pressure
  • The use of chiropractic therapy in treating back pain of pregnant women
  • The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine such as Shun-Qi-Tong-Xie (SQTX) in treating digestive disorders in China
  • The impact of yoga on physical and mental health in adolescents
  • The benefits of hydrotherapy in treating musculoskeletal disorders such as tendinitis
  • The role of Reiki in promoting healing and relaxation post birth
  • The effectiveness of naturopathy in treating skin conditions such as eczema
  • The use of deep tissue massage therapy in reducing chronic pain in amputees
  • The impact of tai chi on the treatment of anxiety and depression
  • The benefits of reflexology in treating stress, anxiety and chronic fatigue
  • The role of acupuncture in the prophylactic management of headaches and migraines

Research topic evaluator

Topics & Ideas: Dentistry

  • The impact of sugar consumption on the oral health of infants
  • The use of digital dentistry in improving patient care: A systematic review
  • The efficacy of orthodontic treatments in correcting bite problems in adults
  • The role of dental hygiene in preventing gum disease in patients with dental bridges
  • The impact of smoking on oral health and tobacco cessation support from UK dentists
  • The benefits of dental implants in restoring missing teeth in adolescents
  • The use of lasers in dental procedures such as root canals
  • The efficacy of root canal treatment using high-frequency electric pulses in saving infected teeth
  • The role of fluoride in promoting remineralization and slowing down demineralization
  • The impact of stress-induced reflux on oral health
  • The benefits of dental crowns in restoring damaged teeth in elderly patients
  • The use of sedation dentistry in managing dental anxiety in children
  • The efficacy of teeth whitening treatments in improving dental aesthetics in patients with braces
  • The role of orthodontic appliances in improving well-being
  • The impact of periodontal disease on overall health and chronic illnesses

Free Webinar: How To Find A Dissertation Research Topic

Tops & Ideas: Veterinary Medicine

  • The impact of nutrition on broiler chicken production
  • The role of vaccines in disease prevention in horses
  • The importance of parasite control in animal health in piggeries
  • The impact of animal behaviour on welfare in the dairy industry
  • The effects of environmental pollution on the health of cattle
  • The role of veterinary technology such as MRI in animal care
  • The importance of pain management in post-surgery health outcomes
  • The impact of genetics on animal health and disease in layer chickens
  • The effectiveness of alternative therapies in veterinary medicine: A systematic review
  • The role of veterinary medicine in public health: A case study of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • The impact of climate change on animal health and infectious diseases in animals
  • The importance of animal welfare in veterinary medicine and sustainable agriculture
  • The effects of the human-animal bond on canine health
  • The role of veterinary medicine in conservation efforts: A case study of Rhinoceros poaching in Africa
  • The impact of veterinary research of new vaccines on animal health

Topics & Ideas: Physical Therapy/Rehab

  • The efficacy of aquatic therapy in improving joint mobility and strength in polio patients
  • The impact of telerehabilitation on patient outcomes in Germany
  • The effect of kinesiotaping on reducing knee pain and improving function in individuals with chronic pain
  • A comparison of manual therapy and yoga exercise therapy in the management of low back pain
  • The use of wearable technology in physical rehabilitation and the impact on patient adherence to a rehabilitation plan
  • The impact of mindfulness-based interventions in physical therapy in adolescents
  • The effects of resistance training on individuals with Parkinson’s disease
  • The role of hydrotherapy in the management of fibromyalgia
  • The impact of cognitive-behavioural therapy in physical rehabilitation for individuals with chronic pain
  • The use of virtual reality in physical rehabilitation of sports injuries
  • The effects of electrical stimulation on muscle function and strength in athletes
  • The role of physical therapy in the management of stroke recovery: A systematic review
  • The impact of pilates on mental health in individuals with depression
  • The use of thermal modalities in physical therapy and its effectiveness in reducing pain and inflammation
  • The effect of strength training on balance and gait in elderly patients

Topics & Ideas: Optometry & Opthalmology

  • The impact of screen time on the vision and ocular health of children under the age of 5
  • The effects of blue light exposure from digital devices on ocular health
  • The role of dietary interventions, such as the intake of whole grains, in the management of age-related macular degeneration
  • The use of telemedicine in optometry and ophthalmology in the UK
  • The impact of myopia control interventions on African American children’s vision
  • The use of contact lenses in the management of dry eye syndrome: different treatment options
  • The effects of visual rehabilitation in individuals with traumatic brain injury
  • The role of low vision rehabilitation in individuals with age-related vision loss: challenges and solutions
  • The impact of environmental air pollution on ocular health
  • The effectiveness of orthokeratology in myopia control compared to contact lenses
  • The role of dietary supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids, in ocular health
  • The effects of ultraviolet radiation exposure from tanning beds on ocular health
  • The impact of computer vision syndrome on long-term visual function
  • The use of novel diagnostic tools in optometry and ophthalmology in developing countries
  • The effects of virtual reality on visual perception and ocular health: an examination of dry eye syndrome and neurologic symptoms

Topics & Ideas: Pharmacy & Pharmacology

  • The impact of medication adherence on patient outcomes in cystic fibrosis
  • The use of personalized medicine in the management of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease
  • The effects of pharmacogenomics on drug response and toxicity in cancer patients
  • The role of pharmacists in the management of chronic pain in primary care
  • The impact of drug-drug interactions on patient mental health outcomes
  • The use of telepharmacy in healthcare: Present status and future potential
  • The effects of herbal and dietary supplements on drug efficacy and toxicity
  • The role of pharmacists in the management of type 1 diabetes
  • The impact of medication errors on patient outcomes and satisfaction
  • The use of technology in medication management in the USA
  • The effects of smoking on drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics: A case study of clozapine
  • Leveraging the role of pharmacists in preventing and managing opioid use disorder
  • The impact of the opioid epidemic on public health in a developing country
  • The use of biosimilars in the management of the skin condition psoriasis
  • The effects of the Affordable Care Act on medication utilization and patient outcomes in African Americans

Topics & Ideas: Public Health

  • The impact of the built environment and urbanisation on physical activity and obesity
  • The effects of food insecurity on health outcomes in Zimbabwe
  • The role of community-based participatory research in addressing health disparities
  • The impact of social determinants of health, such as racism, on population health
  • The effects of heat waves on public health
  • The role of telehealth in addressing healthcare access and equity in South America
  • The impact of gun violence on public health in South Africa
  • The effects of chlorofluorocarbons air pollution on respiratory health
  • The role of public health interventions in reducing health disparities in the USA
  • The impact of the United States Affordable Care Act on access to healthcare and health outcomes
  • The effects of water insecurity on health outcomes in the Middle East
  • The role of community health workers in addressing healthcare access and equity in low-income countries
  • The impact of mass incarceration on public health and behavioural health of a community
  • The effects of floods on public health and healthcare systems
  • The role of social media in public health communication and behaviour change in adolescents

Examples: Healthcare Dissertation & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a healthcare-related research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various healthcare-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

  • Improving Follow-Up Care for Homeless Populations in North County San Diego (Sanchez, 2021)
  • On the Incentives of Medicare’s Hospital Reimbursement and an Examination of Exchangeability (Elzinga, 2016)
  • Managing the healthcare crisis: the career narratives of nurses (Krueger, 2021)
  • Methods for preventing central line-associated bloodstream infection in pediatric haematology-oncology patients: A systematic literature review (Balkan, 2020)
  • Farms in Healthcare: Enhancing Knowledge, Sharing, and Collaboration (Garramone, 2019)
  • When machine learning meets healthcare: towards knowledge incorporation in multimodal healthcare analytics (Yuan, 2020)
  • Integrated behavioural healthcare: The future of rural mental health (Fox, 2019)
  • Healthcare service use patterns among autistic adults: A systematic review with narrative synthesis (Gilmore, 2021)
  • Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Combatting Burnout and Compassionate Fatigue among Mental Health Caregivers (Lundquist, 2022)
  • Transgender and gender-diverse people’s perceptions of gender-inclusive healthcare access and associated hope for the future (Wille, 2021)
  • Efficient Neural Network Synthesis and Its Application in Smart Healthcare (Hassantabar, 2022)
  • The Experience of Female Veterans and Health-Seeking Behaviors (Switzer, 2022)
  • Machine learning applications towards risk prediction and cost forecasting in healthcare (Singh, 2022)
  • Does Variation in the Nursing Home Inspection Process Explain Disparity in Regulatory Outcomes? (Fox, 2020)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Need more help?

If you’re still feeling a bit unsure about how to find a research topic for your healthcare dissertation or thesis, check out Topic Kickstarter service below.

Research Topic Kickstarter - Need Help Finding A Research Topic?

You Might Also Like:

Topic Kickstarter: Research topics in education

15 Comments

Mabel Allison

I need topics that will match the Msc program am running in healthcare research please

Theophilus Ugochuku

Hello Mabel,

I can help you with a good topic, kindly provide your email let’s have a good discussion on this.

sneha ramu

Can you provide some research topics and ideas on Immunology?

Julia

Thank you to create new knowledge on research problem verse research topic

Help on problem statement on teen pregnancy

Derek Jansen

This post might be useful: https://gradcoach.com/research-problem-statement/

vera akinyi akinyi vera

can you provide me with a research topic on healthcare related topics to a qqi level 5 student

Didjatou tao

Please can someone help me with research topics in public health ?

Gurtej singh Dhillon

Hello I have requirement of Health related latest research issue/topics for my social media speeches. If possible pls share health issues , diagnosis, treatment.

Chikalamba Muzyamba

I would like a topic thought around first-line support for Gender-Based Violence for survivors or one related to prevention of Gender-Based Violence

Evans Amihere

Please can I be helped with a master’s research topic in either chemical pathology or hematology or immunology? thanks

Patrick

Can u please provide me with a research topic on occupational health and safety at the health sector

Biyama Chama Reuben

Good day kindly help provide me with Ph.D. Public health topics on Reproductive and Maternal Health, interventional studies on Health Education

dominic muema

may you assist me with a good easy healthcare administration study topic

Precious

May you assist me in finding a research topic on nutrition,physical activity and obesity. On the impact on children

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

  • Print Friendly

Questions? Call us: 

Email: 

  • How it works
  • Testimonials

Essay Writing

  • Essay service
  • Essay writers
  • College essay service
  • Write my essay
  • Pay for essay
  • Essay topics

Term Paper Writing

  • Term paper service
  • Buy term papers
  • Term paper help
  • Term paper writers
  • College term papers
  • Write my term paper
  • Pay for term paper
  • Term paper topic

Research Paper Writing

  • Research paper service
  • Buy research paper
  • Research paper help
  • Research paper writers
  • College research papers
  • Write my research paper
  • Pay for research paper
  • Research paper topics

Dissertation Writing

  • Dissertation service
  • Buy dissertation
  • Dissertation help
  • Dissertation writers
  • College thesis
  • Write my dissertation
  • Pay for dissertation
  • Dissertation topics

Other Services

  • Custom writing services
  • Speech writing service
  • Movie review writing
  • Editing service
  • Assignment writing
  • Article writing service
  • Book report writing
  • Book review writing

Popular request:

Top 70 qualitative research topics to ace 2022.

November 16, 2020

There is no denying it; qualitative research topics are not as easy as ABC. To some, statistics is an enthralling subject while others may opt to clean the sea rather than sit in a statistics class. Millions of students around the globe face this crossroad. The task is further complicated by the fact that qualitative assignments deal with a cognitive analysis of data.

Qualitative Research Topics

If this is you, calm down. Our expert writers have already analyzed your problem and collated a list of 70 qualitative research paper topics for your inspiration. Keep your eyes peeled.

However, before we venture into our topic list, here is something you need to have at your fingertips;

What Is Qualitative Research?

It is the creative and investigative analysis of intangible and inexact data. The method is inductive in that the researcher codes the data during or after the collection. It is, therefore, necessary to have top-notch qualitative research topics for a first-class paper.

Qualitative Nursing Research Topics

  • How stress affects people’s behaviour
  • The efficacy of a particular medication to a patient
  • Environmental factors that necessitate quicker patient recovery
  • The feminist empiricism perspective of the nursing profession
  • How social processes influence patient behaviour
  • Unique attributes of a culture that determines a patient’s success rate

Qualitative Research Topics in Education

  • Ethnic and socioeconomic reasons for poor school attendance in developing countries
  • The efficiency of the teaching methods
  • Why most students perform poorly in sciences as compared to humanities
  • The number of students who pursue their college studies to the end
  • What is the level of academic preparedness of university students?
  • A case study on the victims of bullying in schools

Qualitative Research Topics Ideas

  • Correlation between Apple and Windows products
  • The advantages of online learning over physical learning
  • How have businesses transited into online digital marketing?
  • The 30 most travelled places in the world
  • Discuss on the rate at which the ozone layer is depleting
  • Can we detect and prevent natural disasters before they occur?

College Qualitative Research Topics List

  • How virtual reality worlds are transforming society
  • Is it possible to have the same education system throughout the whole world?
  • Evaluate the performance of mixed schools over single-gender schools
  • Is preschool education necessary for children under four years
  • The impact of unhealthy market completion on supply and demand
  • The role of parents in shaping their children’s morals

Qualitative Research Topics Examples

  • The impact of alcohol on a person’s normal behaviour
  • Self-esteem among people from low socioeconomic backgrounds
  • How often should one engage in sporting activities?
  • What influences the eating habits of children?
  • How to reduce the chances of contracting a viral disease
  • Management of depression among school-going children

Good Qualitative Research Topics

  • Effective therapy for patients recovering brain surgery
  • Influence of pop music on erratic youth behaviour
  • Approaches to improving maternal healthcare in developing countries
  • Possible solutions for alleviating pain during childbirth
  • Prevention measures against contracting coronavirus in crowded places
  • Working government policies on protocol observance

Research Topics For Qualitative Research

  • New ways of mitigating communicable diseases
  • Emerging trends in digital media
  • Worrying trends among the ageing population
  • The importance of quarantine during the spread of infectious diseases
  • How to promote social equity in patriarchal societies
  • Effective strategies that can help curb the problem of cyberbullying

Easy Qualitative Research Topics

  • The efficacy of homeschooling programs
  • Understanding the key roles of healthy eating habits
  • New ways of reaching out to the prospective market
  • Factoring in the dynamics of real estate investment
  • Latest newsgathering technologies and their effectiveness
  • The effects of developing introvert behaviour
  • Overcoming addictions through sharing with others
  • Creating a community of one people

Topics For Ethnography Qualitative Research

  • Transforming virtual ethnography into a modernized form
  • How to be close to each other yet so far away
  • Rethinking consumer appraisals and motivations
  • How can teachers develop a one-on-one relationship with their students
  • The place of social and academic practices in uplifting a society
  • Creating a centralized community using available resources

Qualitative Research Topics in Public Health

  • Strategies for promoting the health sector during the coronavirus pandemic
  • Effective obesity management strategies for the young
  • Ideas for quitting cigarettes and alcohol
  • Programs for community-based sanitization
  • Preventative methods for flu during cold seasons
  • Techniques of making eco-friendly facemasks
  • Positive ways of recovering from a loss
  • Means of achieving affordable healthcare in low-income societies

Qualitative Research Topics in Project Management

  • Ways of planning for a long-term project
  • Dealing with a backlash during a project implementation programme
  • Means of relieving pressure for tight project deadlines
  • Understanding the essence of time management in goal setting
  • Why managers should be flexible and apt in their decisions
  • Opportunities for the growth of management skills and techniques

You can never miss a qualitative research assignment. Therefore, use any of the examples of qualitative research topics above for your motivation. The issues should propel you to composing a top-rated qualitative research paper.

In case you are stuck, seek our quality and cheap writing help services 24/7. Order now!

qualitative research proposal topic

Take a break from writing.

Top academic experts are here for you.

  • How To Write An Autobiography Guideline And Useful Advice
  • 182 Best Classification Essay Topics To Learn And Write About
  • How To Manage Stress In College: Top Practical Tips  
  • How To Write A Narrative Essay: Definition, Tips, And A Step-by-Step Guide
  • How To Write Article Review Like Professional
  • Great Problem Solution Essay Topics
  • Creating Best Stanford Roommate Essay
  • Costco Essay – Best Writing Guide
  • How To Quote A Dialogue
  • Wonderful Expository Essay Topics
  • Research Paper Topics For 2020
  • Interesting Persuasive Essay Topics

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

  • Publications
  • Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

  • Advanced Search
  • Journal List
  • Neurol Res Pract

Logo of neurrp

How to use and assess qualitative research methods

Loraine busetto.

1 Department of Neurology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

Wolfgang Wick

2 Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuro-Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany

Christoph Gumbinger

Associated data.

Not applicable.

This paper aims to provide an overview of the use and assessment of qualitative research methods in the health sciences. Qualitative research can be defined as the study of the nature of phenomena and is especially appropriate for answering questions of why something is (not) observed, assessing complex multi-component interventions, and focussing on intervention improvement. The most common methods of data collection are document study, (non-) participant observations, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. For data analysis, field-notes and audio-recordings are transcribed into protocols and transcripts, and coded using qualitative data management software. Criteria such as checklists, reflexivity, sampling strategies, piloting, co-coding, member-checking and stakeholder involvement can be used to enhance and assess the quality of the research conducted. Using qualitative in addition to quantitative designs will equip us with better tools to address a greater range of research problems, and to fill in blind spots in current neurological research and practice.

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of qualitative research methods, including hands-on information on how they can be used, reported and assessed. This article is intended for beginning qualitative researchers in the health sciences as well as experienced quantitative researchers who wish to broaden their understanding of qualitative research.

What is qualitative research?

Qualitative research is defined as “the study of the nature of phenomena”, including “their quality, different manifestations, the context in which they appear or the perspectives from which they can be perceived” , but excluding “their range, frequency and place in an objectively determined chain of cause and effect” [ 1 ]. This formal definition can be complemented with a more pragmatic rule of thumb: qualitative research generally includes data in form of words rather than numbers [ 2 ].

Why conduct qualitative research?

Because some research questions cannot be answered using (only) quantitative methods. For example, one Australian study addressed the issue of why patients from Aboriginal communities often present late or not at all to specialist services offered by tertiary care hospitals. Using qualitative interviews with patients and staff, it found one of the most significant access barriers to be transportation problems, including some towns and communities simply not having a bus service to the hospital [ 3 ]. A quantitative study could have measured the number of patients over time or even looked at possible explanatory factors – but only those previously known or suspected to be of relevance. To discover reasons for observed patterns, especially the invisible or surprising ones, qualitative designs are needed.

While qualitative research is common in other fields, it is still relatively underrepresented in health services research. The latter field is more traditionally rooted in the evidence-based-medicine paradigm, as seen in " research that involves testing the effectiveness of various strategies to achieve changes in clinical practice, preferably applying randomised controlled trial study designs (...) " [ 4 ]. This focus on quantitative research and specifically randomised controlled trials (RCT) is visible in the idea of a hierarchy of research evidence which assumes that some research designs are objectively better than others, and that choosing a "lesser" design is only acceptable when the better ones are not practically or ethically feasible [ 5 , 6 ]. Others, however, argue that an objective hierarchy does not exist, and that, instead, the research design and methods should be chosen to fit the specific research question at hand – "questions before methods" [ 2 , 7 – 9 ]. This means that even when an RCT is possible, some research problems require a different design that is better suited to addressing them. Arguing in JAMA, Berwick uses the example of rapid response teams in hospitals, which he describes as " a complex, multicomponent intervention – essentially a process of social change" susceptible to a range of different context factors including leadership or organisation history. According to him, "[in] such complex terrain, the RCT is an impoverished way to learn. Critics who use it as a truth standard in this context are incorrect" [ 8 ] . Instead of limiting oneself to RCTs, Berwick recommends embracing a wider range of methods , including qualitative ones, which for "these specific applications, (...) are not compromises in learning how to improve; they are superior" [ 8 ].

Research problems that can be approached particularly well using qualitative methods include assessing complex multi-component interventions or systems (of change), addressing questions beyond “what works”, towards “what works for whom when, how and why”, and focussing on intervention improvement rather than accreditation [ 7 , 9 – 12 ]. Using qualitative methods can also help shed light on the “softer” side of medical treatment. For example, while quantitative trials can measure the costs and benefits of neuro-oncological treatment in terms of survival rates or adverse effects, qualitative research can help provide a better understanding of patient or caregiver stress, visibility of illness or out-of-pocket expenses.

How to conduct qualitative research?

Given that qualitative research is characterised by flexibility, openness and responsivity to context, the steps of data collection and analysis are not as separate and consecutive as they tend to be in quantitative research [ 13 , 14 ]. As Fossey puts it : “sampling, data collection, analysis and interpretation are related to each other in a cyclical (iterative) manner, rather than following one after another in a stepwise approach” [ 15 ]. The researcher can make educated decisions with regard to the choice of method, how they are implemented, and to which and how many units they are applied [ 13 ]. As shown in Fig.  1 , this can involve several back-and-forth steps between data collection and analysis where new insights and experiences can lead to adaption and expansion of the original plan. Some insights may also necessitate a revision of the research question and/or the research design as a whole. The process ends when saturation is achieved, i.e. when no relevant new information can be found (see also below: sampling and saturation). For reasons of transparency, it is essential for all decisions as well as the underlying reasoning to be well-documented.

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is 42466_2020_59_Fig1_HTML.jpg

Iterative research process

While it is not always explicitly addressed, qualitative methods reflect a different underlying research paradigm than quantitative research (e.g. constructivism or interpretivism as opposed to positivism). The choice of methods can be based on the respective underlying substantive theory or theoretical framework used by the researcher [ 2 ].

Data collection

The methods of qualitative data collection most commonly used in health research are document study, observations, semi-structured interviews and focus groups [ 1 , 14 , 16 , 17 ].

Document study

Document study (also called document analysis) refers to the review by the researcher of written materials [ 14 ]. These can include personal and non-personal documents such as archives, annual reports, guidelines, policy documents, diaries or letters.

Observations

Observations are particularly useful to gain insights into a certain setting and actual behaviour – as opposed to reported behaviour or opinions [ 13 ]. Qualitative observations can be either participant or non-participant in nature. In participant observations, the observer is part of the observed setting, for example a nurse working in an intensive care unit [ 18 ]. In non-participant observations, the observer is “on the outside looking in”, i.e. present in but not part of the situation, trying not to influence the setting by their presence. Observations can be planned (e.g. for 3 h during the day or night shift) or ad hoc (e.g. as soon as a stroke patient arrives at the emergency room). During the observation, the observer takes notes on everything or certain pre-determined parts of what is happening around them, for example focusing on physician-patient interactions or communication between different professional groups. Written notes can be taken during or after the observations, depending on feasibility (which is usually lower during participant observations) and acceptability (e.g. when the observer is perceived to be judging the observed). Afterwards, these field notes are transcribed into observation protocols. If more than one observer was involved, field notes are taken independently, but notes can be consolidated into one protocol after discussions. Advantages of conducting observations include minimising the distance between the researcher and the researched, the potential discovery of topics that the researcher did not realise were relevant and gaining deeper insights into the real-world dimensions of the research problem at hand [ 18 ].

Semi-structured interviews

Hijmans & Kuyper describe qualitative interviews as “an exchange with an informal character, a conversation with a goal” [ 19 ]. Interviews are used to gain insights into a person’s subjective experiences, opinions and motivations – as opposed to facts or behaviours [ 13 ]. Interviews can be distinguished by the degree to which they are structured (i.e. a questionnaire), open (e.g. free conversation or autobiographical interviews) or semi-structured [ 2 , 13 ]. Semi-structured interviews are characterized by open-ended questions and the use of an interview guide (or topic guide/list) in which the broad areas of interest, sometimes including sub-questions, are defined [ 19 ]. The pre-defined topics in the interview guide can be derived from the literature, previous research or a preliminary method of data collection, e.g. document study or observations. The topic list is usually adapted and improved at the start of the data collection process as the interviewer learns more about the field [ 20 ]. Across interviews the focus on the different (blocks of) questions may differ and some questions may be skipped altogether (e.g. if the interviewee is not able or willing to answer the questions or for concerns about the total length of the interview) [ 20 ]. Qualitative interviews are usually not conducted in written format as it impedes on the interactive component of the method [ 20 ]. In comparison to written surveys, qualitative interviews have the advantage of being interactive and allowing for unexpected topics to emerge and to be taken up by the researcher. This can also help overcome a provider or researcher-centred bias often found in written surveys, which by nature, can only measure what is already known or expected to be of relevance to the researcher. Interviews can be audio- or video-taped; but sometimes it is only feasible or acceptable for the interviewer to take written notes [ 14 , 16 , 20 ].

Focus groups

Focus groups are group interviews to explore participants’ expertise and experiences, including explorations of how and why people behave in certain ways [ 1 ]. Focus groups usually consist of 6–8 people and are led by an experienced moderator following a topic guide or “script” [ 21 ]. They can involve an observer who takes note of the non-verbal aspects of the situation, possibly using an observation guide [ 21 ]. Depending on researchers’ and participants’ preferences, the discussions can be audio- or video-taped and transcribed afterwards [ 21 ]. Focus groups are useful for bringing together homogeneous (to a lesser extent heterogeneous) groups of participants with relevant expertise and experience on a given topic on which they can share detailed information [ 21 ]. Focus groups are a relatively easy, fast and inexpensive method to gain access to information on interactions in a given group, i.e. “the sharing and comparing” among participants [ 21 ]. Disadvantages include less control over the process and a lesser extent to which each individual may participate. Moreover, focus group moderators need experience, as do those tasked with the analysis of the resulting data. Focus groups can be less appropriate for discussing sensitive topics that participants might be reluctant to disclose in a group setting [ 13 ]. Moreover, attention must be paid to the emergence of “groupthink” as well as possible power dynamics within the group, e.g. when patients are awed or intimidated by health professionals.

Choosing the “right” method

As explained above, the school of thought underlying qualitative research assumes no objective hierarchy of evidence and methods. This means that each choice of single or combined methods has to be based on the research question that needs to be answered and a critical assessment with regard to whether or to what extent the chosen method can accomplish this – i.e. the “fit” between question and method [ 14 ]. It is necessary for these decisions to be documented when they are being made, and to be critically discussed when reporting methods and results.

Let us assume that our research aim is to examine the (clinical) processes around acute endovascular treatment (EVT), from the patient’s arrival at the emergency room to recanalization, with the aim to identify possible causes for delay and/or other causes for sub-optimal treatment outcome. As a first step, we could conduct a document study of the relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs) for this phase of care – are they up-to-date and in line with current guidelines? Do they contain any mistakes, irregularities or uncertainties that could cause delays or other problems? Regardless of the answers to these questions, the results have to be interpreted based on what they are: a written outline of what care processes in this hospital should look like. If we want to know what they actually look like in practice, we can conduct observations of the processes described in the SOPs. These results can (and should) be analysed in themselves, but also in comparison to the results of the document analysis, especially as regards relevant discrepancies. Do the SOPs outline specific tests for which no equipment can be observed or tasks to be performed by specialized nurses who are not present during the observation? It might also be possible that the written SOP is outdated, but the actual care provided is in line with current best practice. In order to find out why these discrepancies exist, it can be useful to conduct interviews. Are the physicians simply not aware of the SOPs (because their existence is limited to the hospital’s intranet) or do they actively disagree with them or does the infrastructure make it impossible to provide the care as described? Another rationale for adding interviews is that some situations (or all of their possible variations for different patient groups or the day, night or weekend shift) cannot practically or ethically be observed. In this case, it is possible to ask those involved to report on their actions – being aware that this is not the same as the actual observation. A senior physician’s or hospital manager’s description of certain situations might differ from a nurse’s or junior physician’s one, maybe because they intentionally misrepresent facts or maybe because different aspects of the process are visible or important to them. In some cases, it can also be relevant to consider to whom the interviewee is disclosing this information – someone they trust, someone they are otherwise not connected to, or someone they suspect or are aware of being in a potentially “dangerous” power relationship to them. Lastly, a focus group could be conducted with representatives of the relevant professional groups to explore how and why exactly they provide care around EVT. The discussion might reveal discrepancies (between SOPs and actual care or between different physicians) and motivations to the researchers as well as to the focus group members that they might not have been aware of themselves. For the focus group to deliver relevant information, attention has to be paid to its composition and conduct, for example, to make sure that all participants feel safe to disclose sensitive or potentially problematic information or that the discussion is not dominated by (senior) physicians only. The resulting combination of data collection methods is shown in Fig.  2 .

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is 42466_2020_59_Fig2_HTML.jpg

Possible combination of data collection methods

Attributions for icons: “Book” by Serhii Smirnov, “Interview” by Adrien Coquet, FR, “Magnifying Glass” by anggun, ID, “Business communication” by Vectors Market; all from the Noun Project

The combination of multiple data source as described for this example can be referred to as “triangulation”, in which multiple measurements are carried out from different angles to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon under study [ 22 , 23 ].

Data analysis

To analyse the data collected through observations, interviews and focus groups these need to be transcribed into protocols and transcripts (see Fig.  3 ). Interviews and focus groups can be transcribed verbatim , with or without annotations for behaviour (e.g. laughing, crying, pausing) and with or without phonetic transcription of dialects and filler words, depending on what is expected or known to be relevant for the analysis. In the next step, the protocols and transcripts are coded , that is, marked (or tagged, labelled) with one or more short descriptors of the content of a sentence or paragraph [ 2 , 15 , 23 ]. Jansen describes coding as “connecting the raw data with “theoretical” terms” [ 20 ]. In a more practical sense, coding makes raw data sortable. This makes it possible to extract and examine all segments describing, say, a tele-neurology consultation from multiple data sources (e.g. SOPs, emergency room observations, staff and patient interview). In a process of synthesis and abstraction, the codes are then grouped, summarised and/or categorised [ 15 , 20 ]. The end product of the coding or analysis process is a descriptive theory of the behavioural pattern under investigation [ 20 ]. The coding process is performed using qualitative data management software, the most common ones being InVivo, MaxQDA and Atlas.ti. It should be noted that these are data management tools which support the analysis performed by the researcher(s) [ 14 ].

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is 42466_2020_59_Fig3_HTML.jpg

From data collection to data analysis

Attributions for icons: see Fig. ​ Fig.2, 2 , also “Speech to text” by Trevor Dsouza, “Field Notes” by Mike O’Brien, US, “Voice Record” by ProSymbols, US, “Inspection” by Made, AU, and “Cloud” by Graphic Tigers; all from the Noun Project

How to report qualitative research?

Protocols of qualitative research can be published separately and in advance of the study results. However, the aim is not the same as in RCT protocols, i.e. to pre-define and set in stone the research questions and primary or secondary endpoints. Rather, it is a way to describe the research methods in detail, which might not be possible in the results paper given journals’ word limits. Qualitative research papers are usually longer than their quantitative counterparts to allow for deep understanding and so-called “thick description”. In the methods section, the focus is on transparency of the methods used, including why, how and by whom they were implemented in the specific study setting, so as to enable a discussion of whether and how this may have influenced data collection, analysis and interpretation. The results section usually starts with a paragraph outlining the main findings, followed by more detailed descriptions of, for example, the commonalities, discrepancies or exceptions per category [ 20 ]. Here it is important to support main findings by relevant quotations, which may add information, context, emphasis or real-life examples [ 20 , 23 ]. It is subject to debate in the field whether it is relevant to state the exact number or percentage of respondents supporting a certain statement (e.g. “Five interviewees expressed negative feelings towards XYZ”) [ 21 ].

How to combine qualitative with quantitative research?

Qualitative methods can be combined with other methods in multi- or mixed methods designs, which “[employ] two or more different methods [ …] within the same study or research program rather than confining the research to one single method” [ 24 ]. Reasons for combining methods can be diverse, including triangulation for corroboration of findings, complementarity for illustration and clarification of results, expansion to extend the breadth and range of the study, explanation of (unexpected) results generated with one method with the help of another, or offsetting the weakness of one method with the strength of another [ 1 , 17 , 24 – 26 ]. The resulting designs can be classified according to when, why and how the different quantitative and/or qualitative data strands are combined. The three most common types of mixed method designs are the convergent parallel design , the explanatory sequential design and the exploratory sequential design. The designs with examples are shown in Fig.  4 .

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is 42466_2020_59_Fig4_HTML.jpg

Three common mixed methods designs

In the convergent parallel design, a qualitative study is conducted in parallel to and independently of a quantitative study, and the results of both studies are compared and combined at the stage of interpretation of results. Using the above example of EVT provision, this could entail setting up a quantitative EVT registry to measure process times and patient outcomes in parallel to conducting the qualitative research outlined above, and then comparing results. Amongst other things, this would make it possible to assess whether interview respondents’ subjective impressions of patients receiving good care match modified Rankin Scores at follow-up, or whether observed delays in care provision are exceptions or the rule when compared to door-to-needle times as documented in the registry. In the explanatory sequential design, a quantitative study is carried out first, followed by a qualitative study to help explain the results from the quantitative study. This would be an appropriate design if the registry alone had revealed relevant delays in door-to-needle times and the qualitative study would be used to understand where and why these occurred, and how they could be improved. In the exploratory design, the qualitative study is carried out first and its results help informing and building the quantitative study in the next step [ 26 ]. If the qualitative study around EVT provision had shown a high level of dissatisfaction among the staff members involved, a quantitative questionnaire investigating staff satisfaction could be set up in the next step, informed by the qualitative study on which topics dissatisfaction had been expressed. Amongst other things, the questionnaire design would make it possible to widen the reach of the research to more respondents from different (types of) hospitals, regions, countries or settings, and to conduct sub-group analyses for different professional groups.

How to assess qualitative research?

A variety of assessment criteria and lists have been developed for qualitative research, ranging in their focus and comprehensiveness [ 14 , 17 , 27 ]. However, none of these has been elevated to the “gold standard” in the field. In the following, we therefore focus on a set of commonly used assessment criteria that, from a practical standpoint, a researcher can look for when assessing a qualitative research report or paper.

Assessors should check the authors’ use of and adherence to the relevant reporting checklists (e.g. Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR)) to make sure all items that are relevant for this type of research are addressed [ 23 , 28 ]. Discussions of quantitative measures in addition to or instead of these qualitative measures can be a sign of lower quality of the research (paper). Providing and adhering to a checklist for qualitative research contributes to an important quality criterion for qualitative research, namely transparency [ 15 , 17 , 23 ].

Reflexivity

While methodological transparency and complete reporting is relevant for all types of research, some additional criteria must be taken into account for qualitative research. This includes what is called reflexivity, i.e. sensitivity to the relationship between the researcher and the researched, including how contact was established and maintained, or the background and experience of the researcher(s) involved in data collection and analysis. Depending on the research question and population to be researched this can be limited to professional experience, but it may also include gender, age or ethnicity [ 17 , 27 ]. These details are relevant because in qualitative research, as opposed to quantitative research, the researcher as a person cannot be isolated from the research process [ 23 ]. It may influence the conversation when an interviewed patient speaks to an interviewer who is a physician, or when an interviewee is asked to discuss a gynaecological procedure with a male interviewer, and therefore the reader must be made aware of these details [ 19 ].

Sampling and saturation

The aim of qualitative sampling is for all variants of the objects of observation that are deemed relevant for the study to be present in the sample “ to see the issue and its meanings from as many angles as possible” [ 1 , 16 , 19 , 20 , 27 ] , and to ensure “information-richness [ 15 ]. An iterative sampling approach is advised, in which data collection (e.g. five interviews) is followed by data analysis, followed by more data collection to find variants that are lacking in the current sample. This process continues until no new (relevant) information can be found and further sampling becomes redundant – which is called saturation [ 1 , 15 ] . In other words: qualitative data collection finds its end point not a priori , but when the research team determines that saturation has been reached [ 29 , 30 ].

This is also the reason why most qualitative studies use deliberate instead of random sampling strategies. This is generally referred to as “ purposive sampling” , in which researchers pre-define which types of participants or cases they need to include so as to cover all variations that are expected to be of relevance, based on the literature, previous experience or theory (i.e. theoretical sampling) [ 14 , 20 ]. Other types of purposive sampling include (but are not limited to) maximum variation sampling, critical case sampling or extreme or deviant case sampling [ 2 ]. In the above EVT example, a purposive sample could include all relevant professional groups and/or all relevant stakeholders (patients, relatives) and/or all relevant times of observation (day, night and weekend shift).

Assessors of qualitative research should check whether the considerations underlying the sampling strategy were sound and whether or how researchers tried to adapt and improve their strategies in stepwise or cyclical approaches between data collection and analysis to achieve saturation [ 14 ].

Good qualitative research is iterative in nature, i.e. it goes back and forth between data collection and analysis, revising and improving the approach where necessary. One example of this are pilot interviews, where different aspects of the interview (especially the interview guide, but also, for example, the site of the interview or whether the interview can be audio-recorded) are tested with a small number of respondents, evaluated and revised [ 19 ]. In doing so, the interviewer learns which wording or types of questions work best, or which is the best length of an interview with patients who have trouble concentrating for an extended time. Of course, the same reasoning applies to observations or focus groups which can also be piloted.

Ideally, coding should be performed by at least two researchers, especially at the beginning of the coding process when a common approach must be defined, including the establishment of a useful coding list (or tree), and when a common meaning of individual codes must be established [ 23 ]. An initial sub-set or all transcripts can be coded independently by the coders and then compared and consolidated after regular discussions in the research team. This is to make sure that codes are applied consistently to the research data.

Member checking

Member checking, also called respondent validation , refers to the practice of checking back with study respondents to see if the research is in line with their views [ 14 , 27 ]. This can happen after data collection or analysis or when first results are available [ 23 ]. For example, interviewees can be provided with (summaries of) their transcripts and asked whether they believe this to be a complete representation of their views or whether they would like to clarify or elaborate on their responses [ 17 ]. Respondents’ feedback on these issues then becomes part of the data collection and analysis [ 27 ].

Stakeholder involvement

In those niches where qualitative approaches have been able to evolve and grow, a new trend has seen the inclusion of patients and their representatives not only as study participants (i.e. “members”, see above) but as consultants to and active participants in the broader research process [ 31 – 33 ]. The underlying assumption is that patients and other stakeholders hold unique perspectives and experiences that add value beyond their own single story, making the research more relevant and beneficial to researchers, study participants and (future) patients alike [ 34 , 35 ]. Using the example of patients on or nearing dialysis, a recent scoping review found that 80% of clinical research did not address the top 10 research priorities identified by patients and caregivers [ 32 , 36 ]. In this sense, the involvement of the relevant stakeholders, especially patients and relatives, is increasingly being seen as a quality indicator in and of itself.

How not to assess qualitative research

The above overview does not include certain items that are routine in assessments of quantitative research. What follows is a non-exhaustive, non-representative, experience-based list of the quantitative criteria often applied to the assessment of qualitative research, as well as an explanation of the limited usefulness of these endeavours.

Protocol adherence

Given the openness and flexibility of qualitative research, it should not be assessed by how well it adheres to pre-determined and fixed strategies – in other words: its rigidity. Instead, the assessor should look for signs of adaptation and refinement based on lessons learned from earlier steps in the research process.

Sample size

For the reasons explained above, qualitative research does not require specific sample sizes, nor does it require that the sample size be determined a priori [ 1 , 14 , 27 , 37 – 39 ]. Sample size can only be a useful quality indicator when related to the research purpose, the chosen methodology and the composition of the sample, i.e. who was included and why.

Randomisation

While some authors argue that randomisation can be used in qualitative research, this is not commonly the case, as neither its feasibility nor its necessity or usefulness has been convincingly established for qualitative research [ 13 , 27 ]. Relevant disadvantages include the negative impact of a too large sample size as well as the possibility (or probability) of selecting “ quiet, uncooperative or inarticulate individuals ” [ 17 ]. Qualitative studies do not use control groups, either.

Interrater reliability, variability and other “objectivity checks”

The concept of “interrater reliability” is sometimes used in qualitative research to assess to which extent the coding approach overlaps between the two co-coders. However, it is not clear what this measure tells us about the quality of the analysis [ 23 ]. This means that these scores can be included in qualitative research reports, preferably with some additional information on what the score means for the analysis, but it is not a requirement. Relatedly, it is not relevant for the quality or “objectivity” of qualitative research to separate those who recruited the study participants and collected and analysed the data. Experiences even show that it might be better to have the same person or team perform all of these tasks [ 20 ]. First, when researchers introduce themselves during recruitment this can enhance trust when the interview takes place days or weeks later with the same researcher. Second, when the audio-recording is transcribed for analysis, the researcher conducting the interviews will usually remember the interviewee and the specific interview situation during data analysis. This might be helpful in providing additional context information for interpretation of data, e.g. on whether something might have been meant as a joke [ 18 ].

Not being quantitative research

Being qualitative research instead of quantitative research should not be used as an assessment criterion if it is used irrespectively of the research problem at hand. Similarly, qualitative research should not be required to be combined with quantitative research per se – unless mixed methods research is judged as inherently better than single-method research. In this case, the same criterion should be applied for quantitative studies without a qualitative component.

The main take-away points of this paper are summarised in Table ​ Table1. 1 . We aimed to show that, if conducted well, qualitative research can answer specific research questions that cannot to be adequately answered using (only) quantitative designs. Seeing qualitative and quantitative methods as equal will help us become more aware and critical of the “fit” between the research problem and our chosen methods: I can conduct an RCT to determine the reasons for transportation delays of acute stroke patients – but should I? It also provides us with a greater range of tools to tackle a greater range of research problems more appropriately and successfully, filling in the blind spots on one half of the methodological spectrum to better address the whole complexity of neurological research and practice.

Take-away-points

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations, authors’ contributions.

LB drafted the manuscript; WW and CG revised the manuscript; all authors approved the final versions.

no external funding.

Availability of data and materials

Ethics approval and consent to participate, consent for publication, competing interests.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

COMMENTS

  1. 500+ Qualitative Research Titles and Topics

    Qualitative Research Topics. Qualitative Research Topics are as follows: Understanding the lived experiences of first-generation college students. Exploring the impact of social media on self-esteem among adolescents. Investigating the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress reduction. Analyzing the perceptions of employees regarding ...

  2. Top 60 Examples of Qualitative Research Topics

    Some of the major fields where qualitative research is performed include: Anthropology. Political science. Psychology. Business management. History. Social science. The main goal of qualitative research is to help you understand the topic of your assignment by identifying the most important aspects of your topic and gathering enough information ...

  3. 151+ Research Proposal Topics [Updated 2024]

    Selecting research proposal topics is a crucial step in the research process. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you choose a compelling and impactful research topic: ... Select an appropriate research methodology (experimental, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods). Justify your choice and discuss data collection techniques.

  4. 100+ Qualitative Research Topics To Write About In 2023

    Here are fantastic examples of qualitative research titles: Female harm: how it is influenced by culture. The socioeconomic impacts of free education. The link between food insecurity and poor performance in schools. Alcoholism among college students: a critical study. How to mitigate child labor in our society.

  5. PDF Writing a qualitative research proposal

    • Qualitative research is often undertaken when little is known about a topic. This means a qualitative research proposal cannot be as clear in the detail as a quantitative one. Qualitative research is often exploratory and develops iteratively. It may be hard to specify what your outcomes are likely to be, beforehand.

  6. 131 Qualitative Research Topics For Academic Thesis Writing

    This article presents a list of 130-plus qualitative research topic ideas to help learners that struggle to get titles for their papers. It is helpful because many learners have difficulties picking titles that will make their essays impressive to educators. But before presenting the topics, this article defines qualitative research.

  7. Designing a Research Proposal in Qualitative Research

    The chapter discusses designing a research proposal in qualitative research. The main objective is to outline the major components of a qualitative research proposal with example (s) so that the students and novice scholars easily get an understanding of a qualitative proposal. The chapter highlights the major components of a qualitative ...

  8. 202 Qualitative Research Topics to Check Out

    Here are some qualitative research topics lists in political science. How COVID-19 impacts low-income neighborhoods. The need for the cancellation of student loans and not the suspension of student loans. Racism as a dividing factor in America. Segregation and racist laws.

  9. What Is Qualitative Research?

    Qualitative research involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data (e.g., text, video, or audio) to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences. It can be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or generate new ideas for research. Qualitative research is the opposite of quantitative research, which involves collecting and ...

  10. PDF Proposing your Research

    constructing a qualitative research proposal. Figure 12.1 Constructing a Qualitative Research Proposal . As general principles apply in the production of a qualitative research proposal, the first section in this chapter will discuss a generic approach to producing a comprehensive submission. The chapter will then focus on

  11. 170+ Research Topics In Education (+ Free Webinar)

    The impact of poverty on education. The use of student data to inform instruction. The role of parental involvement in education. The effects of mindfulness practices in the classroom. The use of technology in the classroom. The role of critical thinking in education.

  12. Writing a proposal

    Guidance for writing a proposal for the qualitative research undertaken with RCTs has been published, and there is existing guidance for writing proposals in related areas such as mixed methods research. In this chapter, existing guidance is introduced and built upon to offer comprehensive and detailed guidance for writing a proposal for the ...

  13. PDF A Sample Qualitative Dissertation Proposal

    Microsoft Word - Proposal-QUAL-Morales.doc. A Sample Qualitative Dissertation Proposal. Prepared by. Alejandro Morales. NOTE: This proposal is included in the ancillary materials of Research Design with permission of the author. LANGUAGE BROKERING IN MEXICAN IMMIGRANT FAMILIES LIVING IN.

  14. How to Write a Research Proposal

    Research proposal examples. Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We've included a few for you below. Example research proposal #1: "A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management" Example research proposal #2: "Medical Students as Mediators of ...

  15. Chapter 2. Research Design

    Chapter 2. Research Design Getting Started. When I teach undergraduates qualitative research methods, the final product of the course is a "research proposal" that incorporates all they have learned and enlists the knowledge they have learned about qualitative research methods in an original design that addresses a particular research question.

  16. (PDF) Designing a Research Proposal in Qualitative Research

    The chapter discusses designing a research proposal in qualitative research. The main objective is to outline the major components of a qualitative research proposal with example(s) so that the ...

  17. 189+ Most Exciting Qualitative Research Topics For Students

    2. Relevance: Ensure that your chosen topic is relevant to your field of study or the discipline you are working within.It should contribute to existing knowledge or address a meaningful research gap. 3. Research Gap Identification: Review relevant literature and research to identify gaps or areas where there is limited qualitative research. Look for unanswered questions or underexplored ...

  18. What Is A Research Proposal? Examples + Template

    The purpose of the research proposal (its job, so to speak) is to convince your research supervisor, committee or university that your research is suitable (for the requirements of the degree program) and manageable (given the time and resource constraints you will face). The most important word here is "convince" - in other words, your ...

  19. How to write a research proposal?

    A proposal needs to show how your work fits into what is already known about the topic and what new paradigm will it add to the literature, while specifying the question that the research will answer, establishing its significance, and the implications of the answer. [ 2] The proposal must be capable of convincing the evaluation committee about ...

  20. 100+ Healthcare Research Topics (+ Free Webinar)

    Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. If you've landed on this post, chances are you're looking for a healthcare-related research topic, but aren't sure where to start. Here, we'll explore a variety of healthcare-related research ideas and topic thought-starters across a ...

  21. 70 Most Popular Qualitative Research Topics in 2022

    Top 70 Qualitative Research Topics To Ace 2022. November 16, 2020. There is no denying it; qualitative research topics are not as easy as ABC. To some, statistics is an enthralling subject while others may opt to clean the sea rather than sit in a statistics class. Millions of students around the globe face this crossroad.

  22. How to use and assess qualitative research methods

    Abstract. This paper aims to provide an overview of the use and assessment of qualitative research methods in the health sciences. Qualitative research can be defined as the study of the nature of phenomena and is especially appropriate for answering questions of why something is (not) observed, assessing complex multi-component interventions ...

  23. [PDF] The qualitative research proposal.

    The process of writing a qualitative research proposal is discussed with regards to the most important questions that need to be answered in your research proposal with consideration of the guidelines of being practical, being persuasive, making broader links, aiming for crystal clarity and planning before you write. Qualitative research in the health sciences has had to overcome many ...

  24. PDF Course Syllabus for HRD 6343: Foundations of Qualitative Research Long

    HRD 6343: Foundations of Qualitative Research Tentative Course Outline as of 5.13.24* Class # Wed Due Dates Topic/Description Deliverables Due before Midnight #1 May 18, 2024 June 5, 2024 Topics: Thinking like a Qualitative Researcher, Collecting Qualitative Data (Ch 13); Activities Include: Paired Observation in the Field (Ch 14); Mining