What can I learn from qualitative research? - Springtide Research Institute

What can I learn from qualitative research?

What can I learn from qualitative research?

By Dr. Nabil Tueme

Posted December 5, 2024

Springtide specializes in helping groups and organizations discover meaningful insights about the young people they serve. In this blog post, Senior Research Associate Dr. Nabil Tueme shares her experience with qualitative research and how it can help solve seemingly complex problems.

When an educator approached me with an idea for a new research project—designing a survey to explore how young people understand their life’s mission—I knew it had the potential to make a significant impact. By identifying how students perceive their purpose, the school hoped to better support these young people as they navigate some of life’s most profound questions.

However, translating such an abstract concept into measurable survey questions was no small task. How do you define something as elusive as a life mission?

To gain clarity, I decided to use a different method from my social-science toolbox: qualitative research interviews. I interviewed several young people, asking them to reflect on what makes them feel alive, happy, and whole. I asked them to describe moments when they feel deeply connected to their true selves or to a Higher Power. I asked them who they feel “called” to be, and who or what is calling them. What I learned from these interviews completely reshaped the survey I had started to design. I was able to more clearly identify what variables to measure, how to frame certain questions, and what hypotheses to test. Qualitative research helped me do quantitative research better.

Three Strengths of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research can help you answer your biggest questions, illustrated by my most recent experience (and many more):

Are you grappling with a research question? Learn more about how Springtide can conduct research and analysis for your organization.

Conclusion: The Power of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research can help you tackle questions that defy easy measurement. By uncovering the why and how, it provides the tools by which to understand the complexities of the human experience. For abstract or evolving concepts, qualitative methods don’t just provide answers—they clarify the questions we should be asking. When paired with quantitative research in a mixed-methods approach, qualitative research offers a more complete understanding of the issue at hand.

Ultimately, qualitative research is about understanding the world through the eyes of the people living in it—the motivations, belief systems, and relationships that make people who they are. That’s really the goal (and superpower) of social-science research.

The next time you are faced with a complex research question, remember this: The key to understanding might just lie in a conversation, a story, or a question that begins with why?

Are you grappling with a research question? Learn more about how Springtide can conduct research and analysis for your organization.

Humanize Data

Numbers and statistics provide important information, but they cannot fully capture the nuances of lived experience. Qualitative methods bridge this gap, providing context and details that deepen our understanding of a concept from a young person’s point of view.

The students I spoke with shared poignant stories about moments that shaped their sense of calling: a volunteer experience, a mentor’s encouragement, and a personal struggle with mental health. These stories not only enrich the data but also offer practical insights into how educators can better accompany students in the discernment process.

Conclusion: The Power of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research can help you tackle questions that defy easy measurement. By uncovering the why and how, it provides the tools by which to understand the complexities of the human experience. For abstract or evolving concepts, qualitative methods don’t just provide answers—they clarify the questions we should be asking. When paired with quantitative research in a mixed-methods approach, qualitative research offers a more complete understanding of the issue at hand.

Ultimately, qualitative research is about understanding the world through the eyes of the people living in it—the motivations, belief systems, and relationships that make people who they are. That’s really the goal (and superpower) of social-science research.

The next time you are faced with a complex research question, remember this: The key to understanding might just lie in a conversation, a story, or a question that begins with why?

Are you grappling with a research question? Learn more about how Springtide can conduct research and analysis for your organization.

Make Abstract Concepts Tangible

One of the biggest challenges in research is operationalizing abstract concepts—that is, turning them into something concrete and measurable. As my client’s life mission project illustrates, qualitative research provides the tools to do this effectively.

Initially, I struggled to develop survey questions because the concept was so complex. By conducting in-depth interviews, I was able to identify recurring themes and language that young people use to describe their life’s mission. These learnings formed the foundation of a survey that felt relevant to students and had the potential to deliver actionable insights to educators.

Humanize Data

Numbers and statistics provide important information, but they cannot fully capture the nuances of lived experience. Qualitative methods bridge this gap, providing context and details that deepen our understanding of a concept from a young person’s point of view.

The students I spoke with shared poignant stories about moments that shaped their sense of calling: a volunteer experience, a mentor’s encouragement, and a personal struggle with mental health. These stories not only enrich the data but also offer practical insights into how educators can better accompany students in the discernment process.

Conclusion: The Power of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research can help you tackle questions that defy easy measurement. By uncovering the why and how, it provides the tools by which to understand the complexities of the human experience. For abstract or evolving concepts, qualitative methods don’t just provide answers—they clarify the questions we should be asking. When paired with quantitative research in a mixed-methods approach, qualitative research offers a more complete understanding of the issue at hand.

Ultimately, qualitative research is about understanding the world through the eyes of the people living in it—the motivations, belief systems, and relationships that make people who they are. That’s really the goal (and superpower) of social-science research.

The next time you are faced with a complex research question, remember this: The key to understanding might just lie in a conversation, a story, or a question that begins with why?

Are you grappling with a research question? Learn more about how Springtide can conduct research and analysis for your organization.

Uncover Social Processes

Survey research excels at revealing patterns and trends across populations, but it often struggles to answer why and how. This is where qualitative methods shine. By exploring lived experiences, interviews and focus groups can reveal the underlying dynamics and social processes that shape behaviors and beliefs.

In the life mission project, I realized that young people interpret this concept in vastly different ways—some see it as a career goal, others as a spiritual journey, and still others as a commitment to social change. But why? What leads some young people, for example, to see their life mission in capitalistic versus altruistic terms? Through interviews, I was able to explore how young people arrive at such different views, including the role teachers and other trusted adults play in young people’s orientations.

Make Abstract Concepts Tangible

One of the biggest challenges in research is operationalizing abstract concepts—that is, turning them into something concrete and measurable. As my client’s life mission project illustrates, qualitative research provides the tools to do this effectively.

Initially, I struggled to develop survey questions because the concept was so complex. By conducting in-depth interviews, I was able to identify recurring themes and language that young people use to describe their life’s mission. These learnings formed the foundation of a survey that felt relevant to students and had the potential to deliver actionable insights to educators.

Humanize Data

Numbers and statistics provide important information, but they cannot fully capture the nuances of lived experience. Qualitative methods bridge this gap, providing context and details that deepen our understanding of a concept from a young person’s point of view.

The students I spoke with shared poignant stories about moments that shaped their sense of calling: a volunteer experience, a mentor’s encouragement, and a personal struggle with mental health. These stories not only enrich the data but also offer practical insights into how educators can better accompany students in the discernment process.

Conclusion: The Power of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research can help you tackle questions that defy easy measurement. By uncovering the why and how, it provides the tools by which to understand the complexities of the human experience. For abstract or evolving concepts, qualitative methods don’t just provide answers—they clarify the questions we should be asking. When paired with quantitative research in a mixed-methods approach, qualitative research offers a more complete understanding of the issue at hand.

Ultimately, qualitative research is about understanding the world through the eyes of the people living in it—the motivations, belief systems, and relationships that make people who they are. That’s really the goal (and superpower) of social-science research.

The next time you are faced with a complex research question, remember this: The key to understanding might just lie in a conversation, a story, or a question that begins with why?

Are you grappling with a research question? Learn more about how Springtide can conduct research and analysis for your organization.

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