Qualitative Research in Psychology & Where to Learn More

Author: Emma Bumgardner, B.S., 2025-2026 Communications Chair

An Introduction to Qualitative Research (and Where to Learn More)
If most of your psychology training has focused on statistics, experiments, and surveys, qualitative research can feel like unfamiliar territory. Instead of testing hypotheses or calculating effect sizes, qualitative research asks questions like How do people experience this?, What meaning do they make of it?, and What gets lost when we only look at numbers?
For many areas of psychology, mainly clinical, forensic, health, and community work, qualitative research is an essential tool for understanding lived experience.

What Is Qualitative Research?
Qualitative research involves collecting non-numerical data such as interviews, focus groups, observations, or written narratives. Researchers analyze these data to identify patterns and themes rather than statistical relationships. Common qualitative approaches used in psychology include thematic analysis, grounded theory, narrative analysis, phenomenology, and case studies.
For students who are new to these methods, Introducing Qualitative Research: A Student’s Guide by Rosaline Barbour is a widely used and approachable introduction. Many universities also provide access to SAGE Research Methods, an online platform with tutorials and examples that walk through qualitative study design and analysis step by step.

 Learn more:

• SAGE Research Methods:
  https://methods.sagepub.com
• Barbour, Introducing Qualitative Research:
  https://methods.sagepub.com/book/mono/introducing-qualitative-research/toc#_

Why Qualitative Research Matters in Psychology
Quantitative research excels at identifying trends across large samples, but it often misses context. Qualitative methods allow researchers to center participants' voices, explore complexity, and examine the systems that shape behavior. This makes qualitative research especially valuable in areas such as mental health and legal systems, or at their intersection.

If you want to see how qualitative research looks in practice, the International Journal of Qualitative Methods publishes peer-reviewed qualitative studies across psychology and related fields. It is a great place to explore real examples of published work.

Explore qualitative research in action:

• International Journal of Qualitative Methods (journal homepage):
  https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ijq

Designing and Conducting Qualitative Studies
Designing a qualitative study starts with the research question. Rather than asking how many or how often, qualitative questions focus on meaning and experience. Decisions about sampling, data collection, and analysis are guided by the depth of understanding needed rather than by sample size.
Several university libraries host excellent free guides that explain qualitative methods in clear, student-friendly language:

• University of North Carolina – Qualitative Research Basics:
  https://guides.lib.unc.edu/qual/basics
• University of Michigan – Qualitative Research Guide:
  https://guides.lib.umich.edu/qualdata

These guides break down interviews, focus groups, case studies, and observational methods, making them especially helpful for students planning a first qualitative project.

Analyzing Qualitative Data
Qualitative analysis typically involves coding text data and identifying themes across participants. While this process can feel intimidating at first, it becomes manageable with practice and structure. Many students begin by coding in Word or Excel, while others use qualitative software such as Quirkos or NVivo.
For deeper dives into qualitative analysis, Basics of Qualitative Research by Corbin and Strauss and the APA’s Essentials of Qualitative Methods book series provide psychology-focused guidance on coding, theory development, and reflexivity, all of which are important concepts to understand before starting a qualitative study.

Helpful analysis resources:

• APA Essentials of Qualitative Methods (official APA Books series page):
  https://go.apa.org/qualitative-methods/
• Quirkos qualitative analysis software:
  https://www.quirkos.com

Getting Started as a Student
If you’re curious about qualitative research, the best place to start is small. Try conducting a short interview, transcribing a few pages, and practicing basic coding. Reading qualitative articles alongside method guides can help bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Most importantly, remember that qualitative research values transparency, reflexivity, and participant voice. These are strengths, not limitations, of the approach.
​
Final Thoughts
Qualitative research offers psychology students a powerful way to understand human behavior beyond numbers. Whether your interests lie in clinical work, forensic systems, health disparities, or community advocacy, qualitative methods provide tools for asking more profound questions and telling richer stories to help us better understand the experiences of individuals.