Modified: 2007-01-31
Qualitative research is characterized by results that are presented in narrative form rather than quantitative form. Often, qualitative research is conducted in a naturalistic setting using interviews. In this chapter we cover interviews, focus groups, and oral history. However, qualitative research includes other methods such as ethnography, action research, and content analysis. For more comprehensive accounts of qualitative research, see Patton (2005), Silverman (2004), Michell (2004) or Berg (2001).
One of the more influential studies of structured interviews in America was by Clark and Clark (1940). Their work was cited by the United States Supreme Court in the 1954 landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education, a case that led to the desegregation of public schools in America. Their technique was to interview African–American and White children with the aid of two dolls, one brown and one white. Children of both races were much more likely to label the white doll as “nice” and the brown doll as “bad.” African–American children interviewed after looking at Black or White dolls preponderantly identified themselves as Black. Much of the data the Clarks collected came from structured interviews of children after they viewed the dolls. The following section explains structured and unstructured interviews. Interviews are a commonly used method of research.