What are the types of qualitative research?

There are many types of qualitative research. The following are five common approaches:

  • Ethnography: the researcher immerses themself in a group to understand its culture
  • Grounded theory: data are collected to create new theories that may guide additional data collection
  • Phenomenology: the experiences of individuals are used to study a phenomenon
  • Narrative research: the way stories are told is studied to understand human experiences
  • Action research: a problem is studied and solutions are generated simultaneously

Choosing the right approach depends on the research question you are studying.