Abstract
Qualitative methods focus on understanding the meaning underlying an intention, action, object or phenomenon. In other words, researchers adopting qualitative methods aim to develop an understanding, an interpretation, of the way in which those they study understand their actions and the context in which they act. In political science research, qualitative methods are usually contrasted with quantitative methods, which typically deal with large amounts of data, using surveys and statistical methods, with the aim of establishing causal relationships between social phenomena.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Political Science |
Editors | Hans Keman, Jaap J Woldendorp |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
Publisher | Edward Elgar Publishing |
Pages | 309-322 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Edition | 1 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781784710811 |
Publication status | Published - 30 Dec 2016 |