Qualitative research uses exploratory techniques to gather non-numerical data. The data is used to explain underlying reasons, motivations or opinions behind the research problem (Babbie, 2017). The research is steered by research purpose and questions. The research questions ought to align with the chosen data collection technique. The alignment is crucial to ensure the reliability of the research findings. An evaluation of the research article provided will provide an insight into the orientation of the study components.
Evaluation of the Research Questions
The research questions were a logical extension of the study purpose. The study aimed to understand the mobility issues faced by the elderly in the suburbs from a qualitative viewpoint. The study sought to comprehend how older people retain mobility in their neighborhood despite reduced mobility as they age (Lord, Després, & Ramadier, 2011). The research questions informed the study purpose further by asking critical issues related to elderly mobility. For instance, the second research question sought to understand the impact of car-dependent mobility on the elderly.
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Also, the research questions align with study approach selected and the data collection method. The researchers used questionnaires to collect the non-numerical data. The research questions served to inform the structure of the questionnaires. For instance, the questionnaires were open-ended, which allowed the participants to speak freely about their daily activities. The research questions were also open-ended and aligned with the data collection approach. The research questions even begin with words such as "what" and "how". The first and third research questions began with what and how, respectively (Lord, Després, & Ramadier, 2011). These words give the questions an exploratory approach to understand the research problem. The questions also used non-directional language and identified the research participants.
A narrative research approach was primarily used by the researchers to conduct the study (Creswell, 2007). The researchers explored the lives of older people in the suburbs. The researchers used open-ended questionnaires that allowed the elderly to give details of their daily activities. The approach gave the researchers a deeper understanding of the lives of the elderly. The qualitative data was then used to answer the research questions posed at the onset of the study.
There is a logical alignment of the various study components. The conceptual framework postulates the undeniable issues related to mobility that come with aging. The experience of senior citizens at home in the suburbs and how it impacts their movement was the central research problem. The research purpose and questions sought to address this problem by conducting a study on elderly individuals. The research question identifies several dimensions to the problem. These dimensions were then used to structure questionnaires that sought to acquire qualitative data to understand the research problem.
References
Babbie, E. (2017). Basics of social research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Five qualitative approaches to inquiry. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches, 2, 53-80.
Lord, S., Després, C., & Ramadier, T. (2011). When mobility makes sense: A qualitative and longitudinal study of the daily mobility of the elderly. Journal of Environmental psychology, 31(1), 52-61.
