Do Qualitative Research Methods ‘Count’?

The Social Sciences have a long, established positivist tradition, employing quantitative methods. Our understanding of human behaviour owes a great deal to quantitative researchers who collect vast quantities of survey or other numerical data. Such data provide insights into different populations by way of cross-sectional data analysis and through longitudinal studies that demonstrate how populations adapt to changing contexts. There is therefore no denying the utility of such research methods. Useful as they are, quantitative methods nonetheless have their limitations. They do not tell us much about profoundly, human experiences. To more meaningfully explore the depths of the human dimension, social scientists are increasingly embracing qualitative methods. These methods focus on small numbers of participants as opposed to the hundreds or thousands (and sometimes hundreds of thousands) of respondents that quantitative researchers employ. We present an argument for the use of qualitative methods to better understand human behaviour, alone or in conjunction with quantitative methods. We offer postgraduate researchers practical strategies for selecting methods, designing studies, integrating mixed-methods frameworks and addressing challenges such as ethical considerations, data management and selecting appropriate software tools. Researchers new to qualitative methods will find that they enhance understanding of unique human experiences.