Can Qualitative Research be Rigorous? Part 2: The Value of Qualitative Research Methods for Impact Evaluation
For
the remaining segments of this series, I’m going to specifically focus on the
role of qualitative research in the context of impact evaluation. It is often
the case that qualitative methods go under-appreciated in this context – after
all, the focus is usually on outcomes – and it’s not always obvious how
qualitative research can contribute. Yet, qualitative research methods can be
incredibly useful for impact evaluations. In this section, I’ll discuss a few
ways in which qualitative research can help make an impact evaluation stronger.
Briefly, let’s consider why qualitative information is useful in the first place.
Anyone who has had the dissatisfaction of receiving a single score on a written exam, essay or performance evaluation, with no further explanation, can probably understand the value of qualitative information. Let’s say this score was high, for example 98 out of 100. Not so bad, you think to yourself, and maybe you don’t worry too much about it. But still, some small pa…
Briefly, let’s consider why qualitative information is useful in the first place.
Anyone who has had the dissatisfaction of receiving a single score on a written exam, essay or performance evaluation, with no further explanation, can probably understand the value of qualitative information. Let’s say this score was high, for example 98 out of 100. Not so bad, you think to yourself, and maybe you don’t worry too much about it. But still, some small pa…