Types of Qualitative Research Questions

Marshall and Rossman (1989) identified four qualitative research question types, each with its own typical research strategy and methods:

• Exploratory questions: these questions are used when relatively little is known about the research topic. The researchers usually interview participants, hold focus groups, or a case study to delve deeper into the phenomena.
• Explanatory questions: the research topic is approached with the aim to understand the causes lying behind phenomena. Multiple interconnected factors that have influenced a particular group or area are analysed
• Descriptive questions: these questions aim to document and record what is happening, and in order to answer them, researchers might interact directly with participants using surveys and interviews or observational and etnography studies that collect data on how participants interract with their wider environment.
• Predictive questions: these questions start from the phenomena of interest and investigate their future ramifications. They may involve looking back as well as forward. The researchers use content analysis, questionnaires, and studies of non-verbal communication.