Key Differences between Some Qualitative Research Designs

Narrative study vs phenomenology: Whereas a narrative study reports the life of a single individual, a phenomenological study describes the meaning for several individuals or their lived experiences of a concept or a phenomenon. Phenomenologists focus on describing what all participants have in common as they experience a phenomenon.

Phenomenology vs grounded theory: Phenomenology describes the experience of a number of individuals, whereas the intent of a grounded theory study is to move beyond the description, and to generate or discover a theory.

Grounded theory vs ethnomethodology: Although a grounded theory researcher develops a theory by examinating many individuals who share the same process, action, or interaction, the study participants are not likely to be located in the same place or interacting on so frequent a basis that they develop shared patterns of behaviour, beliefs, and language. These shared patterns are at the focus of ethnomethodology, and entire cultural group (not only 20 or so individuals) are needed for it.

Case study vs ethnomethodology: An entire culture-sharing group in ethnomethodology may be considered a case, but the intent in ethnomethodology is to determine how the culture works rather than to understand an issue or a problem using the case as its specific illustration.