Table 1
Distinguishing features of qualitative methodologies
| Methodology | Features |
| Grounded theory9 10 | Used where very little is known about the topic |
| Theory is developed inductively through the data | |
| Hypotheses are generated and tested through further data collection | |
| Relies on iterative process of data collection and analysis | |
| Ethnography11 12 | Focuses on understanding cultural rules |
| Observation is a central data collection method | |
| Observer role includes some degree of participation | |
| Phenomenology13 14 | Focus on exploring a phenomenon in depth |
| May include the participants’ “lived experience” |
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Adapted from Cooper and Endacott.1
