Qualitative
research uses abstract theories or ideas as the leading factor in taking a
study. From my review of qualitative articles showing the burdens, priorities,
and decision-making practices of patients with type one diabetes, I understood
the critical nature of qualitative research. Previously, I believed that
qualitative evidence was rigid and lacked extensiveness as it often focuses on
a small sample group. I also believed that the lack of statistical or numerical
data in undertaking qualitative research poses a significant limitation in
obtaining proper and viable results. The two qualitative articles, What’s
Distressing about Having Type 1 Diabetes? A Qualitative Study of Young Adults’
Perspectives, and Adult-Onset Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative
Study of Decision-Making Needs show that qualitative, unlike quantitative
research, focuses on the humanistic side of a research question.
The first article by Balfe et al. (2013), uses a small
sample of 32 participants from social media platforms. All these participants
suffer from type 1 diabetes. The study’s research problem was on the emotional
burdens caused by diabetes type 1 on young adults aged 23 to 30. From the
beginning of the research, the researchers already had a study question
(abstract idea) and an approximate number of participants. These two factors
are essential as they help set out the research design and increase its
efficiency. The Balfe et al. (2013) study was also timely due to its
utilization of a smaller sample size. The results from this article and many other
qualitative research studies aid in understanding the reasons behind people’s
behaviors (motivations), opinions, and perspectives. Additionally, these qualitative
articles help in understanding the research problem from the perspective of
society (Woodsong et al., 2011). Without this qualitative research study,
physicians and other healthcare workers would struggle in discerning why patients’
recovery from diabetes type 1 takes different routes and timelines (Jull et
al., 2016). Qualitative research also provides information on personal
experiences of the people in the research study.