0 Decision to write a thesis

Any meaningful outcome had a beginning.
3
Even if it is difficult, writing a thesis is worth it.
4
A thesis comes from logical thinking.
6

1. Characteristics of qualitative research

Natural Sciences vs. Human Sciences 13
Qualitative research places value on new discoveries.
14
16 Aspects to Consider When Writing a Qualitative Paper
Title 17
Green 17
Introduction 18
Literature Review 18
Research Methods: Data Collection 18
Research Methods: Analysis 20
Result 20
Discussion 21
Conclusion 22

2 Research topics and issues

What to study? 25
Try making a sentence out of your research topic.
28
Connect personal curiosity to a problem.
29
Connect problem awareness to specific research objectives.
30
Let's organize the research objectives into research questions.
33
Example 34 Research Purposes and Research Questions

3 Literature Review

Literature reviews add scholarly value to research.
39
It does not simply summarize and list existing research.
40
Organize your thoughts while reading the paper.
42
Set the scope of the literature review appropriately.
43

4 Paradigms and Theoretical Frameworks

A researcher's paradigm is the researcher's worldview or philosophical assumptions.
47
Postpositivism assumes a single reality.
48
Constructivism and interpretivism recognize differences in interpretation depending on the point of view.
Paradigms are difficult to clearly distinguish.
53
It is impossible to see the world as it is.
53
Mention the theoretical framework.
55
The theoretical framework can gradually become clearer during the data collection and analysis process.
58
Example 61 of a theoretical framework mentioned in a paper
Is the theoretical framework important even in research that develops theory inductively?

5 Methodological Approaches

The methodologies are both similar and different, which can be confusing.
69
Qualitative research fundamentally focuses on cases rather than variables.
71
How you study a case determines your methodology.
72
Case Studies and Basic Qualitative Research 79

6 Sampling and Participant Selection

Decide what data to collect.
87
Establish criteria for selecting participants.
87
Recruit participants ethically.
91
Example 95 of the participant recruitment process

7 Observations

Observation is an important data collection method.
103
Field notes are written in detail.
105
Observations and interview questions influence each other.
109
Organize your analysis ideas through observation.
111

8 Interviews

In-depth interviews, trust with the participant is important.
119
Advance preparation is important.
120
Example Interview Questions 124
Interviews are conducted flexibly according to the situation.
126
Have the proper format.
131
Ask fewer questions and use probing questions well.
133
Look at the nonverbal aspect.
136
Interviewing is a process of interpretation, and cognitive empathy is 138 important.
140 Tips for Doing a Good Interview
Listen to a variety of opinions on the topic.
142

9. Collection of other materials

Use documents or visual aids.
147
Use a vignette.
149
Use qualitative surveys.
152
Take notes during the data collection process.
153

10 Researcher Reflections

Reveals the researcher's position.
157
The researcher's subjective experience is linked to insight.
158
Maintain a reflective attitude.
161
Example 162: Researcher's Position and Reflection Revealed

11 Preparation for Analysis

Understand basic analysis methods.
169
Once you collect the data, document it immediately.
170
Reaffirm your research question.
171
The use of qualitative data analysis software is optional for researchers.
172

12 Coding

Read the material several times.
177
Understand and use terms such as code, category, and theme consistently, but don't get hung up on the terminology.
Coding is the process of creating information from collected data.
181
Inductive, deductive, or eclectic coding 183
Example 186 of an Inductive Coding Process
Example 187 of a Deductive Coding Process
Example 189 of Using Theory in Coding
It's not the number of codes that matters, but whether the code is useful for analysis.
Compare and group codes.
195
Research questions or methodology may change midway.
196

13 Theme composition

Look at it from a distance and take a broad perspective.
201
Note-taking is key to organizing themes.
201
Connect the codes visually and draw a theme map.
205
Review themes 207
Themes are like the table of contents of a book.
208

14 In-Depth Analysis

Create a table and compare various things.
213
If necessary, present it in simple numbers.
214
Let's try to categorize it.
217
The results are explained theoretically.
218
Attempt to generalize the results.
220

15 Avoiding Faulty Inferences

Be aware of confirmation bias in the reasoning process.
227
Question your own judgment.
228
Actively seek out negative examples.
229
Collect enough data.
231
Listen to the opinions of many people.
232
Don't confuse the theme with the area you initially set.
234
The theme must be three-dimensional.
236
The theme is finalized after sufficient discussion and review.
238

16 Validity

The question of validity is not simple.
243
Tracy's Eight Comprehensive Aspects 244
Example 249 of Validity Techniques

17 Discussion and Conclusion

A discussion is a conversation with experts.
255
Explain the significance of the research.
256
Topics covered in the discussion 258
Example 260 of the discussion
Write a conclusion and finish.
264

18 Academic Writing

Reading a lot of other people's writing doesn't automatically improve your own writing.
271
Understand the structure of the paper.
272
Emotional appeals are avoided as much as possible.
273
It is written in parentheses.
274
Anticipate and address readers' objections in advance.
275

19 Creative Writing

Qualitative researchers are storytellers.
281
Try using literary writing.
282
Use your imagination.
284
Pictures and images can help convey what words cannot.
286

20 Paper Review

Make good use of thesis review.
291

21

The End is Another Beginning 293

Reference 296

Before the main text

The process of writing a thesis is never easy.
This book was started with the hope that it would be of some help to beginning qualitative researchers who are struggling with the writing of their papers.
Writing a thesis is an important starting point for a new journey in graduate school.
You learn and grow a lot along the way, but at the same time you face countless challenges.
In this book, I tried to explain that journey by comparing it to the adventures of the protagonist of a tarot card.

The protagonist in the Tarot card sets out on a journey to find something new, and through various experiences and trials, ultimately builds his own world.
But that world is not complete, but rather the beginning of another journey.
Likewise, the process of writing a paper is not the end, but rather the starting point of new research.

Each chapter in this book systematically explains what is required to write a qualitative research paper, and we have tried to provide a wealth of relevant real-world research cases.
For novice researchers, theoretical explanations alone may not be enough, so we focused on helping them see how they are implemented in actual research papers.
I sincerely hope that this book will serve as a small stepping stone for you, the readers, to grow as researchers.

2025.
january
Han Yu-ri