Evidence There are a number of established qualitative methods which you can include in any evaluation design, however large or small.
Examples of qualitative methods include:
- Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) – facilitated discussions designed to explore differing beliefs and perspectives among small groups (of 8-10 people) who have something in common with each other, including similar identities or experiences.
- In-depth interviews – researcher-led interviews with individuals to capture their opinions, perspectives and experiences using semi-structured lists of questions which allow space to explore issues, often in a conversational tone.
- Participatory workshops – facilitated interactive sessions incorporating a range of group exercises, often with a larger number of people than an FGD. Exercises vary and are often bespoke to a particular program’s M&E, including ranking, scaling, mapping, storytelling.
- Journaling – asking individuals or groups to capture things they witness or experience by keeping written diaries or taking videos or photographs.
- Vignettes – the use of fictional or anonymized stories to prompt reflection and discussion to surface people’s attitudes and beliefs.
- Participant observation – researchers recording data about what they observe in terms of people’s behaviours in various contexts.
