Dr. Destiny Ramjohn Discusses When to Use Qualitative Methods

Published in multiple medical and psychological journals, Dr. Destiny Ramjohn is respected for her research and its contributions to medicine. Whether it’s community participatory-based research or qualitative research, Dr. Destiny Ramjohn must select the best method available to ascertain the most accurate results.

But how do you know when to use qualitative research or quantitative research?

Dr. Destiny Ramjohn explains, “Quantitative research answers the data by quantifying the information from a sample of the general population. On the other hand, qualitative research focuses on the motivations or underlying reasons behind an issue.”

Methods of qualitative research that Destiny Ramjohn has used include:

• Direct observation. This refers to the process of simply observing people in their natural setting without any interaction or interference as an outsider.
• Interviews. Whether these are in-depth, one-on-one, or semi-structured, Destiny Ramjohn has used interviews during her work on the field. It’s important that these follow a conversational flow by allowing the respondent to naturally guide the discussion.
• Immersion. This involves the researcher going into the setting to “get native” to better provide evaluation and analysis.

While there are many more methods of qualitative research, Destiny Ramjohn acknowledges that these are some of the most common techniques she utilizes. “With qualitative research we have the opportunity to identify subtle nuances, which aggregate into major implications for a social or sociomedical process. Furthermore, thanks to the flexibility in this field of research, we can always engage in investigations as the need arises and adapt our methods as new changes in our environment,” says Destiny Ramjohn.