Qualitative methods

Abstract

The main goal of the chapter is to present how to use qualitative methods in sustainability research. First, the theoretical basis of the methods is presented, i.e., the essence of qualitative methods, what differs them from quantitative methods, and their types. The second part of this chapter covers designing and conducting a focus group interview (FGI): its essence and main stages, sampling, projection techniques and the script, as well as it contains the case study of ecological culture of Bulgarians. The third part presents considerations necessary to conduct a qualitative research, i.e., the organizational aspects of FGI and the guidelines for the work of the moderator. Finally, the last part shows considerations concerning data analysis—using CAQDAS software.

Untitled

“…We want to discover why in the pandemic people changed their purchasing behavior or why they did not. Focus groups interviews (FGIs) were chosen as a method of collecting data for this purpose, because it enables to discover the way how and why customers think and decide (Olejnik, Reshetkova, 2021). Basic research questions were asked about the new purchasing e-grocery model in the Polish market.…”