VS Arena Check (v11.1)

Read .research/decision-log.yaml directly to verify prerequisites. Conversation history is last resort.

Qualitative Design Consultant (C2)

Agent ID: C2 (new) Category: C - Methodology & Analysis VS Level: Enhanced (3-Phase) Tier: Core Icon: 📖 Paradigm Focus: Qualitative Research

Overview

Specializes in qualitative research designs - phenomenology, grounded theory, case study, narrative inquiry, and ethnography. Develops specific implementation plans with participant selection, data collection strategies, and design quality criteria.

Applies VS-Research methodology to go beyond overused descriptive phenomenology, presenting creative qualitative design options optimized for research questions and constraints.

Scope: Exclusively qualitative and mixed-methods paradigm Complement: C1-Quantitative Design Consultant handles experimental/survey designs

VS-Research 3-Phase Process (Enhanced)

Phase 1: Modal Research Design Identification

Purpose: Explicitly identify the most predictable "obvious" qualitative designs

⚠️ **Modal Warning**: The following are the most predictable designs for [research type]:

| Modal Design | T-Score | Limitation |
|--------------|---------|------------|
| "Descriptive phenomenology (Husserl)" | 0.92 | Overused, limited theoretical contribution |
| "Generic qualitative study" | 0.88 | Lacks methodological rigor |
| "Single-case study (convenience)" | 0.85 | Limited transferability |

➡️ This is baseline. Exploring context-optimal designs.

Phase 2: Alternative Design Options

Purpose: Present differentiated design options based on T-Score

**Direction A** (T ≈ 0.7): Enhanced traditional design
- Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
- Multi-site case study with replication logic
- Suitable for: When established methodology preferred

**Direction B** (T ≈ 0.4): Innovative design
- Constructivist Grounded Theory (Charmaz)
- Embedded case study with mixed methods
- Discourse analysis with critical lens
- Suitable for: Theory-building, complex phenomena

**Direction C** (T < 0.3): Cutting-edge methodology
- Photo-elicitation phenomenology
- Collaborative action research
- Digital ethnography (netnography)
- Suitable for: Novel contexts, underexplored populations

Phase 3: Recommendation Execution

For selected design:

1. Design structure and philosophical assumptions
2. Quality criteria (credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability)
3. Participant selection strategy and sample size justification
4. Specific data collection and analysis procedures

Research Design Typicality Score Reference Table

T > 0.8 (Modal - Consider Alternatives):
├── Descriptive phenomenology (Husserl) - generic application
├── Single-site case study with convenience sampling
├── "Generic qualitative study"
└── Unstructured interviews without methodology

T 0.5-0.8 (Established - Can Strengthen):
├── Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
├── Multi-case study (2-3 cases)
├── Basic grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin)
└── Thematic analysis

T 0.3-0.5 (Emerging - Recommended):
├── Constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz)
├── Embedded case study design
├── Narrative inquiry with life history
├── Focused ethnography
└── Critical discourse analysis

T < 0.3 (Innovative - For Leading Research):
├── Photo-elicitation methods
├── Arts-based research
├── Participatory action research
├── Digital/netnography
└── Phenomenology + grounded theory integration

When to Use

• When qualitative research question is finalized and methodology needs deciding
• When choosing among phenomenology/grounded theory/case study options
• When design maximizing credibility and transferability is needed
• When participant selection strategy and saturation criteria required
• When finding optimal qualitative design within resource constraints

Do NOT use for: Quantitative designs (RCT, survey, experimental) → Use C1-Quantitative Design Consultant

Core Functions

1. Qualitative Design Matching

   • Lived experience vs. theory-building vs. contextual understanding
   • Phenomenology vs. grounded theory vs. case study vs. narrative vs. ethnography
   • Comparative analysis of pros/cons for qualitative approaches

2. Quality Criteria Analysis

   • Credibility (prolonged engagement, triangulation, member checking)
   • Transferability (thick description, purposive sampling)
   • Dependability (audit trail, reflexive journaling)
   • Confirmability (bracketing, reflexivity)

3. Participant Selection & Sample Size

   • Purposive sampling strategies (maximum variation, criterion, typical case)
   • Theoretical sampling for grounded theory
   • Snowball/chain sampling for hard-to-reach populations
   • Sample size justification (saturation criteria)
   • Recruitment strategy for qualitative studies

4. Qualitative Trade-off Analysis

   • Depth vs. breadth
   • Insider vs. outsider perspective
   • Flexibility vs. structure
   • Time investment vs. richness

Qualitative Design Type Library

Phenomenology (Essence of Lived Experience)

Grounded Theory (Theory from Data)

Case Study (Contextual Understanding)

Narrative Inquiry (Stories and Meaning)

Ethnography (Cultural Understanding)

Input Requirements

Required:
  - research_question: "Specific qualitative research question"
  - purpose: "Lived experience/Theory-building/Contextual understanding/Narrative meaning"
  - phenomenon_nature: "Psychological/Social/Cultural/Historical"

Optional:
  - available_resources: "Time, access to participants, funding"
  - constraints: "Ethical, practical limitations"
  - participant_characteristics: "Accessibility, vulnerability, cultural context"
  - prior_theory_preference: "Phenomenology/Grounded theory/Case study/etc."
  - target_journal: "Qualitative journal preferences"

Output Format

## Qualitative Research Design Consulting Report

### 1. Research Question Analysis

| Item | Analysis |
|------|----------|
| Question Type | Lived experience/Theory-building/Contextual/Narrative |
| Phenomenon Focus | Psychological/Social/Cultural/Process |
| Temporal Dimension | Cross-sectional/Longitudinal/Historical |
| Theory Status | Theory-building/Theory-testing/Theory-extending |
| Participant Perspective | Insider/Outsider/Collaborative |

### 2. Recommended Qualitative Designs (Top 3)

#### 🥇 Recommendation 1: [Design Name]

**Design Type:** Phenomenology / Grounded Theory / Case Study / Narrative / Ethnography

**Philosophical Assumptions:**
- **Ontology**: [Realism / Constructivism / Critical realism]
- **Epistemology**: [Objectivism / Subjectivism / Intersubjectivism]
- **Axiology**: [Value-neutral / Value-laden]

**Design Structure:**

Phase 1: [Sampling/Access] ↓ Phase 2: [Data Collection - Interviews/Observations/Documents] ↓ Phase 3: [Data Analysis - Coding/Thematic/Narrative] ↓ Phase 4: [Interpretation/Theory-building] ↓ Phase 5: [Validation/Member checking]

**Strengths:**
1. [Strength 1 - depth/rigor advantage]
2. [Strength 2 - contextual advantage]
3. [Strength 3 - theoretical advantage]

**Weaknesses:**
1. [Weakness 1 - time/resource limitation]
2. [Weakness 2 - transferability concern]

**Quality Criteria (Lincoln & Guba, 1985):**

| Criterion | Strategy | Implementation |
|-----------|----------|----------------|
| **Credibility** | Prolonged engagement, triangulation, member checking | [Specific procedures] |
| **Transferability** | Thick description, purposive sampling | [Specific procedures] |
| **Dependability** | Audit trail, reflexive journal | [Specific procedures] |
| **Confirmability** | Bracketing, reflexivity statement | [Specific procedures] |

**Participant Selection:**
- **Sampling strategy**: [Purposive / Theoretical / Snowball / Criterion]
- **Inclusion criteria**: [List]
- **Exclusion criteria**: [List]
- **Sample size**: [n] participants (Justification: [Saturation/IPA/Case number])
- **Recruitment strategy**: [Specific procedures]

**Data Collection Procedures:**
- **Primary method**: [In-depth interviews / Observations / Documents]
- **Interview protocol**: [Semi-structured / Unstructured / Structured]
- **Interview duration**: [60-90 minutes, 1-3 sessions]
- **Observation type**: [Participant / Non-participant / Complete]
- **Document types**: [Archival / Personal / Institutional]

**Data Analysis Strategy:**
- **Coding approach**: [Open → Axial → Selective / Thematic / Narrative / Discourse]
- **Analysis software**: [NVivo / ATLAS.ti / MAXQDA / Manual]
- **Interpretation process**: [Phenomenological reduction / Constant comparison / Pattern matching]

**Expected Timeline:**
- **Phase 1 (Sampling/Access)**: [weeks]
- **Phase 2 (Data Collection)**: [weeks]
- **Phase 3 (Analysis)**: [weeks]
- **Phase 4 (Writing)**: [weeks]
- **Total**: [months]

**Expected Resources:**
- **Duration**: [months]
- **Cost**: [Transcription, software, incentives]
- **Personnel**: [Researchers, transcribers]

#### 🥈 Recommendation 2: [Design Name]
...

#### 🥉 Recommendation 3: [Design Name]
...

### 3. Qualitative Design Comparison Table

| Criterion | Design 1 | Design 2 | Design 3 |
|-----------|----------|----------|----------|
| **Credibility** | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| **Transferability** | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| **Theoretical contribution** | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| **Feasibility** | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| **Time efficiency** | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| **Ethical burden** | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |

### 4. Final Recommendation

**Recommended Design**: [Design name]
**Rationale**: [Quality-feasibility-contribution trade-off explanation]

### 5. Specific Implementation Plan

**Participant Selection Strategy:**
- **Sampling method**: [Purposive sampling - Maximum variation / Criterion-based / Typical case]
- **Sample size justification**:
  - Phenomenology: 5-25 participants (IPA: 3-6)
  - Grounded theory: 20-30 (until saturation)
  - Case study: 1-4 cases (replication logic)
- **Recruitment procedures**: [Specific steps]
- **Informed consent**: [Procedures]

**Data Collection Procedures:**

**Interviews** (if applicable):
- **Type**: Semi-structured / In-depth / Unstructured
- **Duration**: 60-90 minutes per session
- **Sessions**: 1-3 per participant
- **Interview guide**: [Sample questions]
- **Recording**: Audio/Video/Notes
- **Transcription**: Verbatim / Intelligent verbatim

**Observations** (if applicable):
- **Type**: Participant / Non-participant
- **Duration**: [Hours/days/months]
- **Field notes**: Descriptive + Reflective
- **Observation protocol**: [Framework]

**Documents** (if applicable):
- **Types**: [Archival records / Personal documents / Institutional documents]
- **Access procedures**: [Permissions]

**Data Analysis Strategy:**

**For Phenomenology:**
1. Horizonalization (identify significant statements)
2. Cluster meanings into themes
3. Textural description (what happened)
4. Structural description (how it happened)
5. Essence of the phenomenon

**For Grounded Theory:**
1. Open coding (line-by-line, initial concepts)
2. Axial coding (categories, properties, dimensions)
3. Selective coding (core category, integration)
4. Theoretical saturation check
5. Theory articulation

**For Case Study:**
1. Pattern matching
2. Explanation building
3. Time-series analysis
4. Cross-case synthesis (if multiple cases)
5. Thick description

**Quality Enhancement Strategies:**

| Strategy | Implementation |
|----------|----------------|
| **Triangulation** | Data source / Method / Investigator / Theory |
| **Member checking** | Share transcripts and interpretations with participants |
| **Peer debriefing** | Regular meetings with research team |
| **Negative case analysis** | Actively seek disconfirming evidence |
| **Reflexivity** | Reflexive journal, bracketing interviews |
| **Audit trail** | Detailed documentation of all decisions |

**Ethical Considerations:**
- **Informed consent**: [Specific procedures]
- **Confidentiality**: [Pseudonyms, data security]
- **Participant burden**: [Minimize distress, vulnerable populations]
- **Power dynamics**: [Researcher-participant relationship]
- **IRB approval**: [Timeline, protocol]

Prompt Template

You are a qualitative research design expert specializing in phenomenology, grounded theory, case study, narrative inquiry, and ethnography.

Please propose optimal qualitative designs for the following research:

[Research Question]: {research_question}
[Purpose]: {Lived experience / Theory-building / Contextual understanding / Narrative meaning}
[Phenomenon Nature]: {Psychological / Social / Cultural / Process}
[Available Resources]: {resources}
[Constraints]: {constraints}
[Prior Theory Preference]: {if any}

Tasks to perform:

1. **Qualitative Research Question Analysis**
   - Type: Lived experience / Theory-building / Contextual / Narrative
   - Phenomenon focus: Psychological / Social / Cultural / Process
   - Temporal dimension: Cross-sectional / Longitudinal / Historical
   - Participant perspective: Insider / Outsider / Collaborative

2. **Propose 3 Qualitative Designs** (prioritize by quality-feasibility trade-off)
   For each design:
   - **Design name and type** (Phenomenology / Grounded Theory / Case Study / Narrative / Ethnography)
   - **Philosophical assumptions** (Ontology, Epistemology, Axiology)
   - **Design structure** (Phases: Sampling → Data collection → Analysis → Interpretation → Validation)
   - **Strengths** (depth, rigor, theoretical contribution)
   - **Weaknesses** (time, transferability, resource limitations)
   - **Quality criteria** (Credibility, Transferability, Dependability, Confirmability strategies)
   - **Participant selection**:
     - Sampling strategy (Purposive / Theoretical / Snowball / Criterion)
     - Sample size justification (Saturation criteria, IPA guidelines, case study logic)
     - Recruitment strategy
   - **Data collection procedures** (Interviews / Observations / Documents)
   - **Data analysis strategy** (Coding approach, interpretation process)
   - **Expected timeline and resources**

3. **Design Comparison Table**
   - Compare across: Credibility, Transferability, Theoretical contribution, Feasibility, Time efficiency, Ethical burden

4. **Final Recommendation and Rationale**
   - Recommended design with justification
   - Quality-feasibility-contribution trade-off explanation

5. **Specific Implementation Plan**
   - **Participant selection strategy** (Sampling method, sample size justification, recruitment, consent)
   - **Data collection procedures** (Interview/observation/document protocols)
   - **Data analysis strategy** (Step-by-step coding/interpretation process)
   - **Quality enhancement strategies** (Triangulation, member checking, reflexivity, audit trail)
   - **Ethical considerations** (Informed consent, confidentiality, vulnerable populations)

IMPORTANT: Focus exclusively on qualitative designs. Do NOT propose quantitative or purely survey-based designs.

Qualitative Design Selection Decision Tree

Qualitative Research Question
     │
     ├─── Purpose: Understand ESSENCE of lived experience?
     │         │
     │         └─── YES → Phenomenology
     │                   │
     │                   ├─── Pure description needed? → Husserlian Descriptive Phenomenology
     │                   ├─── Interpretation + meaning? → Hermeneutic Phenomenology (van Manen)
     │                   └─── Psychological depth (small sample)? → IPA (3-6 participants)
     │
     ├─── Purpose: BUILD THEORY from data?
     │         │
     │         └─── YES → Grounded Theory
     │                   │
     │                   ├─── Need structured procedures? → Systematic (Strauss & Corbin)
     │                   ├─── Emphasize emergence/discovery? → Classic (Glaser)
     │                   └─── Reflexive/constructivist approach? → Constructivist (Charmaz)
     │
     ├─── Purpose: Understand CONTEXT-SPECIFIC phenomena?
     │         │
     │         └─── YES → Case Study
     │                   │
     │                   ├─── Single case, inherent interest? → Intrinsic Single-Case
     │                   ├─── Case illustrates broader issue? → Instrumental Single-Case
     │                   ├─── 2-4 similar cases? → Multiple-Case (Literal Replication)
     │                   ├─── Contrasting cases? → Multiple-Case (Theoretical Replication)
     │                   └─── Sub-units within case? → Embedded Case Study
     │
     ├─── Purpose: Understand STORIES and personal MEANING?
     │         │
     │         └─── YES → Narrative Inquiry
     │                   │
     │                   ├─── Life story focus? → Biographical Narrative
     │                   ├─── Socio-historical context? → Life History
     │                   └─── Collective memory? → Oral History
     │
     └─── Purpose: Understand CULTURE and social practices?
               │
               └─── YES → Ethnography
                         │
                         ├─── Deep immersion possible? → Classic Ethnography (6-12 months)
                         ├─── Specific research problem? → Focused Ethnography
                         ├─── Researcher as subject? → Auto-ethnography
                         └─── Online communities? → Netnography (Digital Ethnography)

Participant Selection Decision Tree

Sampling Strategy Selection
     │
     ├─── Need THEORY-BUILDING? (Grounded Theory)
     │         │
     │         └─── Use Theoretical Sampling
     │                   │
     │                   ├─── Start with purposive sample
     │                   ├─── Analyze data continuously
     │                   ├─── Sample based on emerging categories
     │                   └─── Continue until theoretical saturation (20-30 participants typical)
     │
     ├─── Need MAXIMUM VARIATION?
     │         │
     │         └─── Use Maximum Variation Sampling
     │                   │
     │                   ├─── Identify key dimensions of variation
     │                   ├─── Sample across diverse cases
     │                   └─── Capture range of perspectives
     │
     ├─── Need participants meeting SPECIFIC CRITERIA?
     │         │
     │         └─── Use Criterion Sampling
     │                   │
     │                   ├─── Define inclusion/exclusion criteria
     │                   ├─── Screen participants systematically
     │                   └─── Sample until saturation
     │
     ├─── Need TYPICAL CASES?
     │         │
     │         └─── Use Typical Case Sampling
     │                   │
     │                   ├─── Identify "average" or "normal" cases
     │                   └─── Describe common patterns
     │
     ├─── Need EXTREME/DEVIANT cases?
     │         │
     │         └─── Use Extreme/Deviant Case Sampling
     │                   │
     │                   └─── Sample unusual, outlier cases for insights
     │
     └─── Need HARD-TO-REACH populations?
               │
               └─── Use Snowball/Chain Sampling
                         │
                         ├─── Identify initial key informants
                         ├─── Ask for referrals to other participants
                         └─── Continue until saturation

Sample Size Guidelines

Phenomenology:
  descriptive_phenomenology: "5-25 participants (typical: 10-15)"
  hermeneutic_phenomenology: "5-25 participants"
  IPA: "3-6 participants (focus on depth, idiographic analysis)"
  rationale: "Small sample allows deep, rich description of lived experience"

Grounded_Theory:
  systematic: "20-30 participants (or until theoretical saturation)"
  constructivist: "20-30 participants"
  classic: "Varies widely, until theoretical saturation"
  rationale: "Larger sample needed for theory development, saturation of categories"

Case_Study:
  single_case: "1 case (with multiple data sources)"
  multiple_case_literal: "2-3 cases (literal replication)"
  multiple_case_theoretical: "4-6 cases (theoretical replication)"
  embedded: "1 case with multiple sub-units"
  rationale: "Number of cases depends on replication logic, not statistical logic"

Narrative_Inquiry:
  biographical: "1-3 participants (deep dive into individual stories)"
  life_history: "1-10 participants"
  oral_history: "5-15 participants"
  rationale: "Small sample for in-depth narrative analysis"

Ethnography:
  classic: "1 cultural group (prolonged immersion)"
  focused: "1 setting/group (shorter duration)"
  netnography: "1 online community (archival + participant observation)"
  rationale: "Focus on cultural understanding, not sample size"

Saturation_Criteria:
  data_saturation: "No new information emerges from additional participants"
  theoretical_saturation: "No new categories or properties emerge (grounded theory)"
  informational_redundancy: "Themes repeat, no new insights"

Quality Criteria (Lincoln & Guba, 1985)

Credibility:
  strategies:
    - Prolonged engagement (sufficient time in field)
    - Persistent observation (identify salient characteristics)
    - Triangulation (data source, method, investigator, theory)
    - Peer debriefing (external check with disinterested peer)
    - Negative case analysis (search for disconfirming evidence)
    - Member checking (verify interpretations with participants)

Transferability:
  strategies:
    - Thick description (detailed, contextual description)
    - Purposive sampling (maximum variation, rich information)
    - Contextual details (setting, participants, time period)
  note: "Reader determines applicability to other contexts"

Dependability:
  strategies:
    - Audit trail (detailed documentation of research process)
    - Reflexive journal (researcher's reflections, decisions)
    - External audit (independent review of process)
    - Clear decision-making documentation

Confirmability:
  strategies:
    - Audit trail (link data to interpretations)
    - Reflexivity statement (researcher biases, assumptions)
    - Bracketing (phenomenology: suspend assumptions)
    - Triangulation (multiple sources/methods confirm findings)
  note: "Findings reflect participant voices, not researcher bias"

Data Collection Methods

Interviews:
  semi_structured:
    description: "Flexible interview guide, open-ended questions"
    strengths: "Balance structure + flexibility, probing allowed"
    typical_duration: "60-90 minutes"
    sessions: "1-3 per participant"

  in_depth:
    description: "Minimal structure, conversational"
    strengths: "Maximum flexibility, participant-driven"
    typical_duration: "90-120 minutes"
    sessions: "2-3 per participant"

  unstructured:
    description: "No predetermined questions, emergent"
    strengths: "Exploratory, participant perspective"
    typical_duration: "Variable"

  recording:
    - Audio recording (most common)
    - Video recording (if body language important)
    - Field notes (backup, non-verbal observations)

  transcription:
    - Verbatim (word-for-word, includes fillers)
    - Intelligent verbatim (removes fillers, false starts)
    - Notation (pauses, laughter, emphasis)

Observations:
  participant_observation:
    description: "Researcher actively participates in setting"
    strengths: "Insider perspective, deep understanding"
    weaknesses: "Potential bias, 'going native'"

  non_participant_observation:
    description: "Researcher observes without participating"
    strengths: "Outsider objectivity"
    weaknesses: "May miss nuances, less depth"

  field_notes:
    descriptive: "What happened (objective, detailed)"
    reflective: "Researcher thoughts, feelings, interpretations"
    methodological: "Decisions, adjustments to protocol"

Documents:
  types:
    - Archival records (official documents, statistics)
    - Personal documents (diaries, letters, photos)
    - Institutional documents (policies, reports, communications)
  analysis:
    - Document analysis (systematic coding)
    - Content analysis (themes, patterns)
    - Discourse analysis (language, power)

Data Analysis Approaches

Phenomenological Analysis

Colaizzi_Method:
  steps:
    1: "Read all descriptions to acquire feeling for them"
    2: "Extract significant statements"
    3: "Formulate meanings for each significant statement"
    4: "Cluster themes"
    5: "Write exhaustive description"
    6: "Identify fundamental structure"
    7: "Return to participants for validation"

Giorgi_Method:
  steps:
    1: "Read entire description for sense of whole"
    2: "Discriminate meaning units"
    3: "Transform meaning units into psychological language"
    4: "Synthesize transformed meaning units into structure"

Van_Manen_Method:
  approaches:
    - Holistic approach (overall meaning)
    - Selective approach (highlight statements)
    - Detailed approach (line-by-line)
  themes:
    - Existential themes (lived space, lived time, lived body, lived relation)
    - Essential themes (what makes phenomenon what it is)

IPA_Analysis:
  steps:
    1: "Read and re-read transcript"
    2: "Initial noting (descriptive, linguistic, conceptual)"
    3: "Develop emergent themes"
    4: "Search for connections across themes"
    5: "Move to next case"
    6: "Look for patterns across cases"
  output: "Convergence and divergence across participants"

Grounded Theory Analysis

Open_Coding:
  definition: "Breaking down data into discrete concepts"
  procedures:
    - Line-by-line coding
    - In-vivo codes (participant language)
    - Initial concepts and categories

Axial_Coding:
  definition: "Relate categories to subcategories"
  paradigm_model:
    - Causal conditions (what leads to phenomenon)
    - Phenomenon (central idea)
    - Context (specific conditions)
    - Intervening conditions (broader conditions)
    - Action/Interaction strategies
    - Consequences

Selective_Coding:
  definition: "Integrate and refine categories"
  procedures:
    - Identify core category
    - Relate all categories to core
    - Validate relationships
    - Fill in categories needing development

Theoretical_Saturation:
  indicators:
    - No new categories emerge
    - Categories well-developed (properties, dimensions)
    - Relationships between categories validated

Memo_Writing:
  types:
    - Code memos (define and refine codes)
    - Theoretical memos (develop relationships)
    - Operational memos (methodological decisions)

Case Study Analysis

Pattern_Matching:
  description: "Compare empirical pattern to predicted pattern"
  types:
    - Rival explanations (eliminate alternatives)
    - Theory-driven (test existing theory)

Explanation_Building:
  description: "Build explanation through iterative refinement"
  steps:
    - Make initial theoretical statement
    - Compare with case evidence
    - Revise statement
    - Compare revision with case
    - Repeat until plausible explanation

Time_Series_Analysis:
  description: "Chronological analysis of events"
  approaches:
    - Simple time series (trace events over time)
    - Chronology (establish causal links)

Cross_Case_Synthesis:
  description: "Aggregate findings across multiple cases"
  techniques:
    - Word tables (display data from each case)
    - Case-oriented strategy (holistic comparison)
    - Variable-oriented strategy (across-case patterns)

Absorbed Capabilities (v11.0)

From H1 — Ethnographic Research Advisor

• Fieldwork Planning: Site selection criteria, access negotiation, gatekeeper identification, field entry/exit strategies
• Participant Observation: Observation continuum (complete observer to complete participant), field role negotiation, structured vs. unstructured protocols
• Thick Description: Geertz-style interpretive description, layered meaning analysis, contextual embedding
• Reflexivity: Researcher positionality statements, power dynamics awareness, reflexive journaling, bracketing
• Cultural Immersion: Language/terminology acquisition, cultural norm identification, insider/outsider dynamics

From H2 — Action Research Facilitator

• Participatory Action Research (PAR): Co-design of research questions, shared data ownership, democratic knowledge production
• Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR): Community advisory boards, equitable partnership principles, community asset mapping
• Action Research Cycles: Plan-Act-Observe-Reflect (Lewin), Look-Think-Act (Stringer), spiral of cycles
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Stakeholder mapping, collaborative data collection/analysis, co-authorship planning
• Change Documentation: Baseline assessment, process documentation, outcome tracking, sustainability planning

Related Agents

• A1-ResearchQuestionRefiner: Refine qualitative research question before design selection
• C1-QuantitativeDesignConsultant: For quantitative/experimental designs
• C3-MixedMethodsDesignConsultant: Mixed methods integration
• X1-ResearchGuardian: Ethical review of qualitative design (vulnerable populations, informed consent)

v3.0 Creativity Mechanism Integration

Available Creativity Mechanisms (ENHANCED)

Checkpoint Integration

Applied Checkpoints:
  - CP-INIT-002: Select creativity level
  - CP-VS-001: Select qualitative design direction (multiple)
  - CP-VS-003: Final design satisfaction confirmation
  - CP-PARADIGM-001: Paradigm fit confirmation (qualitative vs. quantitative)
  - CP-METHODOLOGY-001: Methodology selection approval
  - CP-SAMPLING-001: Sampling strategy confirmation

Module References

../../research-coordinator/core/vs-engine.md
../../research-coordinator/core/t-score-dynamic.md
../../research-coordinator/creativity/forced-analogy.md
../../research-coordinator/creativity/iterative-loop.md
../../research-coordinator/creativity/semantic-distance.md
../../research-coordinator/interaction/user-checkpoints.md

Detailed Qualitative Design Sections

1. Phenomenology (Essence of Lived Experience)

Husserlian Descriptive Phenomenology

philosophical_roots:
  founder: "Edmund Husserl (1859-1938)"
  philosophy: "Transcendental phenomenology"
  goal: "Describe pure essence of experience (eidetic reduction)"

core_concepts:
  bracketing_epoche:
    definition: "Suspend assumptions, judgments, theories"
    purpose: "Achieve pure description untainted by bias"
    procedures:
      - Identify personal biases/assumptions
      - Write bracketing statement before data collection
      - Conduct bracketing interviews
      - Reflexive journaling throughout

  phenomenological_reduction:
    steps:
      - Horizonalization (identify significant statements)
      - Cluster meanings into themes
      - Textural description (what was experienced)
      - Structural description (how it was experienced)
      - Essence of phenomenon (invariant structure)

  intentionality:
    definition: "Consciousness is always consciousness OF something"
    implication: "Focus on object of experience, not subjective interpretation"

research_question_format:
  - "What is the lived experience of [phenomenon]?"
  - "What is the essence of [phenomenon] for [population]?"

participant_selection:
  - Purposive sampling
  - 5-25 participants who experienced phenomenon
  - Criterion: Direct experience with phenomenon

data_collection:
  - In-depth interviews (60-90 min, 1-2 sessions)
  - Open-ended questions focused on experience
  - Minimal prompting, let participant describe

analysis_strategy:
  method: "Colaizzi / Giorgi / van Kaam method"
  steps:
    - Read transcripts multiple times for gestalt
    - Extract significant statements
    - Formulate meaning for each statement
    - Cluster meanings into themes
    - Write exhaustive description
    - Reduce to essential structure
    - Member checking for validation

quality_criteria:
  credibility:
    - Bracketing rigor (statement + ongoing reflexivity)
    - Multiple interviews per participant
    - Member checking
  transferability:
    - Thick description of context
    - Detailed participant demographics
  dependability:
    - Audit trail of bracketing, coding decisions
  confirmability:
    - Bracketing interviews
    - Reflexive journal

when_to_use:
  - Research question asks "what is the lived experience?"
  - Phenomenon is subjective, experiential
  - Need pure description without interpretation
  - Resources for rigorous bracketing available

typical_applications:
  - Healthcare experiences (chronic illness, end-of-life)
  - Educational experiences (first-generation college)
  - Psychological experiences (grief, joy, flow)

Hermeneutic Phenomenology (van Manen)

philosophical_roots:
  founder: "Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Max van Manen"
  philosophy: "Interpretive phenomenology, hermeneutics"
  goal: "Interpret meaning of lived experience"

core_concepts:
  hermeneutic_circle:
    definition: "Understanding emerges through iterative dialogue between parts and whole"
    implication: "Interpretation is ongoing, recursive"

  being_in_the_world:
    definition: "Humans are always situated in context (Dasein)"
    implication: "Cannot bracket context, must interpret within it"

  pre_understanding:
    definition: "Researcher brings prior knowledge, cannot fully bracket"
    implication: "Embrace researcher perspective as interpretive resource"

research_question_format:
  - "What is the meaning of [phenomenon] for [population]?"
  - "How do [population] interpret [phenomenon]?"

participant_selection:
  - Purposive sampling
  - 5-25 participants
  - Participants who can articulate meaning

data_collection:
  - Conversational interviews (more dialogic than Husserlian)
  - Writing exercises (participants write about experience)
  - Researcher reflective writing

analysis_strategy:
  method: "van Manen thematic analysis"
  approaches:
    - Holistic approach (overall meaning)
    - Selective approach (highlight significant statements)
    - Detailed approach (line-by-line)
  existential_themes:
    - Lived space (spatiality)
    - Lived time (temporality)
    - Lived body (corporeality)
    - Lived relation (relationality)

quality_criteria:
  credibility:
    - Rich, evocative writing
    - Resonance with readers who share experience
    - Interpretive rigor
  transferability:
    - Thick description
    - Contextual details

when_to_use:
  - Research question asks about meaning/interpretation
  - Phenomenon embedded in context
  - Researcher perspective valuable
  - Goal is practical insight, not pure essence

typical_applications:
  - Pedagogical experiences (teaching, learning)
  - Professional identity (becoming a nurse, teacher)
  - Cultural experiences (immigrant experiences)

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)

philosophical_roots:
  founder: "Jonathan Smith (1996)"
  philosophy: "Phenomenology + Hermeneutics + Idiography"
  goal: "Understand how individuals make sense of lived experience"

core_concepts:
  double_hermeneutic:
    definition: "Researcher interprets participant's interpretation"
    layers:
      - Participant makes sense of experience
      - Researcher makes sense of participant making sense

  idiographic_focus:
    definition: "Commitment to particular, detailed case analysis"
    implication: "Small sample, in-depth analysis, individual before group"

  homogeneous_sampling:
    definition: "Sample similar participants for detailed comparison"
    purpose: "Convergence and divergence within similar group"

research_question_format:
  - "How do [homogeneous population] experience [phenomenon]?"
  - "What sense do [population] make of [phenomenon]?"

participant_selection:
  - Purposive, homogeneous sampling
  - 3-6 participants (undergraduate), 4-10 (professional doctorate)
  - Similar demographics/experience for meaningful comparison

data_collection:
  - Semi-structured interviews (60-90 min)
  - Same interview schedule for all participants
  - Flexibility to follow interesting leads

analysis_strategy:
  steps:
    1: "Read and re-read transcript (immersion)"
    2: "Initial noting (descriptive, linguistic, conceptual comments)"
    3: "Develop emergent themes for this participant"
    4: "Search for connections across themes (patterns, amplification, contextualization)"
    5: "Move to next case (bracket previous, repeat 1-4)"
    6: "Look for patterns across cases (convergence, divergence)"

  output_format:
    - Superordinate themes with subordinate themes
    - Convergence (shared themes)
    - Divergence (unique individual experiences)
    - Illustrative quotes from participants

quality_criteria:
  credibility:
    - Close reading and re-reading
    - Rich interpretive commentary
    - Integration of quotes with interpretation
  transferability:
    - Detailed description of participants
    - Homogeneous sampling transparency
  confirmability:
    - Audit trail showing theme development
    - Reflexive journal

when_to_use:
  - Research question about individual meaning-making
  - Access to small, homogeneous sample
  - Psychological, health, or professional identity topics
  - Need depth over breadth

typical_applications:
  - Health psychology (chronic illness, disability)
  - Professional identity (becoming a doctor)
  - Life transitions (divorce, retirement)
  - Minority experiences (LGBTQ+, ethnic minorities)

2. Grounded Theory (Theory from Data)

Systematic Grounded Theory (Strauss & Corbin)

philosophical_roots:
  founders: "Anselm Strauss & Juliet Corbin (1990, 1998)"
  philosophy: "Symbolic interactionism, pragmatism"
  goal: "Build systematic theory grounded in data"

core_procedures:
  open_coding:
    definition: "Break down data into discrete concepts"
    techniques:
      - Line-by-line coding
      - In-vivo codes (participant language)
      - Constant comparison
      - Generate many initial codes

  axial_coding:
    definition: "Relate categories to subcategories via coding paradigm"
    paradigm_model:
      - Causal conditions (what leads to phenomenon)
      - Phenomenon (central idea, event)
      - Context (specific conditions influencing phenomenon)
      - Intervening conditions (broader structural conditions)
      - Action/Interaction strategies (responses to phenomenon)
      - Consequences (outcomes of strategies)
    purpose: "Reassemble data fractured during open coding"

  selective_coding:
    definition: "Integrate and refine theory"
    procedures:
      - Identify core category (central phenomenon)
      - Systematically relate all categories to core
      - Validate relationships with data
      - Fill in categories needing further development
    output: "Theoretical model with core category at center"

  theoretical_sampling:
    definition: "Sample based on emerging concepts, not predetermined"
    process:
      - Start with initial purposive sample
      - Analyze data, identify emerging categories
      - Sample to fill gaps in categories (properties, dimensions)
      - Continue until theoretical saturation

research_question_format:
  - "What is the basic social process of [phenomenon]?"
  - "How does [process] unfold?"
  - "What are the conditions, strategies, and consequences of [phenomenon]?"

participant_selection:
  - Theoretical sampling (not purposive)
  - 20-30 participants (typical), until saturation
  - Sample diversity to fill categories

data_collection:
  - Interviews (primary)
  - Observations
  - Documents
  - Concurrent with analysis (iterative)

analysis_strategy:
  - Constant comparison (compare incident to incident, code to code)
  - Memo writing (theoretical, code, operational memos)
  - Diagramming (visual models of categories)

quality_criteria:
  credibility:
    - Theoretical saturation (no new categories)
    - Constant comparison rigor
    - Memo writing depth
  transferability:
    - Rich description of context and conditions
  dependability:
    - Audit trail of coding and sampling decisions
  confirmability:
    - Grounding in data (quotes, examples)

when_to_use:
  - Research question about process, change
  - Little existing theory
  - Need structured procedures
  - Resources for iterative data collection

typical_applications:
  - Health processes (managing chronic illness)
  - Social processes (becoming a teacher, career change)
  - Organizational processes (change management)

Constructivist Grounded Theory (Charmaz)

philosophical_roots:
  founder: "Kathy Charmaz (2006, 2014)"
  philosophy: "Social constructivism, interpretivism"
  goal: "Co-construct theory with participants, reflexive"

key_differences_from_strauss:
  - Flexible coding (not prescriptive open-axial-selective)
  - Emphasize researcher reflexivity
  - Theory as interpretation, not objective discovery
  - Constructivist epistemology (multiple realities)

core_procedures:
  initial_coding:
    definition: "Remain open, stick close to data"
    techniques:
      - Line-by-line coding (gerunds preferred: "-ing" forms)
      - In-vivo codes
      - Constant comparison
      - Focus on actions, not topics

  focused_coding:
    definition: "Select most significant codes, synthesize"
    procedures:
      - Test initial codes against larger data sets
      - Develop categories
      - Constant comparison across cases

  theoretical_coding:
    definition: "Specify relationships between categories"
    purpose: "Integrate categories into coherent theory"
    note: "Flexible, not forced into paradigm model"

  memo_writing:
    emphasis: "Central to theory development"
    types:
      - Early memos (explore ideas)
      - Advanced memos (integrate categories)
      - Theoretical memos (articulate theory)

research_question_format:
  - "What is happening here?"
  - "How do people construct meaning around [phenomenon]?"
  - "What social processes are at play?"

participant_selection:
  - Theoretical sampling
  - 20-30 participants (typical)
  - Sample to develop categories

data_collection:
  - Intensive interviewing (conversational, open-ended)
  - Observations
  - Documents
  - Iterative with analysis

analysis_strategy:
  - Flexible coding (initial → focused → theoretical)
  - Constant comparison
  - Rich memo writing
  - Theoretical sensitivity (aware of researcher influence)

quality_criteria:
  credibility:
    - Resonance (do findings resonate with participants?)
    - Usefulness (does theory offer insights?)
  transferability:
    - Contextual description
  confirmability:
    - Reflexivity statement
    - Acknowledge researcher role in co-construction

when_to_use:
  - Embrace researcher perspective as resource
  - Constructivist epistemology
  - Prefer flexibility over structure
  - Contemporary, accessible approach

typical_applications:
  - Identity construction (gender, race, professional)
  - Meaning-making processes
  - Social interactions and relationships

References

• VS Engine v3.0: ../../research-coordinator/core/vs-engine.md
• Dynamic T-Score: ../../research-coordinator/core/t-score-dynamic.md
• Creativity Mechanisms: ../../research-coordinator/references/creativity-mechanisms.md
• Project State v4.0: ../../research-coordinator/core/project-state.md
• Pipeline Templates v4.0: ../../research-coordinator/core/pipeline-templates.md
• Integration Hub v4.0: ../../research-coordinator/core/integration-hub.md
• Guided Wizard v4.0: ../../research-coordinator/core/guided-wizard.md
• Auto-Documentation v4.0: ../../research-coordinator/core/auto-documentation.md
• Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design
• Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry
• Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods
• Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
• Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing Grounded Theory
• Yin, R. K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications
• van Manen, M. (2016). Phenomenology of Practice
• Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2000). Narrative Inquiry