Natural Setting

Qualitative research is conducted in natural settings. This means qualitative researchers study things as they are. They do not manipulate the environment. For instance, there are no experimental and control groups. Although multiple approaches to research are used (i.e., case study, ethnography, phenomenology, arts-based, feminist, critical theory, etc.), data are collected in the field, not in a lab. Ordinary events and behaviors are studied in their everyday context. This process generally involves interacting with people by interviewing them and observing the setting. Rather than removing people from their settings, qualitative researchers go to the people, allowing for the gathering of sensory data: what is seen, felt, heard, and even tasted or smelled.

Research conducted in the field (fieldwork) requires the researcher to have the basic skills of interviewing and observing as well as the ability to analyze artifacts. The data that are gathered are transformed into thick, rich description, a hallmark of qualitative studies. Fieldwork can be conducted in a variety of settings. Common settings include organizations such as banks, nonprofit organizations, school classrooms, the military, hospitals, clinics, and sports teams, among others. For her research, Carol Rambo Ronai spent time at an exotic dancing club. When the research is focused on individuals, common settings for interviews include the person's home, restaurants or coffee shops, or other settings of their choice. Mark Neumann conducted his research at the Grand Canyon, interviewing the people who live, work, and travel there.

Ethical issues need to be considered when entering natural settings for research purposes. Access to settings needs to be gained and sometimes negotiated. In addition, provisions for exiting the site need to be considered so that participants do not feel abandoned or exploited. Reciprocity is important: Although it is clear the researcher will gain something from being in the setting, what the participants will gain deserves contemplation. It is important to realize that the researcher's presence in the setting may unintentionally change it; recognition of this potential is essential. Researchers need to be conscious of the roles they may be asked to or tempted to take on in the setting. For example, as trust is gained, researchers may be asked to intervene in difficult situations; they may feel compelled to right what they consider to be a wrong; they may form close friendships with participants. Ethical issues are innately embedded in natural settings.

Rather than measure and predict, qualitative researchers describe, interpret, and analyze. Natural settings are recognized as complex, interactive systems, and the focus is not on discrete variables. This focus makes natural settings (as opposed to labs) appropriate sites for conducting qualitative research.