Design for Action

Abstract

Qualitative research, the methodology of the present study, is a comprehensive and interpretive approach to studying and understanding the experiences of human beings. The research approach allows for a study of an exploratory nature to investigate “human choice and behavior as it occurs naturally in all of its detail” (Johnson and Christensen). In this study, the qualitative research approach provides a pathway, through evidence in the form of a qualitative questionnaire, interviews, research documents, and field notes, to explore, describe, and analyze the relationship between the lived experience of everyday Africans and the challenges of socio-economic development that impede social transformation in African countries. This chapter begins with an exploration of the researcher's positionality and the philosophical assumptions that influence use of the study's methods. The chapter provides an overview of the research design, participants and setting, sources of data, validity, and trustworthiness.