This discussion supports your understanding of the qualitative method of research and the varied elements involved in the management, interpretation, and reporting of a qualitative study. In your initial post, address the following:

Examine the list of characteristics of qualitative research provided on pages 185-186. Which three characteristics do you think will be most important in your research? Justify your choices.

Why do you think the researcher is important when conducting qualitative research?

What do you perceive is the most important role of gatekeepers in qualitative research? Explain.

Discuss the relative merits of using manual as opposed to computer-based coding when completing qualitative data analysis.

After reading about Alice Goffman's work and when working on Week Three's assignment, "Understanding the Value of Qualitative Research" consider the "world" of a social issue or social group that you would like to research as an immersive ethnographer.

What world would you choose to immerse yourself in? What specific issue would you research?

And what would you hope to gain from the experience? Do you feel you would have challenges maintaining researcher separation with becoming too immersed in that world?

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.