International Journal of Qualitative Research

From Nascent Research Ideas to Emergent Grounded Theory – a Novice Researcher’s Reflections on the Grounded Theory Process

Helen Harrison — 2025-07-30

The problem addressed in this paper relates to the challenges faced by a researcher re-engaging with the academic world after an absence of many years. My recent re-entry to this arena followed twenty-plus years of immersion in the international development sector and the exploration of academic opportunities as a new direction that could enhance my international work. My re-engagement in research included challenges that are perhaps slightly different from those who have followed the more conventional academic route. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on my journey of re-engagement with research at a doctoral level, in the hopes that it might bring insights that can be of use to other novice researchers as they journey on their academic path. The method used in my research was that of grounded theory in an overseas context, with open-structured interviews as the data collection tool, and women refugees as the research participants. The findings of this paper, therefore, reflect on pursuing a research study within that context as a novice researcher and draw out some relevant points of learning and reflection. The implications of these findings can be of particular use to readers who identify as novice Grounded Theory (GT) students, supervisors of novice GT researchers, or other qualitative researchers yet to determine their methodological route. There are also insights to be shared relating to carrying out overseas research and conducting research in a way that places the voices of the participants in the foreground.

The Perceptions of Bank Clients Toward Collection Mechanisms: A Phenomenological State of the Art Analysis

Graciela Aguilar Aguilar — 2025-07-30

Bank debt collection mechanisms have evolved alongside technological advancements and the transformation of business models in the financial sector, creating new forms of interaction with clients. However, this transformation has not been free from tension, where private banking clients have increasingly been exposed to collection strategies often perceived as invasive or disproportionate. This article, which seeks to interpret the phenomenon from a phenomenological perspective, examines the perception of bank clients regarding collection mechanisms through a critical analysis, aiming to identify significant emerging categories that explain their influence on decision-making processes. The research follows a constructivist epistemological framework, adopting a qualitative approach and documentary design. Using content analysis techniques and source saturation, five key heuristics emerged: (1) client depersonalization, (2) ambivalence between effectiveness and fair treatment, (3) psycho-emotional impacts, (4) decision-making under pressure, and (5) the moralization of debt. The results allow for a re-understanding of the phenomenon from an ethical and human-centered perspective, contributing to theoretical constructs that place the client’s lived experience at the core of the analysis. The study concludes with recommendations to humanize debt collection models, strengthen the client–bank relationship, and implement policies guided by the dignity of the indebted individual.

Perceived Impact of Financial Assistance Program on Retaining Vulnerable Children in Lesotho’s Secondary Schools

Matseliso Alice Mohoebi — 2025-07-30

Following the high influx of learners in primary schools due to the Education For All (EFA) policy, many learners could not access secondary education because of the high costs of tuition fees and other hidden costs. In response to this, the Lesotho government introduced several financial assistance strategies to narrow the gap between primary and secondary education. The paper focused on the Lesotho government's financial assistance programs (FAP) to increase access for learners from poor socio-economic backgrounds and the factors that make it difficult for such learners to complete secondary education. We used a rational approach as a theoretical framework to unravel the contextual conditions of FAP and their impact on retaining OVC in schools. The paper was lensed under the interpretivism paradigm and designed using qualitative research, relying on the case study of one school in the poor area of Lesotho. Using the purposive sampling method, one principal and two teachers were selected in a secondary school and engaged in semi-structured interviews. The paper employed thematic analysis to derive themes and trends that emerged from the data. The findings point to poor contextual conditions, such as OVC socioeconomic backgrounds, resources, and other social issues, which did not address the deeper problems of OVC in accessing and completing their education. The paper concludes that for this FAP to have a lasting and meaningful impact on OVC in accessing secondary schooling, they need to thoroughly review their objectives to fully address the needs of OVC in and outside school.

Breaking the Cycle: Addressing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education in Bangladesh

Nishat Tabassum — 2025-07-30

This research examined the pervasive and deeply entrenched issue of sexual harassment within Bangladeshi universities. This research followed a qualitative research approach and was conducted on the female students of Pabna University of Science and Technology of Bangladesh. Data were collected from 20 female students through In-Depth Interviews, utilising a convenience sampling method. This study reveals that female students face both verbal and non-verbal sexual harassment on campus and outside the campus, which significantly disrupts the academic environment. Although there are legal requirements for the university to implement complaint mechanisms, institutional responses remain inconsistent, often hindered by stigma, fear of retaliation, and distrust in the justice system. Therefore, the Sexual Harassment Prevention Committee has to work effectively to punish the perpetrators and make a safe and secure environment for all.

Qualitative Exploration of Effective Policing Approaches to Raise Awareness of Gender- Based Violence Among Pupils in Chamwino District, Tanzania

Joyce Nemes — 2025-07-30

Teaching young children about Gender-Based Violence (GBV) requires effective, theory-based strategies to create conducive learning environments. This article examines the methods used by the Police Gender and Children's Desk (PGCD) to create awareness of GBV among pupils during school visits in Chamwino District, Dodoma, Tanzania, using Albert Bandura's social learning theory as a framework. In this qualitative analysis, four key themes emerge: interactive and participatory methods, question-and-answer sessions, multi-modal environmental messaging, and memory-enhancing strategies. Findings indicate that these methods facilitate observational learning, capture children's attention through songs (e.g., the “Don't Touch Me” song), enhance retention via repetition, and motivate children through rewards. Moreover, police officers serve as role models as they use their authority to foster message adoption and self-efficacy among pupils. Additionally, strategically placed slogans reinforce protective behaviors, illustrating Bandura's principle of reciprocal determinism. This article underscores the role of the PGCD in employing theory-based strategies for GBV education, and advocates for formalized training, standardized materials, collaboration with schools, and digital strategies to improve learning environments. Recommendations include formalization of social learning in PGCD training, creation of standardized educational materials, and provision of a theoretically grounded framework for enhancing education on GBV prevention across various contexts.

Comparing Google Scholar and Conventional Databases in Supporting Research on Academic Women’s Experiences of Bullying

Roshana Kamran — 2025-07-30

The search engine effectiveness of Google Scholar retrieval was compared with a cluster of well-known academic databases in conducting a scoping review for a project about women being bullied and harassed by academic colleagues. The literature research found broad similarities between the number of relevant articles retrieved from the group of academic databases and the results retrieved by Google Scholar. There were, however, three qualitative differences in how results were achieved that reduced the benefits of using Google’s free and single search engine: mixed relevance of results, the necessity for filtering non-relevant returned items, and the need for additional search practices. Learning how to achieve these results suggests a combined approach may still be the most convenient option for thorough literature searching at present. Even before Google Scholar’s limitations are addressed, however, its reach, speed, and accessibility outside paywalls open new possibilities as a primary search engine to gather scholarly material for marginalized communities, voluntary human service groups, and educational institutions with limited financial resources in both developed and developing societies. The present article provides one contribution to debates about the relative practical value of academic search engine options for gathering research literature compared with Google Scholar.

Community-Based Hypertension Management: Qualitative Study

Marni Marni — 2025-07-30

Hypertension is a global problem that causes morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease, which is a burden on public health. Community-based hypertension management can improve treatment adherence, reduce the level of complications, and improve the quality of life of patients. The role of community empowerment in hypertension management. Qualitative research design to examine hypertension management carried out by the community, starting from preventive, promotive, curative, and rehabilitative actions in Sukoharjo, Central Java, Indonesia. The sampling technique was purposive sampling. Informants in this study were the Village Head, village midwife, elderly posyandu cadres, Family Empowerment and Welfare, Ward Head, Neighbourhood heads, and hypertension patients. The instruments used were interview guidelines containing 7 themes and 20 questions. Data analysis techniques included data reduction, reliability testing, and validation of research results. Hypertension management in Ngasinan Village is a routine health check, health education to behave in a healthy way and obey the instructions of health workers, routine activities such as exercise and daily activities, eating a balanced diet, reducing salt, encouraging people to get enough rest especially at night, and stress management.

The Puzzle of the Unflinching Civilians: Resilience, Resistance, or Resignation? Understanding Pakistan's National Psyche Amid Protracted Conflict

Rida Fatima — 2025-07-30

Pakistan is a battle-hardened nation, surviving decades of armed conflict, wars, terrorism, Martial laws, and internal political instability. The current paper explores the collective psychological and sociocultural responses of Pakistani civilians to prolonged exposure to conflict and violence. This study employed a thematic and comparative analysis of 46 peer-reviewed articles, media reports, and conflict studies from Pakistan and similarly affected regions, including Colombia, Afghanistan, Uganda, Syria, and Palestine. Through this lens, six themes emerged: normalization of violence, culturally embedded coping mechanisms, emotional disengagement, trauma silencing, state-media framing of conflict, and post-war identity. This study finds that Pakistan’s public resilience is less a reflection of psychological well-being and more a result of adaptive desensitization and institutional narrative control, where trauma is often reframed through patriotic, religious, or heroic perspectives. Comparative insights suggest that this resilience model happens to be uniquely reinforced by media censorship and militarized identity construction, mirroring patterns within other conflict zones. It can be concluded that Pakistan represents a hybrid trauma-resilience model: outwardly stable but fragmented inwardly; publicly stoic, privately grieving, thereby concealing the deeper layers of trauma. The study contributes to global trauma literature by challenging linear post-conflict recovery models while emphasizing context-sensitive frameworks for identity and resilience under chronic insecurity.