Which statement about deductive reasoning in qualitative inquiry is most accurate?

Which statement about deductive reasoning in qualitative inquiry is most accurate?

• A. It uses data to generate hypotheses and then tests them.
• B. It relies on preconceived hypotheses that are not tested with data.
• C. It tests a theory by collecting data to support or refute it.
• D. It uses theory to predict outcomes and tests those predictions against data.

Answer: (D)

Starting from theory to predict outcomes and then testing those predictions against data is how deductive reasoning operates in qualitative inquiry. This approach uses theory to generate specific, testable expectations about what will be observed, and the data are examined to see if those expectations hold. That focus on deriving predictions from theory and then confronting them with evidence best captures the deductive path. The other descriptions either describe inductive processes, or emphasize testing a theory without the forward step of making concrete predictions to verify with data.

Starting from theory to predict outcomes and then testing those predictions against data is how deductive reasoning operates in qualitative inquiry. This approach uses theory to generate specific, testable expectations about what will be observed, and the data are examined to see if those expectations hold. That focus on deriving predictions from theory and then confronting them with evidence best captures the deductive path. The other descriptions either describe inductive processes, or emphasize testing a theory without the forward step of making concrete predictions to verify with data.