What research design would be most suitable for exploring the meaning of an individual’s experience?

The most suitable research design for exploring the meaning of an individual's experience is qualitative research. This approach is centered on understanding the subjective perceptions and interpretations that individuals attach to their experiences. Qualitative research methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and content analysis, provide rich, detailed insights into how people make sense of their lives and the events that shape them.

In qualitative research, the focus is on gaining a deeper understanding of participants' thoughts, feelings, and personal narratives, which allows researchers to capture the complexity of human experience. This design recognizes that individual experiences are often nuanced and context-specific, making it the best fit for uncovering the meanings that individuals attribute to various aspects of their lives.

In contrast, descriptive research provides a broader overview of a phenomenon but may lack the depth needed to truly understand personal meanings. Correlational research aims to identify relationships between variables and can indicate trends but does not delve into personal experiences. Quantitative research emphasizes numerical data and statistical analysis, which can overlook the depth and richness of individual experiences that qualitative methods are designed to explore. Thus, qualitative research is inherently aligned with the goal of understanding and interpreting the meaning of individual experiences.