Ch 10 Methodology

Qualitative Research

• Definition

An inquiry process of understanding a social or human problem based on building complex, holistic picture, formed with words reporting detailed views of informants and conducted in a natural setting

Qualitative Research (Continued 1)

• Major characteristics of qualitative research1. Natural inquiry Studying real-world situations as they unfold naturally; nonmanipulative, unobtrusive, and noncontrolling; openness to whatever emerges-lack of predetermined constraints on outcomes2. Inductive analysis

Immersion in the details and specifics of the data to discover important categories, dimensions, and interrelationships; begin by exploring genuinely open questions rather than testing theoretically derived (deductive) hypotheses

Qualitative Research (Continued 2)

3. Holistic perspective

The whole phenomenon under study is understood as a complex system that is more than the sum of its parts; focus on complex interdependencies not meaningfully reduced to a few discrete variables and linear, cause-ef

fect relationships.

4. Qualitative data

Detailed, thick description; inquiry in depth; direct quotations capturing people’s personal perspectives and experiences.

Qualitative Research (Continued 3)

5. Personal contact and insight

The researcher has direct contact with and gets close to the people, situation, and phenomenon under study; res

earcher’s personal experiences and insights are an important part of the inquiry and critical to unstinting the phenomenon.

6. Dynamic system

Attention to process; assumes change is constant and ongoing whether the focus is on an individual or an entire culture.

Qualitative Research (Continued 4)

7. Unique case orientation

Assumes each case is special and unique; the first level of inquiry is being true to, respecting, and capturing the details of the individual cases being studied; cross-case analysis follows from and depends on the quality of the individual case studies.

8. Context sensitivity

Places findings in a social, historical, and temporal context; dubious of the possibility or meaningfulness of ge

neralizations across time and space.

Qualitative Research (Continued 5)

9. Empathic neutrality

Complete objectivity is impossible; pure subjectivity undermines credibility; the researcher’s passion is understanding the world in all its complexity- not proving something, not advocating, not advancing personal agendas, but understanding; the researcher includes personal experience and empathic insight as part of the relevant data, while taking a neutral nonjudgmental stance toward whatever content may emerge.

Qualitative Research (Continued 6)

10. Design flexibility

Open to adapting inquiry as understanding deepens and/or situation change; avoids getting locked into rigid design that eliminate responsiveness; pursues new paths of discovery as they emerge.

Steps in Qualitative Research

• Identification of the phenomenon, problem, or question to be studied (what do you want to know, answered, want to have a better understanding, or is the study needed).

• Identification of the participants

• Generation of a hypothesis

• Data collection

• Data analysis

• Drawing conclusions

Qualitative Research Designs

• Case Studies1. Purpose --- To examine a single case in depth in order to understand the person or phenomenon

2. Process --- Studies are bounded in the cases themselves --- The study focuses on the natural context of the individual

3. Data Collection --- Interactive field work --- Formal and informal interviews --- Observations --- Data gathering

Qualitative Research Designs (Continued 1)

4. Data analysis

--- Interpretational-search for themes

--- Structural-search for patterns in discourse

--- Reflective-rich portrayal of participant’s views

5. Communicating the findings

--- Analytical: an objective narrative

--- Reflective: a literary narrative

Qualitative Research Designs (Continued 2)• Ethnography

1. Purpose --- To understand the relationship between behavior and culture --- Why do people react the way they do2. Process --- Study participants in their own environment --- Focuses on naturally occurring processes or change3. Data collection --- Participant observations --- Open ended interviews with informants and participants --- Study artifacts and document collections

Qualitative Research Designs (Continued 3)

4. Data analysis --- Event oriented --- Structured indexing (coding) --- Constant comparative method (differing points of view)

a. A portrait of the participant’s view of their culture, social group

b. The researcher’s point of view based of the participant's life in the culture or social group as determined through observations,

interviews, and data gathering.

5. Communicating the results --- Holistic description of the participant’s every day events --- Analytical vignettes --- Assertions of conversations

Qualitative Research Designs (Continued 4)

• Phenomenology1. Purpose --- To describe an experience from the participant’s point of view --- To describe a participant’s experience to an event, relationship --- To reconstruct a participant’s experience to generate meaning and understanding from their point of view

2. Process --- Studies individuals --- Focuses on lived experiences --- Non structured --- In depth --- Arrive at the heart of the matter --- Participants need to have experienced the experience

Qualitative Research Designs (Continued 5)

3. Data collection --- In depth-unstructured interviews

--- Purposeful sampling of 12 or less participants

4. Data analysis --- Special meanings of the participants

--- Search for common themes and patterns across the participants

--- Open, non-structured, tentative (could change from one interview to the other), intuitive

5. Communicate the findings --- Thematic narratives

--- Creativity in use of film, literature, poetry, art, etc.

Qualitative Research Designs (Continued 6)

• Grounded Theory

1. Purpose --- To derive a theory that links participant’s perspective to general social science theories

--- How a phenomenon operates and why it operates the way it does

--- The literature review (construct validity)

2. Process --- Studies processes in multiple stages refining the instrument as the

process develops

--- Focuses on interactions between two or more variables (literature vs. research variables)

Qualitative Research Designs (Continued 7)3. Data collection --- Draws on data gathering e.g. Historical records, literature, interviews,

observations --- Data collection based on comparisons of variables and multi units e.g. specifics of the study, purpose, focus, problem, situation participants, researcher, etc.

4. Data analysis --- Concept oriented based on theories --- Selective coding based on themes associated with the theories being

studies --- Constant comparative methods based on breaking down categories or

making connections with your research and the theories

5. Communicating the findings --- Use descriptions of the relationships between categories or connections

Qualitative Research Designs (Continued 8)

• Historical Research1. Definition A systematic collection and evaluation of data to describe, explain, and

thereby understand actions or events that occurred sometime in the past and how it might effect the present and / or the future.

2. Purpose --- To make people aware of what happened in the past so they learn from past failures and successes --- To learn how things were done in the past to see if they might be applicable to present day problems and concerns --- To assist in prediction --- To test hypotheses concerning relationships or trends --- To understand present practices and policies more fully

Qualitative Research Designs (Continued 9)

• Steps involved in Historical ResearchDefine the problemLocate relevant sourcesConsider primary vs. secondary sourcesSummarize sources as to its relevanceEvaluate

External criticism-genuineness of the documentsInternal criticism-checking the contents for accuracy

Determine independent variable-historical phenomenonDetermine dependent variables

Events that took place based on the historical phenomenonEstablish a working hypothesis

What do you want to find outData analysis

Qualitative Research Designs (Continued 10)

3. Data analysis

--- Establish coding

--- Establish common themes

--- Establish common patterns

4. Reporting the results

--- Discussion of the implications of the study

--- Discussion of the effects of the study