362 PART FOUR / Selecting a Research Method www.ablongman.com/johnsonchristensen2e

� T A B L E 1 2 . 1 Twelve Major Characteristics of Qualitative Research

Design Strategies

1. Naturalistic inquiry—Studying real-world situations as they unfold naturally; nonmanipu-lative and noncontrolling; openness to whateveremerges (lack of predetermined constraints onfindings).

2. Emergent design flexibility—Openness toadapting inquiry as understanding deepensand/or situations to change; the researcheravoids getting locked into rigid designs thateliminate responsiveness and pursues new pathsof discovery as they emerge.

3. Purposeful sampling—Cases for study (e.g.,people, organizations, communities, cultures,events, critical incidences) are selected becausethey are “information rich” and illuminative, thatis, they offer useful manifestations of thephenomenon of interest; sampling, then, is aimedat insight about the phenomenon, not empiricalgeneralization from a sample to a population.

Data-Collection and Fieldwork Strategies

4. Qualitative data—Observations that yielddetailed, thick description; inquiry in depth;interviews that capture direct quotations aboutpeople’s personal perspectives and experiences;case studies; careful document review.

5. Personal experience and engagement—Theresearcher has direct contact with and gets closeto the people, situation, and phenomenon understudy; the researcher’s personal experiences andinsights are an important part of the inquiry andcritical to understanding the phenomenon.

6. Empathic neutrality and mindfulness—An empathic stance in interviewing seeks vicariousunderstanding without judgment (neutrality) byshowing openness, sensitivity, respect, aware-ness, and responsiveness; in observation itmeans being fully present (mindfulness).

7. Dynamic systems—Attention to process;assumes change as ongoing whether focus is onan individual, an organization, a community, or

an entire culture; therefore, mindful of andattentive to system and situation dynamics.

Analysis Strategies

8. Unique case orientation—Assumes that eachcase is special and unique; the first level ofanalysis is being true to, respecting, andcapturing the details of the individual cases beingstudied; cross-case analysis follows from anddepends on the quality of individual case studies.

9. Inductive analysis and creative synthesis—Immersion in the details and specifics of the datato discover important patterns, themes, andinterrelationships; begins by exploring, thenconfirming, guided by analytical principlesrather than rules, ends with a creative synthesis.

10. Holistic perspective—The whole phenomenonunder study is understood as a complex systemthat is more than the sum of its parts; focus oncomplex interdependencies and systemdynamics that cannot meaningfully be reducedto a few discrete variables and linear, cause-effect relationships.

11. Context sensitivity—Places findings in a social, historical, and temporal context; carefulabout, even dubious of, the possibility or meaningfulness of generalizations across timeand space; emphasizes instead careful compara-tive case analyses and extrapolating patterns for possible transferability and adaptation in new settings.

12. Voice, perspective, and reflexivity—Thequalitative analyst owns and is reflective abouther or his own voice and perspective; a crediblevoice conveys authenticity and trustworthiness;complete objectivity being impossible and puresubjectivity undermining credibility, theresearcher’s focus becomes balance—understanding and depicting the worldauthentically in all its complexity while beingself-analytical, politically aware, and reflexive inconsciousness.

Source: From M. Q. Patton, Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods, Third Edition, pp. 40–41, copyright 2002 by SagePublications, Inc.

CH12.QXD 7/2/2003 9:41 AM Page 362