Qualitative Research
What?
Research Participants toward events, beliefs, or practices
Exploration
Understanding of social setting as viewed from the perspective of the participant
Researcher - as a main instrument (collect data)
Approaches
Case Study: Characteristics of this particular entity, phenomenon, or person?
Etnography
Describe & analyze all part of the culture of the community
Characteristics
Accurate Reflection
Build local cultural theories
Face-to-face interactions
Multiple data sources
Natural setting
Ground Theory
Generate a theory - through observation & interviews
Constant comparison method
Inductive
Theory evolves during actual research - continuous interplay between analysis & data collection
Eliminates redundant results
Action Research
Systematic inquiry
Done by practitioners - improve their practice
Less Formal
Data Collection (Fieldwork)
Observation
Types of observers
Participant observer
Emotionally aspect will involve
Develop relationship with participants
Engages fully in activities
Extern/nonparticipant observer
Watched but don't participant
Less intrusive
Field Notes
Data will be analyzed and note made in field
Protocol: List of issues to guide the observation
Record of emic data (seen or heard) and etic data (personal reactions)
Provide thick description (be clear & descriptive)
Memo
write memos to themselves to describe their ideas, themes, hunches, & reflections)
Recording Observations (behaviours of participant as many as can)
Assessing Observer Reliability
Quantitative: 2 observers independently make observation & recorded judgement will be comparing
Qualitative
Determine observer ability to accurately record of the details of observer behavior
Solution: video or audio recording
Best way to increase observer reliability
Training
Determine agreement among observers (requirement 2 observers)
Additional observer - must be familiar with the observational procedures
Observers - important effect on reliability & validity
Monitoring - maintain the level of inter-observer reliability
Interviews
Obtain import data (can't acquire from observation)
Types
Structure - specified set of questions to be asked
Unstructured - question being created by the flow of the interview
Semi-structured
Collecting data
Taking note, writing notes or audio/videotaping
Threats to the Quality
Observer bias
Invalid information that results from the perspective the researcher brings to the study
Halo Effect
Observer effect
Impact of the observer's participation on the setting
Situation is different than it would have if the observer didn't participate
Data Analysis
Data Managing
Familiar with the data & identifying potential themes in it
Examining the data, to provide detailed descriptions
Categorizing & coding pieces of data & grouping them into themes
Interpreting & synthesizing the organized data into general written conclusions
Reading or Memoing
Read & write memos about all data collection
Record initial impressions
Search for recurring themes or common threads
Describing
Addresses what is going on
Aim: provide a true picture of the setting & events
Develop thick description
Classifying
Way that qualitative data are broken down
Category - classification of ideas or concepts
Categories used to organize similar concepts into distinct groups
Interpretation
What are the meanings in the data?
Quality - depend on researcher ability to integrate, analyze & classify