Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Chapter 12-Interpretive Research, Interpretive vs. Positivist - Coggle…
Chapter 12-Interpretive Research
Inductive Methods - Theory Building
derive a theory about the phenomenon of interest
from the existing observed data.
Random sampling
Researcher external of research
Statistical techniques employed heavily
Research project cannot be modified
Theoretical sampling
Researcher part of the research
Holistic and contextual
Tesearcher may change original research question
Benefits
well-suited for exploring hidden
reasons behind complex, interrelated, or multifaceted social processes
often helpful for theory construction
in areas with no or
insufficient a priori theory.
appropriate for studying context-specific, unique, or idiosyncratic events or processes.
help uncover interesting and relevant research questions and issues for follow-up research.
Challenges
tends to be more time and resource intensive than positivist research in data collection and analytic efforts
requires well-trained researchers who are capable of seeing and interpreting complex social phenomenon
participants or data sources may not be equally credible, unbiased, or knowledgeable about the phenomenon of interest,
may sometimes fail to answer the research questions of interest or predict future behaviours.
Characteristics
Naturalistic inquiry
Social phenomena must be studied within their natural setting
Researcher as instrument
Researchers are often embedded within the social context that they
are studying, and are considered part of the data collection instrument
Interpretive analysis
Observations must be interpreted through the eyes of the participants
embedded in the social context.
Use of expressive language
Documenting the verbal and non-verbal language of participants and the analysis of such language are integral components of interpretive analysis.
Temporal nature
often not concerned with searching for specific answers
Hermeneutic circle
an iterative process of moving back and forth
from pieces of observations (text), to the entirety of the social phenomenon (context), to reconcile their apparent discord,
Research Designs
Case Research
- unique research design in that it can be used in an interpretive manner to build theories,
Action Research
- qualitative but positivist research design aimed at theory testing rather than theory building.
Ethnography
- emphasises studying a phenomenon within the context of its culture
Phenomenology
- emphasizes the study of conscious experiences as a way of understanding the reality around us
Criteria for Rigor
Dependability
Credibility
Confirmability
Transferability
Interpretive vs. Positivist