Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 155 views

    1 Intro To Qualitative Research

    Uploaded by

    Sarala Subramanyam
    - Qualitative research aims to understand human experiences through rich contextual descriptions rather than quantification and measurement. It is rooted in the interpretive paradigm. - The key characteristics of qualitative research include seeking to understand phenomena from participants' perspectives within their natural settings, using flexible and interactive data collection methods, and emphasizing holistic and context-sensitive analysis. - Qualitative research is appropriate when exploring open questions, understanding processes, or gaining an in-depth view of social phenomena that cannot be easily quantified.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    1 Intro To Qualitative Research

    Uploaded by

    Sarala Subramanyam
    155 views46 pages
    - Qualitative research aims to understand human experiences through rich contextual descriptions rather than quantification and measurement. It is rooted in the interpretive paradigm. - The key characteristics of qualitative research include seeking to understand phenomena from participants' perspectives within their natural settings, using flexible and interactive data collection methods, and emphasizing holistic and context-sensitive analysis. - Qualitative research is appropriate when exploring open questions, understanding processes, or gaining an in-depth view of social phenomena that cannot be easily quantified.

    Original Description:

    research

    Original Title

    1 Intro to Qualitative Research

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    - Qualitative research aims to understand human experiences through rich contextual descriptions rather than quantification and measurement. It is rooted in the interpretive paradigm. - The key characteristics of qualitative research include seeking to understand phenomena from participants' perspectives within their natural settings, using flexible and interactive data collection methods, and emphasizing holistic and context-sensitive analysis. - Qualitative research is appropriate when exploring open questions, understanding processes, or gaining an in-depth view of social phenomena that cannot be easily quantified.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    155 views46 pages

    1 Intro To Qualitative Research

    Uploaded by

    Sarala Subramanyam
    - Qualitative research aims to understand human experiences through rich contextual descriptions rather than quantification and measurement. It is rooted in the interpretive paradigm. - The key characteristics of qualitative research include seeking to understand phenomena from participants' perspectives within their natural settings, using flexible and interactive data collection methods, and emphasizing holistic and context-sensitive analysis. - Qualitative research is appropriate when exploring open questions, understanding processes, or gaining an in-depth view of social phenomena that cannot be easily quantified.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    of 46

    Introduction to Qualitative Research

    Methods, Design, & Data Analysis

    Qualitative Research
    You can learn a lot just by watching

    Origins of Qualitative Approaches


    Developed as a reaction to positivist philosophy which had overrun all sciences, even philosophy itself Recognition that the lived world of humanity requires a different research approach to the natural world

    MAKING SENSE OF OTHERS REALITY

    scientific paradigms
    Quantitative and qualitative research may largely

    be seen as existing within two separate scientific


    paradigms. Quantitative Research is rooted in the Positivist paradigm. Qualitative Research is rooted in the Interpretive paradigm.

    READ THE FOLLOWING SLIDES CAREFULLY.

    LOOK UP THE MEANING OF WORDS YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND.


    WE WILL DISCUSS THIS PPT SLIDES TOGETHER IN THE NEXT CLASS ON MARCH 24. Dr Sali.

    BASIC CONCEPTS
    A scientific paradigm connects and categorises a variety of research techniques through underlying philosophical assumptions surrounding appropriate research practice. Within each paradigm the nature of knowledge is assumed to be different. Epistemology is the philosophical debate about the nature of knowledge.

    Methodology specifies how the researcher may go about practically studying whatever he or she believes can be known (the theory informing the practice of research).

    THE POSITIVIST PARADIGM


    Positivism argues that research should act as an organised method surrounding precise empirical observations of individual behaviour in order to discover and confirm a set of probabilistic causal laws that can be used to predict general patterns of human activity (Neuman, 1997: 63) Empiricism argues that only that which can be experienced through the senses may be known to be real. Positivist research gained dominance in the natural sciences and was later adopted in social sciences.

    THE INTERPRETIVE PARADIGM The interpretive approach argues that research should explore socially meaningful action through the direct detailed observation of people in natural settings in order to arrive at understandings and interpretations of how people create and maintain their social worlds (Neuman, 1997:68). We use methods that try to describe and interpret peoples feelings and experiences in human terms rather than through quantification and measurement (Terre Blanche & Kelly, 1999: 123).

    POSITIVIST

    INTERPRETIVE

    Discovery of universal laws Discovery of how people governing social world. make sense of their social worlds. A fixed social reality exists Many social realities exist that may be measured and due to varying human described. experience. Human behaviour is both Human behaviour is context rational and predictable. bound and variable. Positivist science is capable of uncovering truth. Common sense provides insight into social realities.

    POSITIVIST
    Discovery of social fact is achieved through reason.

    INTERPRETIVE
    Understanding of social reality is achieved through rich contextual description.

    Empirical observation Contextual understanding serve to illuminate social exposes a social reality. facts. Objective, value-free study is crucial in social research. Recognition of subjectivity in social research is important.

    Elements of the Research Process


    DEDUCTIVE & INDUCTIVE REASONING

    Deductive thinking (Quantitative)


    THEORY HYPOTHESIS

    OBSERVATION
    CONFIRMATION

    Elements of the Research Process (Cont.)

    Inductive thinking (Qualitative) OBSERVATION PATTERNS HYPOTHESIS THEORY

    QUANTITATIVE
    Research process is deductive. Measure objective facts. Focus on variables.

    QUALITATIVE
    Research process is inductive. Social reality, meaning is constructed. Focus on in-depth meaning. Values are present & explicit (empathy). Contextual importance. Few cases, participants.

    Value-free research. Independent of context.


    Many cases, subjects.

    QUANTITATIVE Statistical analysis Objective instruments of data collection. Highly structured research process.

    QUALITATIVE Thematic analysis Researcher as the central tool for data collection. Loosely structured research process.

    Researcher is detached (outsider).


    (Adapted from Neuman, 1997: 14)

    Researcher is immersed (insider).

    QUANTITATIVE result oriented particularistic and analytical

    QUALITATIVE process oriented holistic perspective

    objective outsider view subjective insider view distant from data and closeness to data
    generalized by population generalization by comparison of properties and contexts membership
    of individual organism

    Although

    positivist

    approach

    attempts

    to

    understand social phenomena through largely quantitative means, and the interpretive

    approach mainly through qualitative techniques. it is important not overemphasise the difference between these methods.

    Qualitative research...
    Commonly called interpretive research

    its methods rely heavily on thick verbal descriptions of a particular social context being studied

    Qualitative research...
    It is useful for describing or answering questions about particular, localized occurrences or contexts and the perspectives of a participant group toward events, beliefs, or practices a helpful process for exploring a complex research area about which little is known

    Qualitative research...
    Interpretation, as the core of qualitative research focuses on the meaning of human experience. The focus is on understanding human experience rather than explaining and predicting behaviour. It is acknowledged that meaning and behaviour occurs within particular social, cultural and historical contexts.

    Qualitative Research
    a definition by Van Maanen (1979)

    An umbrella term covering an array of interpretive techniques which seek to describe, decode, translate, and otherwise come to terms with the meaning, not the frequency, of certain naturally occurring phenomena in the social world (p. 520)

    Qualitative Research
    a definition by (Banister et al., 1994)

    Qualitative research is the interpretive study of a specified issue or problem in which the researcher is central to the sense that is made

    Qualitative Research
    a definition by (Banister et al., 1994) The goal of qualitative research is the development of concepts which help us to understand social phenomena in natural (rather than experimental) settings, giving due emphasis to the meanings, experiences, and views of all the participants. Pope & Mays. BMJ 1995; 311: 42-45.

    Essential Characteristics of Qualitative Research


    concerned with understanding a phenomenon assumes multiple realities data is in the form of rich verbal descriptions researcher is immersed and in direct contact during the data collection the data collection is highly interactive data collection methodology evolves and is flexible; a tentative approach to the methodology

    Essential Characteristics of Qualitative Research


    emphasizes the holistic perspective research is context sensitive illuminate the invisibility of everyday life; make the familiar strange construct meaning from the participants point of view (informants rather than subjects) explores open questions rather than testing hypothesis employs purposive sampling and gate keepers

    Appropriateness of Qualitative Research


    When variables cannot be quantified When variables are best understood in their natural settings When variables are studied over time When studying roles, processes, and groups When the paramount objective is understanding

    What to Observe or Study


    Behaviors or practices Episodes, common events (death, birth, etc.) Encounters when groups or people interact Roles Relationship roles mother/daughter; wife/husband, Therapist/disabled, etc.

    Qualifications of Investigators
    (Kuh & Andreas, 1991)

    Must have requisite knowledge and skills about methodology, setting and nature of the issue. Must be familiar with own biases, assumptions, expectations, and values. Must be empathic, intelligent, energetic, and interested in listening Must be open to embracing multiple realities. Must be prepared to produce detailed, comprehensive, and sometimes lengthy reports.

    The Qualitative Research Design


    a rough working frame --(Whitt, 1991)
    An initial focus (problem, phenomenon, question) Phases of the study (background, entry, exploration, closure) Plan for identifying setting and data sources Plan and logistics for data collection and analysis Plan for ensuring trustworthiness

    Phases in Qualitative Research


    Conceptualize and plan study Use literature,formulate study purpose or question, identify study site,settings where/how data collection will occur, participants and entre to setting

    Goal: Access the participants world & meanings. Researcher is the instrument

    Start study with concurrent data collection and analysis. Analysis focused on identifying themes and categories-- similarities in data. Question or purpose may emerge and be refined. Data collection strategies may change

    Sampling and data collection determined by theoretical saturation. Analysis based on narrative description

    Selecting participants...
    The goal is to get the deepest possible understanding of the setting being studied
    Requires identifying participants who can provide information about the particular topic and setting being studied

    Selecting participants...
    It is fraught with difficulties in identifying and selecting an appropriate number of participants who can provide useful information about the particular topic and setting being studied
    Utilizes purposive sampling

    Differences Between Random & Purposeful Sampling


    Random Quantitative Sampling
    Select Representative individuals
    To generalize from sample to population
    To make claims about the population To build/test theories that explain the popn

    Purposeful Qualitative Sampling


    Select people/sites who can best help us understand our phenomenon
    To develop detailed understanding
    That might be useful: information That might help people learn about the phenomenon That might give voice to silenced people

    Sampling in Qualitative Studies


    Sample size is always determined by the analysis. It is part of the design and so is influenced by the nature of the inquiry, quality of the informants, the quality of the data.
    The researcher is looking for saturationthe point at which there is no new cases coming from each new participant and redundant information keeps coming up. This must be differentiated from participant saturation where the researcher cannot drag anything new out of the umpteenth interview with that particular person.

    Types of Data Collection


    (or fieldwork)

    Observation
    Interviewing Focus Groups Document Analysis

    The Three-Interview Series


    (Seidman, 1998)

    Interview One: Life History

    Interview Two: Details of the Experience


    Interview Three: Reflection on the Meaning

    Qualitative Research Methods: Triangulation


    Method to enhance the validity & reliability of qualitative research Enhances accuracy of interpretation Confirms that the data collected is not due to chance or circumstances

    Qualitative Research Methods: Triangulation


    For example:
    Collect data from May interview teachers, multiple sources principals & parents Collect data in May interview & multiple ways from observe students subjects May review student Collect different records, interview kinds of data in teachers, observe multiple ways from students multiple subjects

    Qualitative Research Methods: Triangulation


    Multiple data collection strategies
    Kinds of data

    Multiple kinds of data

    Subjects Data collection (data sources) strategies

    Multiple data sources

    Resources
    (Kuh & Andreas, 1991)

    Recording devices Transcribing equipment Software packages for analyzing Member checks participants Space Time

    Qualitative Research: Data Analysis


    The Data Analysis
    Some form of Generally collected in analysis usually the form of takes place at the field notes, same time data is diaries being collected audio & video tapes, Researcher seeks copies of documents, to identify patterns narrative descriptions or trends

    Qualitative Research: Data Analysis


    Qualitative data may be analyzed by a 3part strategy: reducing the data coding the data synthesizing the data

    Qualitative Research: Data Analysis


    Read and re-read data, become engrossed in it. Identify themes: common, conflicting, minority Test themes across the data set, where are they common, under what circumstances are they found, not found. This sets the parameters on the interpretation and generalisation of data Get more than one person to analyse the data independently then together Demonstrate trustworthiness in data analysis

    Common Qualitative Research Approaches


    Case study Ethnography Grounded theory Phenomenology Historical Action Research

    You might also like