Lecture 2 - Qualitative Research PDF

Ontology An ontology is a theory of being Ontological positions influence how we approach and deal with the world Men and women are different You are poor because you are lazy Department of Government  Epistemology Epistemology relates to a belief...

Ontology An ontology is a theory of being Ontological positions influence how we approach and deal with the world Men and women are different You are poor because you are lazy Department of Government  Epistemology Epistemology relates to a belief about what we can know about the world. How do we know it? And How can we know it? Theory of knowledge Department of Government  Influences on Social Research Practical Theory Considerations Epistemology Social Research Ontology Values Department of Government Linking Theory to Research Theory Hypothesis Data Collection Findings Confirm or reject hypothesis Revision of Theory Department of Government Qualitative Research Department of Government  Today’s Lecture Assumptions of Qualitative Research Features Strengths and Weaknesses Department of Government  Qualitative Research “seeks to understand political actors as conscious social beings who shape the world of politics as well as being shaped by it” (Devine, 1995: p. 145) Department of Government  Bryman (2012: 381) discuss Denzin and Lincoln’s Nine Moments of Qualitative Research 1. Traditional period 2. Modernist phase 3. Blurred genres 4. Crisis of representation 5. Post-modern period 6. Post-experimental enquiry 7. Methodologically contested present 8. Now 9. The fractured future Department of Government  Assumption of Qualitative Methods It assumes that the social world is always a human creation not a discovery; consequently interpretive science tries to capture reality as it is, namely as seen and experienced by the respondents (Sarantakos: p.46) Department of Government  Features of Qualitative Methods It tries to capture reality in interaction It studies a small number of respondents It employs no random sampling technique It attempts to present the information gathered verbally in a detailed and complete form, not in numbers or formulae. It also recognises that language is not neutral. It tries to approach reality with no preconceived ideas and pre-structured models and patterns Department of Government  Features of Qualitative Methods It perceives the researcher and the researched as two equally important elements of the same situation It aims to study reality from the inside, not from the outside Its purpose is to interpret meaningful human actions and interpretations that people give of themselves or others It attempts to capture the meaning and regularities of social action It aims to understand people, not to measure them Department of Government  Features of Qualitative Methods It employs research procedures that produce descriptive data, presenting in the respondent’s own words their views and experiences It leads to an interpretive inquiry which ultimately is a moral inquiry Department of Government  Research Foundations Interpretative Naturalistic Communicative Reflective Qualitative Department of Government  Central Principles of Qualitative Methods Openess Research as communication The process-nature of the research and the object Reflexivity of object and analysis Explanation Flexibility Department of Government  When to Use Qualitative Research Research that delves in depth into complexities and processes Research for which relevant variables have yet to be identified Research that seeks to explore where and why policy, folk wisdom and practice do not work Research on unknown societies or innovative systems Research on informal and unstructured linkages and processes in organisations Department of Government  Strengths Researching people in a natural setting Stressing interpretations and meanings Achieving a deeper understanding of the respondent’s world Humanising the research process by raising the role of the researched Allowing higher flexibility Presenting a more realistic view of the world Department of Government  Weaknesses Problems of reliability caused by extreme subjectivity (‘going native’, normativity and advocacy) Risk of collecting meaningless and useless information (anecdote and exaggeration) It is very time consuming Problems of representativeness and generalisability of findings (interpretation and the subjective lens) Problems of objectivity and detachment Ethical difficulties (entering the personal sphere of subjects) Department of Government  Rigorous and robust Interviewing (question lists, transcripts, analytical frames) Observation (guided questions, detailed logs, analytical devices) Computer assisted analysis Department of Government  Steps in Qualitative Research (see Bryman 2012: 385) 1. General research question 2. Select relevant site and subject 3. Collection of relevant data 4. Interpretation of data 5. Conceptual and theoretical framework 1. Collection of further data if needed 6. Tighter specification of research questions 7. Writing up findings Department of Government  Picking Your Research Strategy Differences Between Quantitative and Qualitative Research Quantitative Qualitative Role of Theory Deductive, Testing Inductive, generation hypotheses of Theory Epistemology Natural science model Interpretivism Ontology Objectivism Constructivism Department of Government  Suggested Reading Bryman, Alan. (2012). Social Research Methods. Oxford University Press. Cresswell, John W and J David Creswell. (2022). Research Design; Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE. Hennink, Monique, Inge Hutter and Ajay Bailey. (2020). Qualitative Research Methods. SAGE. Hammersley, Martyn. (2012). What is Qualitative Research?. Bloomsbury. Marsh David and Gerry Stoker. (2002). Theory and Methods in Political Science. Palgrave. Sarantakos, Sotiros. (2013). Social Research. Red Globe Press. Department of Government