Qualitative Research Lecture Notes PDF

LECTURE 2 INTRODUCTION TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH What is Qualitative Research? “Qualitative research is a situated activity that locates the observer in the world. It consists of a set of interpretive, material practices that make the world visible. These practices transform the world. They tu...

LECTURE 2 INTRODUCTION TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH What is Qualitative Research? “Qualitative research is a situated activity that locates the observer in the world. It consists of a set of interpretive, material practices that make the world visible. These practices transform the world. They turn the world into a series of representations, including field notes, interviews, conversations, photographs, recordings and memos to the self. At this level, qualitative research involves an interpretive, naturalistic approach to the world. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.” (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005, p.3) Epistemological Underpinning of Qualitative Research The human mind is the source or origin of meaning Human behaviour is affected by knowledge of the social world Thesocial world does not exist independently of human knowledge Paradigm of interpretivism or Critical Theory Characteristics of Qualitative Research – (Cresswell, 2013, p.46) Conducted in a natural setting (the field), a source of data for close interaction. Relies on the researcher as key instrument in data collection Involves using multiple methods? Involves complex reasoning going between inductive and deductive (data and theorizing) Focuses on participants’ perspectives, their meanings, their multiple subjective views. Is situated within the context or setting of participants/sites (social/political/historical) Involves an emergent/flexible research design rather than a fixed one. Is reflective and interpretive (sensitive to researcher’s social identities) Attempts to present a wholistic complex picture The purpose of qualitative research is to: Understa Describe Explain nd Identify Develop Generate Five reasons for adopting a qualitative approach 1. Understanding the meaning that participants attribute to the events, situations, and actions they are involved in - what the world looks like from their point of view 2. Understanding the particular context in which participants act and how this influences their actions 3. Exploring social phenomena that are not yet well understood 4. Understanding the processes by which events and actions take place 5. Developing causal explanations that link events and processes that lead to specific outcomes Maxwell, 2012 Qualitative Methodologies/Strategies Case Study – an example to illustrate, a specific case e.g. a single school (comparative case study = more than 1) Ethnography – immersion in ‘the field’ over time to understand the culture of a place, institutional setting etc. Includes autoethnography. Grounded Theory – developing theories that emerge from data Action Research – working with and in community settings NarrativeResearch – focusing on the ‘stories’ people tell of their lives/experiences SeeCoe et al. in the Reading List for a chapter on each of these! Qualitative Data Collection Methods Interviews – semi-structured, unstructured, narrative Focus groups Observation – unstructured Visual Methods e.g. photo elicitation Policy analysis Critical discourse and conversational analysis Documentary and archival analysis Autoethnography e.g. diary or journal keeping Paradigm Ontology Epistemology Methodology Method What is reality? How can I know How do you go What techniques reality? about finding do you use to out? find out? Critical Theory Realities are Both the social Various critical Engaged and socially world and our uses of critical theory. constructed knowledge of it approaches such Usually entities that are are socially as ethnography, qualitative data under constant constructed and discourse collection influence. the product of analysis. including historic power interviews, focus Politics and relationships. Mainly groups, interests Transactional qualitative observations. relationship approaches but shape beliefs between also mixed Importance of and values. researcher and methods. ethics for social the researched justice agendas. communities. What are the characteristics of researcher-participant relationships? Participants are treated as colleagues rather than subjects. Collaborative methods – ‘co-researching’. Theresearcher must have the support and confidence of participants to complete the study. Establish levels of trust as an insider or an outsider. Maintaining relationships is of utmost importance. Sampling in Qualitative Research Usually small, non- random samples Aim: to discover meaning, uncover multiple realities, therefore generalization is not a guiding criteria Sampling in Qualitative Research Types of sampling: (1) Convenience sampling (2) Snowball sampling (referral) (3) Voluntary response (4) Purposeful sampling – several strategies – maximum variation sampling (select representative sample), extreme/deviant case sampling, and typical case sampling Sample Size No firm establishment of criteria or rules Should be determined on the basis of informational needs Guiding principle is that of DATA SATURATION: sampling to the point at which no new information is obtained and redundancy is achieved Is largely a function of: (a) the purpose of the inquiry (b) the quality of the informants (c) the type of sampling strategy used Assessing the Quality of Qualitative Data Do the measures used by the researcher yield data reflecting the truth? Need different criteria than quantitative research? Lincoln & Guba (1985) – four criteria: (1) Credibility (2) Dependability (3) Confirmability (4) Transferability (criteria for establishing “trustworthiness”) Assessment of Qualitative Data Credibility – refers to confidence in the truth or accuracy of the data or validity Prolonged engagement Persistent observation Thick description of data Triangulation External checks – debriefing Researcher credibility Assessment of Qualitative Data Dependability – refers to data stability over time and over conditions, or reliability Assumption data and individuals, settings are unique but: (a) Replication of data collection (another time/place/researcher) (b) Clarity of the researchers role (c) Checks for bias (of researcher and researched) and level of respondents knowledge Confirmability – the objectivity or neutrality of the data Assumption research cannot be neutral but: Inquiry audit – can have external observer/auditor Use of triangulation Transferability – the extent to which the findings from the data can be transferred to other settings or groups = similar to the concept of generalizability used in quantitative research Triangulation Techniques Data Source Triangulation – different kinds of sources Investigator/Researcher Triangulation – different researchers using the same research instrument Theory Triangulation – use of different concepts and models to explain a phenomenon Methodological Triangulation – more than 1 (qualitative) method Some criticisms of qualitative research It can be very subjective – whose definition of a situation? It can’t always be repeated It can’t always be generalisable It can’t always give you definite answers in the way that quantitative research can Data may not be reliable? The