Qualitative Research Methods PDF

[Qualitative Research 2] [Thematic Analysis:] - Generic method; not strictly tied to any theory / epistemology - Exploration of patterns of meaning in the data - Forms basis of other pattern-based methods: - IPA; grounded theory; narrative approaches Six stage process: 1. Familia...

[Qualitative Research 2] [Thematic Analysis:] - Generic method; not strictly tied to any theory / epistemology - Exploration of patterns of meaning in the data - Forms basis of other pattern-based methods: - IPA; grounded theory; narrative approaches Six stage process: 1. Familiarisation a. Reading transcripts; noting ideas of interest - Data coding - Working through transcripts carefully and systematically; close, descriptive level - Generating initial themes - Collating codes into more abstract themes based on underlying concepts, similarities, or meanings; more interpretative - Reviewing and developing themes - Hierarchical structure of themes/subthemes/codes - Exploring the content and patterning of themes across the data set - Refining, defining and naming themes - Writing-up [Key characteristics of Thematic Analysis: PROCESSES] - Cyclical: - Moving back and forward between data and ideas; between different stages of analysis - Analysis and writing up are blurred processes - Not about following a fixed recipe - Every analysis is different; there are different forms of TA - Important to understand basic principles (and underlying epistemological assumptions) in order to conduct a form of TA that suits your study/aims/size of data set etc - Time consuming - Can be done manually or within computer software [Key characteristics of Thematic Analysis: OUTPUTS] - Qualitative results sections are organised according to themes - Should do more than just describe what was said - Analytic commentary should include interpretation - Data extracts illustrate how themes are expressed by research participants in their own words [Qual Research and Data Analytic Techniques:] Pattern/Meaning Based: - Thematic Analysis -- meanings, flexible, generic, - Narrative Analysis -- stories - Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) -- subjective worlds/inner experiences - Grounded Theory -- meanings theory development; inductive approach Language Based: - Conversation Analysis - naturally occurring - Discourse Analysis - naturally occurring - Foucauldian Discourse Analysis -- interaction power, regulation [Grounded Theory: Focus on induction and theory development ] - Theory development "bottom up" from the data - Iterative, cyclical, exploratory research processes - Initial broad research qns then refined - Foci of data collection and analysis refined - Data collection and analysis often overlap cyclically [Grounded Theory: inductive techniques that inform thematic analysis **(**]**Lucksted et al., 2008)** - Full grounded theory work rare but influence of GT in current analytic approaches, especially inductive, data-exploratory processes - Many of basic processes of TA come from GT - Reflexive field notes that are incorporated into analysis - Researchers experiences as "valid data"; reflexivity - Exploratory techniques for later stages of TA e.g., - Negative case analysis; refining names of themes - Conceptual model development - Saturation - When to stop data collection/analysis [Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA): (]**Mawson et al, 2011)** - Focus on subjective experiences and meanings - Analysis is researcher's interpretation of participant's account of experiences - Analysis is thematic/meaning-based but fine-grained and ideographic in orientation: - Detailed analysis of individuals cases first, then look for common themes - Aim to develop "master themes" to capture underlying phenomenological issues - "Less is more": in-depth analysis of small number of participants preferable to shallower/more descriptive analysis of larger N [Narrative Analysis: (]**Yuen, Billings and Morant, 2019)** [ ] Dynamic focus on stories; often to make sense of life events - Narrative Theory - Focus on self and identity - Stories central to identity construction: identity as a life story - How narratives help us understand/find meaning/bring order - Data collection - In-depth interviews to allow for story telling - Follow dynamic structure: before/during/after - Analysis: - In-depth, inner focus on details and uniqueness - Narrative tone and style, imagery, themes - More focus on ordering themes within structure of narrative [Language-based approaches: ] - Conversation analysis: **(Anderson, Stone, Low & Bloch 2020)** - Talk in social interactions - Often institutional settings - Often uses naturally occurring rather than researcher generated data - Discourse Analysis: - Role of language in constructing identities; analysis of discursive processes, positionings, rhetorical devices etc., - Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (societal focus) - How language shapes and regulates our social world and experiences - Issues of broad social power, control and social practices [Key features of language-based analyses:] - Detailed transcripts, "Jeffersonian" style - More detailed than standard "playscript" transcriptions - Aim to capture tiny nuances of expression, pauses, tone, how things said etc., - Analysis often very fine-grained; more selective - Focus on what language does - Less focus on charting patterns across whole data set