Introduction to Qualitative Research.pdf

Theoretical concepts Some general admin before we get started: Class times will now change to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and FRIDAYS (sorry!) until completion of the qualitative content. Please note that the qualitative exam-equivalent assessment will be written on Wednesday, the 2nd of October....

Theoretical concepts Some general admin before we get started: Class times will now change to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and FRIDAYS (sorry!) until completion of the qualitative content. Please note that the qualitative exam-equivalent assessment will be written on Wednesday, the 2nd of October. What will we be covering this week? - Introduction to Qualitative Research - Qualitative vs Quantitative Data - Collecting Data in Qualitative Research A Review of Key Concepts Prediction, understanding; Nomothetic vs. Idiographic research; Inductive, deductive; Qualitative vs. Quantitative; Qualitative research – Definitions; Qualitative research – common features  A Review of Key Concepts: Prediction vs Understanding ❑ Prediction: Research focused on prediction explains what will happen based on previous events. ❑ Understanding: Research focused on understanding explains why what has happened has happened.  A Review of Key Concepts: Nomothetic vs Idiographic ❑ Nomothetic – (nomo = law) ▪ Seeks general explanations/understandings for a large number of cases/a class of events ❑ Idiographic – (idio = unique, peculiar, distinct) ▪ Seeks in-depth explanations/understandings of individual cases ▪ In-depth analysis  A Review of Key Concepts Inductive vs Deductive ❑ Inductive ❖ Research moves from the particular to the general ❖ E.g., from particular/specific observations which form a pattern/theory ❖ Observation→ pattern → tentative hypothesis →theory ❖ Qualitative ❑ Deductive ❖ Research moves from the general/ theory/ pattern to the specific/particular Theory → hypothesis → observation → confirmation Quantitative  A Review of Key Concepts ❑Qualitative ❑ Quantitative ▪Data expressed in ▪ Data expressed in numbers words  Idiographic vs. Nomothetic Research – Idiographic – relates to the study or discovery of particular scientific facts and processes, as distinct from general laws. Nomothetic – relates to the study or discovery of general scientific laws (as opposed to dealing with things case-by-case. Often contrasted with idiographic  Research Objectives Some research objectives tend to fit together more easily than others – Example: Nomothetic Research Example: Ideographic Research ❑ Seeks to predict future occurrences ❑ Seeks a deeper and detailed understanding Therefore researcher needs larger sample Requires “thicker” descriptive data sizes (qualitative) Quantitative data is more suitable and Smaller, manageable sample manageable Trade depth for generality Trade generality for depth Definitions of qualitative research ❑ Quality is “ a measure of relative value, but based on an evaluation of the general character or intrinsic nature of what we are assessing” (Dey, 1993, p10) ❑ Qualitative research can thus be seen as: ▪ …descriptive research attempts to describe phenomena as they exist rather than to manipulate variables.” (Westen, 1999, p51)  Definitions of qualitative research ❑ “ Quantitative research is just one approach to science; manipulating, measuring, specifying relationships between certain variables in order to test hypotheses about causal laws. On the other hand, qualitative research lays down its claims to acceptance by arguing for the importance of understanding the meaning of experience, actions, and events as these are interpreted through the eyes of particular participants, researchers and (sub) cultures, and for a sensitivity to the complexities of behavior and meaning in the contexts where they typically or ‘naturally’ occur...” (Henwood, in Richardson, 1996, p25) Definitions of qualitative research [Qualitative research is] “ the interpretative study of a specified issue or problem in which the researcher is central to the sense that is made… Qualitative psychology is part of a debate, not fixed truth. Qualitative research is an attempt to capture the sense that lies within and that structures what we say …, an exploration, elaboration, and systematization of the significance of an identified phenomenon…”. (Parker, 1994, pp. 2-3). Common features of Qualitative Research A. Description B. Context C. Meaning D. Interpretation E. Truth F. Process These are some of the central characteristics of qualitative research that distinguishes the process from that of quantitative research. A. Description ❑ ‘Thick’ description ▪ A thorough, comprehensive description of the phenomena under study is necessary ❑ Should include researcher’s feelings and thoughts as well as ‘objective information’ such as what was seen.  B. Context ❑ Research occurs in everyday contexts ▪ (vs laboratories/experimental conditions) ❑ Take into account the wider social, political, cultural and historical contexts as well ❑ Immersion – ▪ The researcher must immerse him/herself in the study in order to really become part of and ‘understand’ the research environment on as many levels as possible (Silverman, 1993) ❑ Power relations are seen to have very real effects  C. Meaning Qualitative Research.. ❑ Searches for meaningful characterisation of social phenomena ▪ Takes this into account in describing, interpreting and explaining human behaviour ❑ Research becomes ‘re-search’ ▪ Looking again for the meanings of lived experience which ordinarily pass us by C. Meaning ❑ Involves ‘seeing through the eyes of…’ or taking the subject’s perspective (Bryman, 1988) ❑ Meaning is mediated through language and action, and resides in social practice ❑ Social phenomena are ‘concept-dependent’ ▪ They are unavoidably affected by the meanings ascribed to them D. Interpretation ❑ Interpretation is how ‘I’ see the world ❑ Quantitative research tries to screen out interpretation and produce objective, unmediated accounts of phenomena ▪ Qualitative researchers believe this is impossible ❑ Representations of the world are always mediated/interpreted ▪ Interpretation is not what we do, but what we are (Heidegger n.d.)  D. Interpretation ❑ Interpretation is the BRIDGE between reality and our understanding of reality ❑ There is always a GAP between things we want to understand and our accounts of what they are ❑ ‘Surplus of meaning’ ▪ Meaning/ interpretation is ‘unstable’ and changes in relation to our changing understandings of the world ▪ There is always more to be added, different points of view to be incorporated E. Truth ❑ The notion of ‘truth’ is called into question by qualitative methods ❑ Any single account/explanation of an event/ phenomenon is ‘questionable/ incomplete’ ❑ BECAUSE: ❑ The account is governed by one’s context/history Research is done by people about people The account is based on the researcher’s interpretation  E. Truth ❑ Therefore, Qual. study is NOT ONLY focussed on a particular phenomenon or subjects’ opinions/ accounts BUT ALSO the motivations, intentions and beliefs of the researcher E. Truth ❑ Reflexive The researcher is central to the findings of the study, thus must ‘reflect’ on him/herself and the process E. Truth ❑ Fidelity The researcher must be committed to presenting as ‘true’ a representation of the phenomenon under study as possible (Hammersley & Atkinson, 1983) F. Process ❑ Meaning is negotiable ▪ It can change and evolve over time ❑ Therefore there’s need to examine the ways in which meaning changes/is sustained ❑ The researcher continually revisits the data, seeking clarification and confirmation of understanding and new nuances of meaning  F. Process ❑ Research is thus a cyclical process/non-linear process ▪ The researcher goes in, looks around, generates some ideas, goes back, looks for evidence to dis/prove his/her theory, modifies his/her existing theory, generates new theory, and repeats  F. Process ❑ Therefore, there are no pre-ordinate assumptions ▪ Theories/assumptions/hypotheses brought into the research context ❑ Instead, theory is expected to Emerge as the investigation proceeds - This is called an Emergent design ▪ There are few/no prior hypotheses/ definitions and data collection is relatively ‘unstructured’ (Hammersley, 1990) Class Exercise and Discussion  Class exercise ❑ Conduct a five minute observation of any interaction between two people. Write down everything you see, hear and feel during the five minutes, including your opinions of what is occurring. Remember to watch for body language, action, facial expression and tone of voice (if you are able to hear!) ❑ Re-read your notes from the observation. Try to pick out what you included as opinion/interpretation and what was ‘objective fact’. ❑ Look closely at your opinions/interpretations. Try to pick out the social, historical and cultural influences that they have been based on. Do you think someone from a different background would come to the same conclusions and interpretations that you did? Where might they differ? Notice anything interesting in your observation relating to today’s content?