Qualitative Research Design PDF

Qualitative Research Design Research Design  A framework for planning research project, collecting and analyzing data  It must meet certain criteria in order to produce useful results  Difficult to foresee all possible glitches  The plan for conducting a study can...

Qualitative Research Design Research Design  A framework for planning research project, collecting and analyzing data  It must meet certain criteria in order to produce useful results  Difficult to foresee all possible glitches  The plan for conducting a study can be revised in process of research  Research ethics should be considered when choosing a design  Research proposal is often one of the first steps in research design Qualitative Research Design Key elements: – Idea/Topic/Concepts – Research Question – Literature Review – Choice of appropriate research method or combination of methods – Data collection and analysis – Theory – The sequence of some of these elements can vary cost/funding, access, personal security, language, etc. Topic/Idea/Concepts  Selecting topic  Formulating ideas  Where do they come from? ◦ Real life/empirical reality ◦ Theory ◦ Literature review  Defining concepts Research Questions  Research questions: ◦ Be clear ◦ Be researchable ◦ Relate to established theory and research ◦ Allow the researcher to make a contribution to existing knowledge ◦ Be neither too broad nor too narrow  The choice of research method should match the research question  Examples: ◦ What kind of content is posted in a specific Facebook group? Research Hypothesis  Research Hypothesis: testable expectation about empirical reality that follows from a more general proposition (a theory)  Typically used in quantitative research  Can be used in qualitative or mixed research  Can be combined with a research question  Examples ◦ Political content is posted in a specific Facebook group  Provide examples of research questions and research hypotheses Reviewing the Literature  Academic sources  Non-academic sources  Locating relevant databases, periodicals, books ◦ Conducting both online and in-print searches ◦ Variety of subject terms/keywords to search  Be wary of Internet sources ◦ Wikipedia, etc.  Identifying most important sources and publications Reviewing the Literature, cont’d.  Existing literature can identify ◦ what is already known on the topic; ◦ relevant concepts and theories; ◦ appropriate research methods; ◦ controversies surrounding the topic; ◦ inconsistencies in findings; ◦ unanswered research questions.  The literature review should be critical as well as descriptive. Inductive Approach  Another way to conduct inquiry is by using induction.  Here one begins by gathering or examining data, and then tries to derive a theory or explanation from the data.  Typically relies on qualitative research.  Typically uses research questions. Deductive Approach  One way to conduct research is through deduction.  Using deduction, one begins with a theory or explanation for something, then goes out into the world and tests it.  Typically relies on quantitative research  Typically employs research hypothesis Example ◦ Video example  What kind of approach is used in this example? 1. Inductive 2. Deductive 3. Instructive 4. None of the above Quantitative and Qualitative Data  Qualitative research ◦ Uses mainly words and other non-numeric symbols in the collection and analysis of data.  Quantitative research ◦ Uses numbers and statistics in the collection and analysis of data. Data Collection  Data collection ◦ Qualitative data ◦ Setting ◦ Cost ◦ Access ◦ Notes, etc. ◦ Sampling Data Analysis/Results  Data Reduction ◦ Reducing and transforming the data  Organizing and assembling the data  Data Analysis  Conclusions and Verification Theory  What Is Theory? ◦ A body of statements that synthesize knowledge of and explain phenomena ◦ An explanation of observed regularities or patterns  Specific theories ◦ Can be tested directly ◦ Examples Reliability and Replicability  In choosing a research design, one has to consider a number of criteria for evaluating social research, including: ◦ Reliability, which is achieved if the same results are found each time a particular measurement technique is used on the same subject (assuming that what is being measured has not changed) ◦ Replicability, which is achieved if others are able to repeat all or part of a study and get the same results Validity  Validity - There is integrity to the conclusions  Measurement validity (or construct validity): involves the question, ‘Are you measuring what you want to measure?’  examples  Internal validity: concerned with the issue of whether causation has been established by a particular study  examples Validity, cont’d.  External validity: two primary concerns: 1. Are the findings applicable to situations outside the research environment? 2. Can the findings be generalized beyond the people or cases studied?