Qualitative research
Research conducted in a natural setting that seeks to understand a complex human behavior by developing a complete narrative description of that behavior.
What are the 5 characteristics of Qualitative Research?
- It seeks to understand social or human issues and problems. Qualitative research deals extensively with human interactions.
- It seeks to develop a holistic portrayal or picture of the problem or issue of interest. A qualitative project does not seek to reduce social situations or interactions to basic parts, elements, or values.
- It forms its report with words as opposed to statistical processes.
- Qualitative researchers do not being their research with a preconceived experimental hypothesis. They develop hypotheses and definitions, as the research is ongoing.
- It is conducted in a natural setting.
What do qualitative research reports not have?
A results section that reports statistical measures and significance levels and less scientific terminology.
What are the 4 ways researches evaluate trustworthiness?
- Confirmability : There is a chance that the report reflects the researcher’s subjective bias. They can have other researchers carefully read drafts of their report and point out inconsistencies, contradictions, and other possible instances of bias. Second researchers should indicate the procedures they used to check and recheck the data throughout the study.
- Dependability : The extent to which the researcher believes that the same results would be produced if the study was replicated. The major difference is that in a qualitative research project the researcher must acknowledge and decide the nature of the context in which the research was conducted. Qualitative research occurs in a natural setting that may change dramatically from one moment to the next.
- Credibility : Is concerned with the accuracy of the identification and description of the subject of the study.
- Researchers are concerned with the transferability of their findings to other settings and groups. To assist other researchers in making decisions about transferability, qualitative researchers must make their reports thorough and clear.
Who are the best judges for credibility of a qualitative report?
Participants can read the report and judge its credibility. This is because the qualitative research report is suppose to describe the phenomenon from the participants point of view.
Naturalistic Observation
A method having several recommended guidelines. These guidelines are 1. Determine the focus of the study, 2. plan the logistics, and 3. plan the trustworthiness of the study. The goal is to capture natural activity in natural settings.
Ethnographic Inquiry
When their goal is to learn about a culture or some aspect of a culture from the perspective of the members of that culture. The researcher typically uses participant observation.
Participant Observation
The researcher becomes part of the group being studied.
Observer as participant
Refers to a researcher who primarily observes a situation but also interacts with the others involved in the study.
What is the cost-benefit relation with being an observer as participant and participant observation?
The more immersed in a culture you become, the more you stand to learn about it, but at the same time, you stand to lose your objectivity about a culture as you become more immersed in it.
What are some drawbacks to the use of participant observation?
- An extended period of time may be necessary before the participant observer is accepted as a member of the group that is under study.
- Being part of the situation does not guarantee that the observer will be accepted.
- If the observer is accepted and becomes part of the group, then a loss of objectivity may result.
Focus Group
Consists of 7 to 10 participants who typically do not know each other but do have shared experiences or similar characteristics. The focus group is effective in determining how people feel or why they hold certain beliefs.
Interview Studies
Qualitative researchers frequently use interviews as a supplementary or secondary procedure in conjunction with another method.
What is a structured and unstructured interview session?
Structured technique follow a predetermined script, instrument, or protocol. Researchers using unstructured approach are free, beyond a few guiding principles, to allow the conversation to move whatever direction.
Narrative Studies
Researchers who use narrative study strategy actively gather and interpret stories that individuals in their target group use to describe their lives. For example researchers may use life histories, biographies, personal experiences, or oral histories.
Case Studies
Case studies intensively observe and record the behavior of one or sometimes two participants over an extended period of time. When using the case study method. The researcher should not generalize beyond the participant who was studied.
Artifact Analysis
Artifact analysis typically involves the examination and analysis of extant artifacts. Text-based items such as books, magazines, newspapers, websites, and annual reports belong in this category.
Historiographies
Refers to the collection and analysis of information and data in order to reconstruct past events. Researchers refer to firsthand oral and written accounts, diaries, photographs, and so forth as primary sources for historical study.
Symbolic Interaction
Focus on the common symbols that give meaning to human interaction within a social group context. Such symbols might include religious jewelry and icons, gang-related graffiti, and merchandising and sports logos.
Grounded Theory
The ultimate goal of this approach is to derive theories that are grounded in based on reality. Is one that is uncovered, developed, and conditionally confirmed through collecting and making sense of data related to the issues at hand. The researcher needs to ask innovative questions and come up with unique formulations of the data “to create new order out of the old”
Participatory Action Research
Is a qualitative approach “that assumes knowledge is rooted in social relations and most powerful when produced collaboratively through action”
