Qualitative Research Broad term that incorporates a variety of approaches to interpretive research Historical, sociological, political, educational Basically four types: –Case study –Ethnography –Phenomenology –Grounded Theory

Outline the Four Types by Definition Purpose Process Data collection Data analysis Final reports ( Communicating Findings)

Case Study Explores a single entity or phenomenon bounded by time and activity (a program, event, process, institution, or social group) Any “case” can be used, but usually a case is selected because it is unique or exceptional In depth study of the phenomenon in its natural context

Case Study Used to shed light on a phenomenon, be it a process, event, person, or object of interest to the researcher Usually done to produce detailed descriptions of the phenomenon, develop possible explanations of it or evaluate the phenomenon Evaluative case s are becoming more common because program receiving funding are required to undergo formal evaluation. Multiple cases are used to make comparisons, generalizations

Case Study Process Researchers typically spend an extended period of time on-site with their research participants A substantial amount of data is collected from a wide variety of sources Sometimes researchers often assume an interactive role with participants

Case Study Data Collection Data can be in the form of words, images, physical objects Also collect quantitative data such as achievement scores Fieldwork Important to analyze data as its being collected because it can be used to determine what to collect next

Case Study Data Analysis Three approaches Interpretational analysis– examining the data for constructs, themes, patterns that can be used to describe and explain phenomenon Structural analysis – searching the data patterns this time with little or no inferences made as to the meaning Reflective analysis – using primarily intuition and judgment to portray or evaluate the phenomenon

Case Study Final Reports Rich, descriptive narrative that attempts to reconstruct the participants’ reality ( reflective) Interpretational or structural methods tend to use an objective writing style and make effective use of tables and figures

Ethnographic Research Designs Type of qualitative inquiry where the researcher studies an intact cultural group in a natural setting during a prolonged period of time Usually used by anthropologists ( now also by sociologist, psychologist and educators)

Ethnography Purpose Explicit focus on the features given culture with the purpose of describing the relationship between culture and behavior Originally, culture was defined in large units ( country of Fiji), but now see a single school Cultures - “Massage Parlor”, “Homeless”, “Winnebago Grandpa”

Ethnography Process Requires extensive time onsite to systematically observe, interview, and record processes as they occur naturally at the selected location After gaining entry into the site and establishing rapport and trust with the participants, the researcher tries to gain a sense of the total context

Ethnography Data Collection Participant observation, interviews with informants who are purposefully selected, artifact collection The researcher becomes a complete observer Informants – to obtain important insights or information Artifacts – journals, diaries, letters Field notes

Ethnography Data Analysis As with case studies, data collection and analysis tend to occur simultaneously Indexing or coding their data using as many categories as possible and focusing on events as the unit Use a constant comparative method where the researcher checks and cross-references new data with previously obtained data

Ethnography Final Report To present a holistic description of the people they have observed and to portray the everyday experiences of the individuals Stated in assertions supported by quotational data intertwined with interpretive commentary

Phenomenological Research Designs A person’s construction of the meaning of a phenomenon Attempts to understand participants’ perspectives and views of social realities

Phenomenology Purpose Attempt to understand what a specific experience is like by describing it as found in concrete situations as it appears to people living it. The researcher often has personal experience with the phenomenon Common childhood topics – “being left out”, “falling asleep”, “being afraid of the dark”

Phenomenology Process Personally meaningful Identifying what it is that deeply interests the researcher The deep personal interest characteristic is most common in phenomenological research than to other approaches

Phenomenology Data Collection Can be conducted with a single person, usually 5 to 10 people In-depth interviews – for this reason the participants need to chosen purposefully Arrive at the heart of matter, so it is not as structured as ethnographic interviews

Phenomenology Data Analysis Ethnographers focus on events, phenomenologists focus on meaning units Describe themes and patterns in the data

Phenomenology Final Report Narrative that describes a theme or pattern Examine the experiences of others ( themselves)

Grounded Theory Research Designs A way of thinking about and conceptualizing data Is a set of procedures for analyzing data that will lead to the development of theory useful to that discipline Range of topics that have been the focus of grounded theory research (many) Examples:– marriage after divorce, the work of scientist

Grounded Theory Purpose Start with broad research question that provides freedom and flexibility to explore a phenomenon in depth Questions identify the general focus and tend to be action and process oriented “How do patients respond to chronic pain?” The above question can lead to several analyses, interactions (nurse and patient), organizational policies (handling of additive drugs), biographical histories (long vrs short experience)

Grounded Theory Process Multiple stages of data collections and the refinement and interrelationships of categories of data The theory is “grounded” in that it is developed from the data, as opposed to being suggested by the literature Identify and describe the plausible relationships among concepts and sets of concepts

Grounded Theory Data Collection Flexible Characterized by openness to changing conditions Have used historical records, interviewing, observation strategies Typically data gathered from more than one unit because want to maximize similarities and differences among information obtained. (multi- case studies) The sampling of different units for the purpose of maximizing information is called theoretical sampling.

Grounded Theory Data Analysis Use a process of coding –Open coding – breaks down, examines, compares, conceptualizes and categorizes data –Axial coding – data put back together in new ways after open coding by making connections between categories –Selective coding – selecting a core category and systemically relating it to other categories

Grounded Theory Final Report Relationships developed are stated as propositions and are presented in discursive form Discursive presentations captures the conceptual density and the substantive content of the study – a story line The main story seems to be about

Qualitative Research Design Summary Are overlaps, some distinct boundaries Similarities identify them as being qualitative See Table 7.2 (page 166) for concise distinguishing characteristics Remembering that identifying the type of research you are doing can aid you to locate appropriate references for your type of research