Research strategies & Methods of data collection (brief descriptions) Documentary research Case studies Action research

Unobtrusive research Studying economic or social behavior without affecting it (can be qualitative and/or quantitative). Examining ´clues´ instead of actual behavior. Some unobtrusive research types: Content analysis (e.g. documentary research) Secondary statistical data analysis Unobtrusive online research Comparative and historical research

Content/documentary analysis The study of recorded human communications or products (books, websites, paintings, etc.). Considerations: Topics appropriate Conceptualization Units of data collection vs. units of analysis Sampling Coding (transforming raw data into standardized form) Manifest content (surface) Latent content (underlying meaning)

Useful sources (examples only) Communications (e-mails, letters, blogs, social media etc.) Individual (personal) records (diaries, notes, calendars etc.) Organizational sources (agendas, administrative records, policy statements, reports, book keeping etc.) Government sources Media sources (TV, radio, online media, printed media etc.)

An example (recording table for TV violance vs. target group research)

Some qualitative field research approaches Naturalism Ethnomethodology Grounded theory Case studies Institutional ethnography Action research

Case study An in-depth inquiry of a single instance of a topic or phenomenon within real time setting. Its examines the topic and its dynamics within its context. The ‚case’ can refer to (it is always ‚one’): Real person (individual) Group Organization Settlement Association Project or one time process Event A period of time Etc.

Case study The chief purpose may be The use of a case study can be: Descriptive Gaining explanatory insights The use of a case study can be: Providing idiographic understanding Forming a basis for the development a more general theory/research It is a useful research strategy when the boundaries between the phenomenon and the context is not apparent. Its results are not generalizable.

The extended case method The purpose is to discover flaws in existing theories and then improve them. Expectations are set before entering the field (the case).

Research techniques/design used in case studies Mixed methods Dominantly qualitative Most frequently used ones: Document/content analysis Observation Ethnography Interview Focus groups Questionnaires Etc.

Naturalism A field research approach assuming that an objective social reality exists and can be observed and reported accurately.

Ethnography A report on social life that focuses on detailed and accurate desription rather than explanation.

Ethnomethodology An approach to the study of social life focusing on the discovery of implicit (unspoken) assumptions and agreements. Ethnomethodologists believe that reality is socially constructed and not an objective thing. A frequent technique to intentionally break these agreements to reveal them.

Grounded theory An inductive approach to the study of social life. Attempts to generate a theory through the constant comparing of unfolding observations.

Action research An emergent and iterative process of inquiry that is designed to develop solutions to real organizational problems through a participative and collaborative approach. It uses different form of knowledge It will have implications for participants and the organization beyond the research project. Its purpose is to promote organizational learning (to produce practical outcomes). It works through several stages.

Action research The figure is from Saunders et al. 2016