Overview to qualitative research Introduction to tools Study Team Training Research. Rethink. Resolve.

Pilot Objective To improve women’s participation in governance structures in camps and camp-like settings to reduce women and girls’ perceptions of risks to gender-based violence. Research. Rethink. Resolve.

Study Question What are women’s perceptions of safety and participation? Research. Rethink. Resolve.

Who should we speak with as part of the pilot? (Philippines example) Peacekeepers Leaders of IDP Leaders of host Representation from Barangay local government Camp management Badjao women Group 1 Badjao women Group 2 Tausog women Group 1 LGBTI youth Persons with disabilities (IDP) Persons with disabilities (host) Adolescent girls Youth leaders Mampang Badjao women non-participants Tausog women non-participants To Facilitators: Alternatively, ask participants, “Who are the different groups of people should we be concerned about in this context?” Research. Rethink. Resolve.

What is qualitative research? Qualitative research is flexible. Non-leading questions and statements are used. Information is probed as much as possible. Participant are treated as the expert. The participants lead the conversation while staying on topic. How and why things happen are of most interest. The words people use are analyzed. Research. Rethink. Resolve.

How is qualitative research different from quantitative research? Seeks to make generalizable observations. Emphasis on structured measures, replicable findings and use of “gold standards”. Can often quantify an event, but cannot explain why it occurred. Individuals are research subjects, but the community is rarely involved in the science. Research. Rethink. Resolve.

What types of qualitative methods will be used in this study? Individual interviews Group activities (focus groups, safety mapping) Ask participants to reflect on who the relevant leaders and community members are. Although they might have recruited them already, it could help us and them to confirm whether they talked to the right people and redirect the recruitment if needed. Research. Rethink. Resolve.

Individual interviews Research. Rethink. Resolve.

What is an individual interview? Done by one person (interviewer) with the participant. Questions are “open-ended” to allow the participant to tell her or his story. Can gather more difficult or sensitive information. Each topic can be discussed in more depth. The participant can have more control over the topics she or he wants to discuss. Research. Rethink. Resolve.

How will individual interviews be done in the study? Depending on context, in-depth interviews will be conducted with: Smaller groups (persons with disabilities, LGBTI, youth leaders Key informants Research. Rethink. Resolve.

Group activities Research. Rethink. Resolve.

What are the activities that will be done in group activities? Focus Group Discussions Safety Mapping Research. Rethink. Resolve.

Focus group discussions Research. Rethink. Resolve.

What is a focus group discussion? A group of approximately 6-12 similar individuals that discusses a topic under the direction of a facilitator who promotes interaction among the members and makes sure that the discussion remains on topic. Addresses a research question. Participant interaction is an important part of the data. Research. Rethink. Resolve.

When are focus group discussions used? To collect different types of information at one time. To explore and understand areas of agreement and disagreement about the topics. To understand social norms about the topic. Research. Rethink. Resolve.

What are the advantages of a focus group? Advantages of open-ended questions where participants can use their own words and allows discussion of content, meaning and things. Promotes participant interaction. Researchers can interact directly to clarify responses (probe), ask follow-up questions, add to interaction processes and observe non-verbal behavior. Flexible: A wide range of topics can be discussed with a variety of individuals (no literacy issues) in a wide range of settings. Results are easy to understand. Research. Rethink. Resolve.

What are the disadvantages of a focus group? Limits of open-ended questions in that responses can be difficult to analyze or interpret. Downsides to interactions where participants can be influenced by others, and there could be a dominant speaker. Not able to generalize since there is a limited number of participants, and participants are not selected at random. Moderator inexperience and/or bias. Research. Rethink. Resolve.

How are focus group discussions used in this study? Women and men will be asked questions about: Document any change experienced from participation in the activity In terms of contributing to decision making processes In terms of perceptions of safety Facilitators and barriers to participation Identify links between participation and sense of safety Different kinds of participation (levels) Who did the project activities work for more, and less? Research. Rethink. Resolve.

Safety mapping Research. Rethink. Resolve.

What is safety mapping? A technique to map safe and unsafe spaces and people in the community. WRC, Adolescent Girls Project, Ethiopia, April 2012. Research. Rethink. Resolve.

How is safety mapping used in this study? Groups should be made up of women or girls who come from the same community (if not feasible, group by those familiar with general “center” of the community) Women and girls will be asked to map out places significant to their community: Identify areas of risks and safety within a walkable distance Determine accessibility to services and programs Understand the referral mechanism Confirm links between participation and sense of safety (those identified from FGDs) Research. Rethink. Resolve.

Slides based on: Maynard-Tucker G: Conducting Focus Groups in Developing Countries: Skill Training for Local Bilingual Facilitators. Qual Health Res 2000, 10(3):396-410. Linda Cushman, “Qualitative Data Collection and Introduction to Focus Groups,” Research Design and Data Collection: Service-Based Research 1, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, September 2005. Johns Hopkins University, “Conducting Operational Research to Measure or Mitigate Morbidity and Mortality of Populations Affected by Humanitarian Emergencies,” Phase II Training Guide, September 2013. Holly Ann Williams, “Applying Qualitative Methodologies to Reproductive Health Issues,” CDC International Emergency and Refugee Health Branch, WRC Training, June 2-3, 2011. International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Tools Together Now! 100 Participatory Tools to Mobilize Communities for HIV/AIDS, 2006 Meera Kaul Shah, Rose Zambezi and Mary Simasiku, “Focus Tool Series: Listening to Young Voices: Facilitating Participatory Appraisals on Reproductive Health with Adolescents,” CARE International in Zambia, June 1999. Research. Rethink. Resolve.