Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Chapter 10 Qualitative Research

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Characteristics of Qualitative Research The Natural Setting The Researcher as Instrument Emergent Approach Interpretive Approach A Holistic View Reflexivity and Subjectivity Use of Deductive and Inductive Reasoning Strategies of Inquiry

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al The Natural Setting Qualitative researchers must physically go to the people, site, institution, or field

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al The Researcher as Instrument Build trust, rapport, and credibility with subjects Observation –Complete participation –Observer as participant –Participant as observer –Complete observer

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Interviews –Closed quantitative –Standardized open-ended –Interview guide –Informal conversational Content analysis –Process in which a researcher examines a class of social artifacts to describe specific characteristics of a message

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Emergent Approach Research question may change or be refined as researcher learns more about subject under investigation

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Interpretive Approach – method for deciphering indirect meaning and a reflective practice for unmasking hidden meaning beneath apparent meaning Constant comparison 1.Reduce, code, and disply the major themes or patterns that emerge 2.Integrate categories and compare them to one another or the themes 3.Delimit and refine the themes 4.Provide examples from the data that show how the themes were derived

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Trustworthiness of Qualitative Data Credibility ( validity) –quotes, field notes, checks by participants Transferability ( validity) –detailed description of setting, thick data descriptions Dependability ( ) –document research plan, triangulate Confirmability ( ) –clearly describe observations, provide alternative explanations

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al A Holistic View Broad studies rather than microanalysis or focusing on the relationship between independent and dependent variables

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Reflexivity and Subjectivity Reflexivity – systematic reflection on how personal assumptions, biases, and values shape a study

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Use of Deductive and Inductive Reasoning Inductive reasoning (from specific to broad) is more prevalent, but deductive reasoning (from brad to specific) can be appropriate

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Strategies of Inquiry Use multiple strategies Mixed-method – combination of both quantitative and qualitative research methods

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al What is Qualitative Research? naturalistic inquiry: being in the natural environment to gather data holistic, inductive, dynamic, subjective, humanistic, exploratory, process-oriented

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Qualitative vs. Quantitative Studies

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Types of Qualitative Research Grounded Theory Life Histories Case Studies Phenomonology Ethnographical Research Basic/Generic Qualitative Research

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Grounded Theory Form of data collection and analysis that uses comparison as an analytic tool to generate concepts and hypotheses Goal is to group parts together to form a core variable

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Life Histories Narrative research or biographical research Studies cover lives of individuals or the that result from one or more individuals providing stories about their lives

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Case Studies Involves studying an event, activity, program, process or one or more individuals Holistic understanding of single unit or bounded system Can be based on realistic ( ) or confessional ( ) tales

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Phenomenology Goal: to describe and clarify subjects’ experiences without any previous assumptions about their meanings Try to determine the “ ” of an experience No interview schedule (flexibility) “Go with the flow”

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Ethnographical Research Describes and interprets a cultural or social group. Uncovers and describes beliefs, values, and attitudes that structure the behavior of a group.

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Process of Qualitative Reserach Conceptualizing the Research Framing the Research Question Collecting Data Analyzing Data Writing up the Research

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Conceptualizing the Reseach Curiosity and intuition play an important role What concept or puzzling phenomena is interesting?

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Framing the Research Question No hypothesis to test Questions: “What,” Why,” “How” seek to be answered Process of discovery

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Collecting Data Goal: Produce a “ ” description Methods: –Direct Observation –Focused Interviewing –Document Analysis –Photographs and Videos –Supportive Quantitative Data

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Direct Observation Participant-observers: become involved in the social setting they are studying Nonparticipant observers: more removed from the social process –use key informants Both kinds of observers collect field notes

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Focused Interviewing Range from structured to unstructured Interview schedule: list of flexible, open-ended questions : convey interest, try to pull out more information from subject Focus group interviews: guided by a facilitator

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Document Analysis Examination of records –newsletters, news releases –student records –minutes from meetings –code of ethics –philosophy statements –diaries, letters

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Photographs and Videos Use to gain insight into how people view and interpret their world

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Supportive Quantitative Data Attendance counts, injuries, scores can tell about attitudes and trends : process of cross- checking across different methods

Chapter 10 Conducting & Reading Research Baumgartner et al Writing up the Research No formal conventions Writer tries to convince plausibility Present quotes from subjects, field notes, other primary data Present alternative explanations, points of view, and problems with the study