Qualitative Research – Week 2

Data collection Issues of self-reported and observed behavior Do people do what they say they do?

Data coding Need to make sense of the data The methods section should explain how you plan on doing the coding and analysis. Simply saying you’ll analyze it is not sufficient. Creswell, p. 192 Beware of floor or ceiling effects

Floor or ceiling effects

Observer bias The researcher filters the data through a personal lens that is situated in the specific sociopolitical and historical moment. One cannot escape the personal interpretation brought to qualitative data analysis. — Creswell, p. 182.

Observer bias Observer bias also applies to the subjects. Consider if you were evaluating how people respond to political discourse. For example, a recent speech by the President. Your subjects would show very different responses depending on political party. Obvious in this example, but what about affects of corporate politics you don’t even realize exist.

Developing the procedure Checklist on p. 180, Creswell

When to do qualitative research Cognitive research strategies tend to vary as a function of theory development. The earlier stages typically necessitate detailed analyses of a few subjects, as researchers endeavor to characterize a new phenomenon. Subsequent research, guided by the initial detailed studies, can employ a larger sample size to test the generality of specific hypotheses. However, in certain cases, the order may be reversed, and large scale quantitative studies may give rise to in-depth qualitative analyses of a particular phenomenon.

When to do qualitative research For example, studies that document the prevalence of certain decision-making biases maybe followed up by studies that characterize the reasoning processes that contribute to such biases. Similarly, research documenting the failure of many diabetic patients to comply with therapeutic regimens may be followed up by cognitive studies that investigate the beliefs and understandings that sustain such suboptimal practices.

Data collection Issues of self-reported and observed behavior Do people do what they say they do?

Data coding Need to make sense of the data The methods section should explain how you plan on doing the coding and analysis. Simply saying you’ll analyze it is not sufficient. Creswell, p. 192 Beware of floor or ceiling effects

Floor or ceiling effects

Observer bias The researcher filters the data through a personal lens that is situated in the specific sociopolitical and historical moment. One cannot escape the personal interpretation brought to qualitative data analysis. — Creswell, p. 182.

Observer bias Observer bias also applies to the subjects. Consider if you were evaluating how people respond to political discourse. For example, a recent speech by the President. Your subjects would show very different responses depending on political party. Obvious in this example, but what about affects of corporate politics you don’t even realize exist.

Developing the procedure Checklist on p. 180, Creswell

When to do qualitative research Cognitive research strategies tend to vary as a function of theory development. The earlier stages typically necessitate detailed analyses of a few subjects, as researchers endeavor to characterize a new phenomenon. Subsequent research, guided by the initial detailed studies, can employ a larger sample size to test the generality of specific hypotheses. However, in certain cases, the order may be reversed, and large scale quantitative studies may give rise to in-depth qualitative analyses of a particular phenomenon.

When to do qualitative research For example, studies that document the prevalence of certain decision-making biases maybe followed up by studies that characterize the reasoning processes that contribute to such biases. Similarly, research documenting the failure of many diabetic patients to comply with therapeutic regimens may be followed up by cognitive studies that investigate the beliefs and understandings that sustain such suboptimal practices.