1. Qualitative Research Methods: What, Why, How
Prof Dr. Siti-Nabiha Abdul Khalid
Graduate School of Business
KULIAH TAMU FEB UNIVERSITAS BRAWIJAYA
26 FEBRUARI 2018

2. Qualitative Research
1. What?
2. Why?
3. How?

3. What is Qualitative Research?
Broadly interpretive philosophical position

4. View of social reality:
Multiple Realities
Reality is
SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED
Qualitative
Single Reality
Reality is OBJECTIVE
Quantitative

5. Interpretive Approch
INSIDER PERSPECTIVE: SEEING FROM THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE BEING STUDIED
TAKES PLACE IN THE NATURAL SETTING(?)
MULTIPLES REALITIES

6. is determined by events viewed through individual lenses or biases
Our view of reality
is determined by events
viewed
through individual lenses or biases

8. … qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings,
attempting to make sense of or interpret phenomenon
in terms of the meanings people bring to them.
(Denzin & Lincoln, 2000, p.3).

9. Differences in Research Approaches
QUALITATIVE
Objective:
to gain a deeper understanding
Nature of Data: “soft data”
words, audio, pictures,
QUANTITATIVE
Objective:
to quantify sample findings and generalize these results to the population of interest
Nature of Data: “numerical data

10. Differences in Research Approaches
QUANTITATIVE
TYPES OF QUESTIONS: Limited Probing
SAMPLE SIZE: large no of representative cases
Data collection: highly structured
QUALITATIVE
TYPES OF QUESTIONS Probing
Sample size?: small
Data Collection: unstructured/semistructured
RESEARCH QUESTIONS?
RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS:
RESEARCH SKILLS

11. RESEARCH QUESTIONS?

14. Research Questions

16. Research Questions?
WHAT
WHY
HOW

17. Researcher is the Research Instrument.
Concurrent (simultaneously) data collection and data analysis.

18. Researcher is the research instrument
"Far from being an impersonal data collector,
the interviewer,
not an interview schedule or protocol,
is the research tool"
( Patton, 1987, p. 13).
A skilled interviewer observes nonverbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, tone of voice and general affect.

19. observational/analytical capabilities of the researcher
“The validity, meaningfulness and insights generated from qualitative inquiry
have more to do with
information-richness of the cases selected and the
observational/analytical capabilities of the researcher
than with sample size”
(Patton, 1980, pg 185) So

20. So….. BE A CAPABLE RESEARCHER GET ACCESS TO INFORMATION RICH CASES?
……. Preliminary data collection?

21. HOW?
YOU NEED TO KNOW
(i) The differences between qualitative and quantitative research
(ii) what is qualitative research
Its Characteristics
Its Assumptions
(iii)Which qualitative research approach that you are using!

22. HOW? Three parts: Setting up the research Doing the research/fieldwork
Writing up the research

23. The first part
Setting up the research:
- Research design and proposal

24. HOW TO?
Design qualitative research
…… so that..

25. .. You qualitative research is of a good quality … And…..
……. Others are convinced about the quality of your research!

26. “QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IS A MUCH A SCIENCE AS IT IS A CRAFT”
How do you know you have done a good job?
How do you know that this is a good qualitative work?

27. Issues with Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is too subjective
Problems of generalization
Lack of transparency

28. Originality of the research
The first part
Do I know the field and its literature well?
What are the important research questions in my field?
What areas need further exploration?
Could my study fill a gap?
Originality of the research

29. your research design will evolve as you conduct your study,
and therefore a proposal for a qualitative study can’t present an EXACT specification of what you will do...

30. Theoretical Framework
Research objectives influence the choice of the theoretical framework and the method to be used for the study.
Choose appropriate framework:
Justify your framework - why is it appropriate

31. Identify and generally describe your research method
(e.g., ethnographic field study, interpretive case study), and your research procedures (e.g., long interviews, observation)
Cite the major authors who have described your research method.
Justify why your method is appropriate for your research.

32. Describe what you intend to do in detail, as you begin your study.
Research Method
Describe what you intend to do in detail, as you begin your study.
Case site selected? How many? Why?

33. CASE SELECTION
ONE SITE?
MULTIPLE SITES?
SITE SELECTION
PILOT STUDY

34. Site Selection Quantitative sampling aims at representativeness
Qualitative “sampling” aims at information-rich cases
Be realistic and practical
Need range and diversity
Link to research aim

35. How many people to be interviewed?
How many interviews
What functions, why?
What documents? What to look for?
What meetings to observe
Describe your intended data collection procedures
If interviews are to be used, list your question(s) or attach as an appendix
Justifications

36. Research
Question
Data source
And method
Practicalities
Justification

37. List of people interviews List of documents review Observations
APPENDIX: PROVIDE THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

38. Planning Plan the data collection: Plan the analysis What cases?
In what organisations?
Access?
Interview questions, equipment, recording data
Plan the analysis
What method of analysis

39. Research Skills Key skills needed for qualitative research:
Data collection skills
Data analysis skills
Writing skills

40. Data collection skills
Skills required:
Training in a qualitative research method
Interpersonal skills to:
Gain access
Maintain contact
Build trust

41. Data analysis skills
make sense of and transform massive amounts of data/text into theory by:
reducing the volume of raw information
identifying significant themes
constructing a conceptual framework

42. Data analysis skills Ability to go beyond description Link elements
Weave a ‘story’
‘Qualitative enquiry depends, at every stage, on the skills training, insights, and capabilities of the inquirer. Qualitative analysis ultimately depends on the analytical intellect and style of the analyst’ (Patton 2004: p.436).
Analysing and interpreting data whilst still collecting it

43. Writing skills
A qualitative researcher needs to be particularly skilful in writing
because unlike quantitative work,
which can be interpreted through tables and summaries,
qualitative work carries its meaning in the entire text
(Richardson 2000).
Qualitative data/text is highly complex
and only carefully crafted writing can do justice to this.

44. Some pointers BACK UP YOUR WORK!!! Obtain feedback
Discuss your research work with others
Present your research
BACK UP YOUR WORK!!!
TRUST THE PROCESS

45. WORK HARD

46. BE POSITIVE

47. Further Sources Good Overview of Qualitative Research:
Denzin, N., Lincoln, Y., (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research, Thousand Oaks: Sage
Philosophies that Inform Qualitative Research:
Guba, E. and Lincoln, Y.S. (1994) Competing Paradigms in Qualitative Research, in N.K. Denzin and Y.S. Lincoln (eds) Handbook of Qualitative Research, Sage: Newbury Park.
Johnson, P. and Duberley, J (2000). Understanding Management Research: An introduction to epistemology. London: Sage
Additional Comments:
Equally there also exists a multitude of literature available to help researchers learn about qualitative skills.

48. Further Sources Reflexivity
Finlay, L. (2002). Negotiating the swamp: the opportunity and challenge of reflexivity in research practice. Qualitative Research, 2,
Johnson, P. and Duberley, J. (2003) Reflexivity in management research. Journal of Management Studies, 40,
Woolgar, S. (ed.) (1988) Knowledge and Reflexivity. London: Sage Publications.

49. Further Sources Range of Methods :
Cassell, C. and Symon G. (2004) Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organisational Research, London: Sage.
Potter, W. (1996) An analysis of thinking and researching about qualitative methods, Mahwah:Erlbaum Associates
Taylor, S.J. and Bogdan, R. (1984) Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods: The Search for Meanings (2nd edn). New York::Wiley.

50. Further Sources Analysis:
Dey, I (1993) Qualitative data analysis: a user friendly guide for social scientists, London: Routledge.
Ryan, G. and Bernard, R. Data Management and Analysis Methods, in Denzin, N., Lincoln, Y., (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research, Thousand Oaks: Sage
Richards L. and Richards, T. Using Computers in Qualitative Analysis, in N. Denzin, and Y. Lincoln (eds), Handbook of Qualitative Research, Thousand Oaks: Sage.

51. Further Sources Writing and Publishing
Golden-Biddles, K. and Locke, K.,(1997) Composing Qualitative Research, California: Sage
Wolcott, H., F. (2001) Writing Up Qualitative Research, California: Sage
Richardson, L. (2000) Writing a Method of Inquiry, in Denzin, N., Lincoln, Y., Handbook of Qualitative Research, California: Sage

52. References
Cassell, C., Buehring, A., Symon, G., Johnson, P., and Bishop. V. (2005) Benchmarking Good Practice in Qualitative Management Research, (This report is available on the accompanying resource pack or else can be found on the website:
Coffrey, A. and Atkinson, P. (1996) Making Sense of Qualitative Data, London: Sage
Fetterman, D.M. (1991) A Walk through the wilderness: learning to find your way, in W.B. Shaffir and R.A. Stebbins (eds), Experiencing Fieldwork: an Inside View of Qualitative Research. Newbury Park, C.A. Sage.
Lofland, J. (1971) Analyzing Social Settings: a guide to qualitative observation and analysis, Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Co.

53. Loseke, D. and Cahill, S. (2004) Publishing qualitative manuscripts: lessons learned, in Seale, C., Gobo, G., Gubrium, J., and Silverman, D. (eds).
Qualitative Research Practice, London: Sage.
Miles, M. B. and Huberman, A. M. (1984) Qualitative Data Analysis: A Sourcebook of New Methods, Beverly Hills, CA: Sage
Patton, M. (2002) Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods, London: Sage
Schwandt, T. (2001) Dictionary of Qualitative Inquiry, Thousand Oaks: Sage
Silverman, D. (2000) Doing Qualitative Research: A Practical Handbook, London: Sage.
Waddington, D. (1994) Participant Observation in Cassell, C. and Symon, G, (eds) Qualitative Methods in Organisational Research: A Practical Guide, (eds.) California: Sage.