1. Chapter 14 Overview of Qualitative Research Gay, Mills, and Airasian
Educational Research
Chapter 14
Overview of Qualitative Research
Gay, Mills, and Airasian

2. Topics Discussed in this Chapter
Definition and purpose of qualitative research
General steps involved in qualitative research
Qualitative research approaches
Characteristics of qualitative research
Validity, reliability, and generalizability
Ethics

3. The Nature of Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is the collection, analysis, and interpretation of comprehensive narrative data in order to gain insights into a particular phenomenon of interest
Useful for describing and answering questions about participants and contexts
Objective 1.1

4. The Nature of Qualitative Research
Purpose of qualitative research
Promote a deep, holistic understanding of a particular phenomenon
Importance of exploring qualitative topics
Provide insight into the complexity of common occurrences
Provide specific concrete details to guide understanding in a particular setting
Objectives 1.2 and 1.3

5. The Nature of Qualitative Research
The importance of exploring qualitative topics (continued)
Provide insight into the “local” meanings that activities and practices have for participants
Develop a comparative understanding of phenomena as experienced by different participants in different settings
Objective 1.3

6. The Nature of Qualitative Research
Six General Steps
Identify the research topic
Review the literature
Select the participants
Collect data
Analyze the data
Report the results
These are the same steps as those used in quantitative research
Objectives 2.1 and 2.2

7. Range of Qualitative Approaches
Nine approaches
Case study
An effort to seek an understanding of a single person or entity
Ethnography
An effort to describe and analyze all or part of the culture of a community by identifying and describing participants’ practices and beliefs
Ethology
An effort to compare several cultures with one another
Objective 3.2

8. Range of Qualitative Approaches
Nine approaches (continued)
Ethnomethodology
An effort to examine people’s understanding of their daily activities
Grounded theory
An effort to derive theory grounded in the perspectives of the participants
Phenomenology
An effort to understand the meaning of an individual’s experiences
Objective 3.2

9. Range of Qualitative Approaches
Nine approaches (continued)
Symbolic interaction
An effort to seek common understandings that emerge to give meaning to participants’ interactions
Action research
An effort to seek a solution or improvement to a practical problem in the setting in which it is occurring
Historical research
An effort to seek to understand the past by studying documents, relics, and interviews
Objective 3.2

10. Features of Qualitative Approaches
Differences between approaches
Different social contexts are being studied in each approach
The participants are selected for different reasons in each approach
Objective 3.1

11. Features of Qualitative Approaches
Eight unique characteristics
Researchers immerse themselves in the situation
The data reflects the participants’ perspectives
Sources of data are real-world situations or natural contexts
Data is narrative in nature
Researchers focus on personal interactions with participants
Objective 4.1

12. Features of Qualitative Approaches
Eight unique characteristics (continued)
Researchers avoid early decisions or assumptions about the study
Data are analyzed inductively
Methods provide clear, detailed information reflecting participants’ voices
Objective 4.1

13. Technical Issues Validity
The degree to which the qualitative data collected accurately gauges what is being measured
Two components
Trustworthiness
Understanding
Objective 5.1

14. Technical Issues Validity Trustworthiness
Credibility – taking into account all the complexities in the study and addressing problems that are not easily explained
Transferability – including descriptive, context-relevant statements so the reader can identify with the setting
Dependability – collecting stable data
Confirmability – assuring the neutrality and objectivity of the data
Objective 6.1

15. Technical Issues Validity Understanding
Descriptive validity – the factual accuracy of the account
Interpretive validity – the meaning attributed to the behaviors or words of the participants
Theoretical validity – the explanation of the phenomenon being studied in relation to a theory
Evaluative validity – sufficient objectivity in reporting data to avoid bias, preconceived judgments, or evaluations
Objective 6.2

16. Technical Issues 13 strategies to ensure validity
Participate at the study site for a prolonged period of time
Use persistent observation
Use peer debriefing
Collect mechanically recorded data
Use member checks
Establish structural corroboration/coherence
Establish referential adequacy
Objective 6.3

17. Technical Issues 13 strategies to ensure validity (cont.)
Collect detailed descriptive data
Develop detailed descriptions of the context
Overlap methods (i.e., multi-methods)
Establish an audit trail
Practice triangulation
Practice reflexivity
Objective 6.3

18. Technical Issues Reliability
The consistency with which data measures what is being attempted to be measured over time
Qualitative perspective
The reliability of the techniques that are being used to collect data
Reliability is a necessary but not sufficient characteristic – validity is the priority
Objectives 7.1 and 7.2

19. Technical Issues Generalizability
The applicability of findings to settings and contexts different from the one in which they were obtained
Internal-external validity issues revisited
A depth of understanding can only be achieved from a few participants in a very limited number of contexts
Generalizability is therefore very limited
Qualitative researchers are primarily concerned with validity and reliability and to a much lesser extent generalizability
Objective 8.1

20. Technical Issues
General strategies for ensuring the technical merit of a qualitative study
Talk little, listen a lot
Record observation accurately
Begin writing early
Let readers see for themselves
Report fully
Be candid
Seek feedback
Write accurately

21. Ethical Issues
Ethics can be considered in terms of how the researcher treats the participants in the research setting.
The nature of qualitative research provides the potential for conflict and harm.
Qualitative research is intimate – there is little distance between the researcher and the participants
Qualitative research is open-ended – the nature of the process requires the use of an emergent design as the situation unfolds
Objectives 9.1 and 9.2

22. Ethical Issues Six guidelines to help avoid ethical problems
Researchers should have an ethical perspective that is close to their personal ethical position
Informed consent should take the form of a dialogue that mutually shapes the research and the results
Confidentiality is more complicated even with the use of pseudonyms
Consider the use of a video tape to illustrate a point being made
Objective 9.4

23. Ethical Issues Six guidelines to help avoid ethical problems (cont.)
You should be able to identify broader social principles that are an integral part of who you are as a researcher and a contributing member of the community in which you live.
Avoidance of harm morally binds qualitative researchers to conduct their research in a manner that minimizes potential harm to those involved in the study.
Objective 9.4

24. Ethical Issues Six guidelines to help avoid ethical problems (cont.)
Even though an action can bring about good results, it is not ethical unless it also conforms to ethical standards such as honesty and justice.
The qualitative researcher must remain attentive to the relationships between the researcher and the participants – a relationship that is determined by “roles, status, language, and cultural norms.”
Objective 9.4