CH' 16QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

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CH. 16 QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

• I. QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR GATHERING DATA
• The principal aim of qualitative research is to
  gain an interpretive understanding of human
  experience, using a naturalistic approach.
  Information is almost always gathered in a
  naturalistic setting. Uses a contextual
  approach, which looks at how the social and
  physical environment influences human development
  and behavior. Qualitative methods are more
  focused on the presence or absence of phenomena,
  rather than on amount, intensity, frequency,
  time, or quantity (as with quantitative methods).

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CH. 16 QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS cont.

• There are 4 primary methods that are used to
  collect data (observation, interviews, textual
  analysis, transcription). Frequently several
  of these methods are combined within a single
  qualitative study in an attempt to increase
  validity (called triangulation).

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Ch. 16, cont.

• A.    Observation
• Most often used qualitative method.
• Two categories unobtrusive observation
  (nonreactive), which is done in such a manner
  that subjects are unaware that the observation is
  taking place, and participant observation
  (reactive), where the researcher becomes a member
  of the group under study and is thereby able to
  interact directly with others as they engage in
  the natural activities of the group. These
  methods are used by anthropologists and
  sociologists. Both methods employ the use of
  field notes and coding schemes.

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Ch. 16, cont.

• The question of ethics in observational studies
  
• What about informed consent and the right to
  privacy? According to the APA, the guidelines
  for unobtrusive observation require that the
  behavior under observation must be
  naturally-occurring and be neither revealing nor
  embarrassing the subjects must remain anonymous.
  Informed consent must be obtained in studies
  employing participant observations.

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Ch. 16, cont.

• B.    Interviews
• Are a form of self-report data.
• There are 5 types of questions (see Table 16.2
  on pp. 533-534).
• See Table 16.3 on pp. 534-535 for examples of
  common errors in the construction of questions
  for interviews or surveys.
• Two main categories unstructured interviews
  (open-ended) and structured interviews (questions
  and their order are the same for every
  respondent).
• Tips on conducting successful interviews
  well-constructed questions, careful recording of
  responses, suitable length of interview.

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Ch. 16, cont.

• C. Textual Analysis
• Includes a wide range of methods for
  investigating
• existing sources of written information
  about
• a culture or context.
• Uses two types of materials archival
  materials
• (pre-existing records or documents
  include
• books, articles, newspapers, songs,
  cartoons,
• art and other images) and textual
  materials
• (produced by respondents specifically for
  the
• study include diaries, journals, or sets
  of route
• directions).
• D.  Transcription
•   Originally developed by linguists to record
• conversations and other oral behaviors.

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Ch. 16, cont.

• II.  RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY IN QUALITATIVE
  RESEARCH
• Both reliability and validity are two huge
  problems in qualitative research.
• Qualitative research should ensure 2 forms of
  inter-rater reliability synchronic reliability
  (two people give the same interpretation of an
  event at the same point in time), and diachronic
  reliability (the same observer gives the same
  interpretation of a similar event at two
  different times).
• The issue of external validity experimenter
  bias and focus on rare events.

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Ch. 16, cont.

• III.  TRIANGULATION OF METHODS
• INCREASING THE VALIDITY 
• Helps to improve validity by creating converging
  evidence.
• IV.   STATISTICS FOR QUALITATIVE DATA
• Statistics are those for use with nominal data
  frequencies, percentages, modes, chi- squares,
  etc.
• Three interlinked steps data reduction, data
  display, conclusion drawing/verification.
• Computer programs there are now many programs
  on the market specifically designed to work with
  qualitative data.
•  

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Ch. 16, cont.

• V.   THE FUTURE OF QUALITATIVE METHODS
• There is now a trend toward combining
  qualitative methods with quantitative methods,
  and qualitative methods are no longer seen to be
  quite as soft as they have been previously.