Introduction to Qualitative Research

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Introduction to Qualitative Research
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Philosophical Assumptions

• Ontology Metaphysical study of being and the
  nature of reality
• Axiology Study of nature of values and
  judgements (overriding goal)
• Epistemology Study of the nature of knowledge,
  its presuppositions and foundations, and its
  extent and validity

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Positivistic vs. Interpretive

• Ontological nature of reality
• Objective
• Single
• Divisible
• Nature of social beings
• Deterministic
• Reactive

• Ontological nature of reality
• Socially constructed
• Multiple
• Holistics/Contextual
• Nature of social beings
• Voluntaristic
• Proactive

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Positivistic Vs. Interpretive

• Axiological
• Explanation via subsumption under general laws

• Axiological
• Understanding based on Verstehen

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Positivistic Vs. Interpretive

• Epistemological
• Knowledge Generation
• Idiographic
• Time-bound
• Context-dependent
• View of Causality
• Multiple, simultaneous shaping
• Research relationship
• Interactive, cooperative
• No privileged point of observation

• Epistemological
• Knowledge Generation
• Nomothetic
• Time-free
• Context-independent
• View of Causality
• Real causes exist
• Research relationship
• Dualism, separation
• Privileged point of observation

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Qualitative Inquiry

• Qualitative questions why or how
• Fit of Question and Method
• Sampling and Saturation
• Purposeful, convenience, nominated, theoretical
• Data saturation

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Methods

• Ethnography
• Focused ethnography (decision making)
• Critical ethnography (aids emancipation)
• Phenomenology
• Experience snapshots
• Describing the essence of human experience
• Grounded theory
• Highly inductive
• Iterative process evolving theory

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Methods

• Narrative
• Story that reveals persons experiences
• Represents larger social experience
• Case Study
• Intrinsic (understanding 1 case)
• Instrumental (refining theory)
• Collective (several instrumental cases, looking
  for broader context)

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Methods

• Participatory Action Research
• Reflects needs of the people
• Group ownership of process (involvement of
  participants from design to results)
• Conducted to solve social or community problems

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Data Collection

• Interviews (depth)
• Observation
• Field Notes
• Documents
• Video, photographs

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Triangulation

• Uses a combination of more than one research
  strategy in a single investigation.
• Data time, space, person
• Investigator complimenting areas of expertise
• Theory testing and comparison of theories
• Methods simultaneous sequential implementation
  (separate analysis)

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Depth Interviews

• Funnel Method
• let respondent do all the talking
• can be a diagnostic interview
• the idea is let the subject direct the interview
  

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• Inverted Funnel Specific to general
• You want to jog the interviewees memory
• You want to motivate a reluctant participant
• You want to get specific facts before general
  impressions

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Interview Technique

• silent probe
• encouragement probe
• immediate elaboration
• immediate clarification
• retrospective elaboration
• recapitulation probe
• retrospective clarification

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Interview Technique

• echo probe
• reflective probe
• interpretive probe
• summary probe
• mutation

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Interview Technique

• formulate question before speaking
• keep questions simple
• no preface
• do not give respondent your lit review
• note taking controls flow

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Interview Issues

• avoid leading questions
• avoid ritual agreement
• monitor the universe of discourse

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Universe of Discourse
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Interview Issues

• avoid leading questions
• avoid ritual agreement
• monitor the universe of discourse
• observe body language
• convey expectation of cooperation
• avoid unprofessional statements

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To Tape or Not to Tape

• Advantages
• more accurate and less distracting
• better than relying on your memory
• excellent training tool for interviewer
• Disadvantage
• one thing to tell you, another to go on permanent
  record
• worry about sound of their voice
• worry who will hear tape

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IF Using a Tape Recorder

• tell respondent who will have access to tape
• erase tape as soon as transcribed
• place recorder in obvious place
• you can turn off/on confirm working...
• no question of subterfuge

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IF Using a Tape Recorder

• check recorder before you show up
• tape blank?
• bring extra tape
• check batteries
• confirm that it is working!
• move tape past leader
• check volume control
• practice with tape recorder

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Who

• does this person have access to information that
  you want?
• approaching interviewees their organizations

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When

• schedule when no competing demands
• approach with attitude that their time is more
  important than yours
• do not schedule too closely together
• 45 minutes typical 90 minutes longest
• sequencing

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Where

• respondents place of business
• respondents home
• neutral spot

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What

• interview blueprint
• list research objective or research question,
  actual question and sample prompts (listing any
  specifics you would like to elicit) in
  table/chart form

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The interview blueprint should guide you, not
confine you
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Sample Interview Blueprint
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(No Transcript)
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What

• interview guide
• questions simply worded
• listed in order
• key points of introduction conclusion
• leave space for notes

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Sample Interview Guide
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(No Transcript)
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The interview blueprint and interview guides
should serve as a road map. They can be used when
you feel you are getting lost and to keep you
focused on your destination.
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But, remember, that sometimes the scenic route
provides surprising discoveries.
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Interview Procedure

• phone ahead to confirm appointment
• when you arrive
• reintroduce yourself and your study
• explain how they were picked for study
• confirm use of tape recorder
• explain confidentiality and explain that they can
  end interview at any point
• start tape (if using)

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Interview Procedure

• when tape is rolling
• say, Ive prepared some questions, but if they
  dont seem to be hitting at the core of the
  issue, feel free to correct me
• start questions
• if ask tape be turned off for one question,
  remember to start again after
• after last question, always ask Is there
  anything else youd like to add? Anything you
  think Im missing?

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Interview Procedure

• after interview is over
• dont bolt.
• thank them for their participation
• say into tape recorder the foregoing was an
  interview with Jane Doe (D-o-e) for project 43,
  date, time, location, by your name
• turn off tape, but hang around making small talk
  will often get best stuff yet, now that formal
  interview is over
• once out of sight, debrief

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Interview Procedure

• Debrief
• check that tape has recorded properly
• tape is blank
• background noise obscures portions of tape
• reconstruct missing data but distinguish in
  transcript between verbatim and reconstructed
  paraphrasing
• record details (such as body language) not
  recorded on tape while still fresh in your memory
• note your own preliminary interpretations and
  ideas