Qualitative and Quantitative
• Your research must be both!
• Qualitative refers to quality information from a variety of opposing
resources.
• Quantitative means that it will include figures and refer to specific
numbers.
Research Questions Must Be…CCCAF
• Clear - is it understandable?
• Concise – is it short enough?
• Complex – does it encourage a deeper understanding of a topic?
• Arguable – could different perspectives be delivered through the
research?
• Focused – is it sufficiently narrow to allow for deeper understanding
to be developed without too much information that might become
overwhelming?
Broad or Narrow Questions?
Consider the following questions. Are they too broad, too narrow, or
about right?
1 How far do male nurses embody the male hegemonic identity?
2 What is the experience of living with diabetes?
3 Do children sent to day-care have problems?
4 How do football fans using online message boards account for their
team’s poor performance?
Answers
1. Question needs to be developed as it is too broad. Definition of
terms used will give this question more focus.
2. This question is too broad. It is unclear whether the study will look
at people with insulin diabetes or non insulin dependent diabetes
and what it is exactly aiming to investigate.
3. Does not make clear what type of day care is assumed or what the
word “problems” includes. The question needs more focus.
4. Specific enough for a manageable project. The focus on how fans
“account” points to a qualitative approach.
Broad or Narrow Questions?
To what extent
become dominant in hospital management?
1 How far do male nurses embody the male hegemonic identity?
Does diabetes (ID) change patient’s perspective on diet?
2 What is the experience of living with diabetes?
Pre-school
Have difficulty with their attention span
when they reach primary school
3 Do children sent to day-care have problems?
4 How do football fans using online message boards account for their
team’s poor performance?
MH17
Was it the Russians or the Ukranians who
downed the plane?
Was it a “Bulk Sennies Air Missile” that shot
the plane down and where has it come from?
MH17
Will there be a full
investigation so that there
is closure for families?
What is Russia’s point of
view?
Why did MH17 get shot
down and by whom?
Will Malaysian Airlines be shut down due to
the two life ending disasters?
Marijuana
Should it be used for medical purposes?
How does society view marijuana?
Should marijuana be legalised?
Attacked/shot
down?
MH17
Was it the Russians or the Ukranians who
downed the plane?
Could be a simple yes/no answer
Was it rebels or
Just local
youths?
Was it a “Bulk Sennies Air Missile” that shot
the plane down ?
Will Malaysian Airlines be shut down due to
the two life ending disasters?
Question 1
MH17
Will there be a full
investigation so that there
is closure for families?
What is Russia’s point of
view?
Why did MH17 get shot
down and by whom?
Needs more focus!
Does it mean ‘go out of business’
because no one wants to fly with
them, OR do they mean or is the
Civil Aviation Authority likely to step
in?
Suggests preexisting bias
Question 2
Point of view on what?
The Ukranian rebels?
Or the plane crash?
Likely to deliver a case of EHS
As they are far too broad.
Needs more focus. Try to be more specific.
Exploding
Head
Syndrome
Title potentially pornographic!
Needs to change
Too broad
Definitely a controversial topic so likely
To deliver different points of view
Marijuana
Should it be used for medical purposes?
How does society view marijuana?
Should marijuana be legalised?
Where will you get
your information
from?
How will you get
different sources?
Devising Questions
1. Who is blaming Russia for the MH17 plane crash?
2. To what extent does the Russian media present Russia’s involvement in
the MH17 air strike?
3. How is the character of President Putin revealed by recent events?
• Work on moving along the scale from “knowing less” to “knowing more”
• Potentially infinite questions that can be asked
Creating Data Collection Tables
Russian
Media
1 – The Blame
2 – Russian views
3 – Putin’s character
Other
Russia's Channel One ran a package
telling its audience that the entire
incident was orchestrated by the
United States, specifically by the CIA.
(http://www.nbcnews.com)
According to the
Russian Defense
Ministry, there are
units of the
Ukrainian Armed
Forces on the
disaster area; the
units are armed
with anti-aircraft
missile systems
Buk-M1.
(www.English.Prav
da.ru)
Russian newspaper
strongly criticize Putin
and the intelligence
services
(http://20committee.
com/)
The Russian government has
reportedly been caught editing
a Wikipedia page relating to
crashed Malaysia Airlines flight
MH17 and removing references
to Russian involvement. (Stuff
re: Wikipedia)
Almost immediately, reporters
of these state-aligned channels
began to interpret the
catastrophe as the fault of the
Ukrainian military.
(http://theconversation.com/)
"Thank you very
much Mr Putin,
leaders of the
separatists or the
Ukraine
government! For
murdering my loved
and only child
Russia points finger at Ukraine
jet
(theaustralian.com.au)
Australian Yes . Australia want Putin banned
Not applicable
Media
from the G20 conference which is due
to be held there later this month.
(newspaper)
This airplane crash … appears to be
the result of an attack by pro-Putin
forces…. has really shocked us
Ukrainians.
Media
Source
Q1
Q2
US
Media
Russia's Channel One ran
a package telling its
audience that the entire
incident was orchestrated
by the United States,
specifically by the CIA.
www.nbcnews.com)
In all, the state-aligned and
state-owned Russian media
coverage of the disaster
carries a conspiratorial,
anti-Western tone, pointing
to the Ukrainian
government as the party at
fault and Washington as a
puppet
master.(theconversation.com)
German
Media
German media are
ultimately blaming Putin
for the disaster.
(Taagesspiegel.de)
Journalist Sarah Firth left
Russian media job because
she felt like she was being
manipulated by Putin.
(www.focus.de)
Other
MH17 And The Russian
Media: Why The Kremlin’s
Propaganda Machine Is So
Effective(www.ibtimes.com
)
Q3
Other Information
“Putin is the key”
(www.tagesspieegel.
de) Angela Merkel
states “They have to
drop the weapons”
(www.sueddeutsche.
de)
79% of Russians
trust the television
coverage of the
Ukrainian conflict
and most likely will