Qualitative Methods
9810009m Lisa
9810010m Angela
Outline
• Basis for selection of qualitative methods
• Strategies for Qualitative Research
• General Methodological Guidelines
• Critically Analyzing Qualitative Research
Key words associated with qualitative
methods include:
• Complexity,
• contextual,
• exploration,
• discovery,
• inductive logic.
• Main Purpose of doing Qualitative Research:
Provide in-depth descriptions to interpret
something by using case study, personal
experiences, interview, or observation.
Basis for selection of qualitative
methods
• Three possible reasons for choosing qualitative
methods are explored as follows:
• A. the researcher’s view of the world
• B. the nature of the research question
• C. practical reasons associated with the nature
of qualitative methods
a. The researcher’s view of the world
• Constructivist view
• Transformative views
b. The nature of the research question
• Patton(2002) identifies the following types of
research questions for which qualitative
methods would be appropriate:
• 1. the focus of the research is on the process,
implementation ,or development of a program
or its participants.
• 2.The program emphasizes individualized
outcomes.
• 3.Detailed and in-depth information is needed
about certain clients or programs.
• 4.the focus is on diversity among, idiosyncrasies
of, and unique qualities exhibited by
individuals.
• 5.the intent is to understand the program
theory.
Strategies for Qualitative Research
• Seven strategies
• . Strategies for Qualitative Research: many
different types of qualitative research are
practiced in educational and psychological
research. In this chapter we mention seven
strategies as follows.
Strategies for Qualitative Research
• 1. Ethnographic research: Describe and analyze
practices and beliefs of cultures and
communities by interacting with people in their
everyday lives
• 2. Case study: Detailed study of one individual
(of a group) through observation
• 3. Phenomenological research:
• Seek the individual’s perceptions and meaning
of a phenomenon or experience; “what is the
meaning of the experience of this phenomenon
for this person or group of people?”
4. Grounded theory: Develop a theory after
gathering and analyzing the data
• 5. Participatory research: Co-research the issue
cooperatively
Participatory research
• Cooperative inquiry
• Participatory action research
Clinical Research
• Understand a problem within a clinical context.
• Focus on aspect of medical
• Belong to case study
Focus groups
• Observe the interaction within the group (e.g.,
group interviews)
• Advantage : have more chance to get the
information.
• Disadvantage : the former respondent may
influenced the neutral participants’ idea.
General Methodological Guidelines
• The researcher is the instrument
• Speaking for the other
• Focus on an area of inquiry
• Explore research sites
• Gaining permission
• Negotiating entry
• Entering the field
• Role of the researcher
The researcher is the instrument
• what questions to ask
• in what order
• what to observe
• what to write down
• key person to collect and interpret data
Speaking for the other
• Retell someone’s story or experiences in a new
way (re-writing)
• Image yourself as the participants
• Tell the story in your own words
Focus on an area of inquiry
• Explore the topic based on literature review and
research questions (tentative)
• According the literature review let you have a
picture in mind.
Explore research sites
• Stay the place (location) you do the study for a
longer time to collect the information about its
background, etc that related your research.
Gaining permission
• Try to get permission (agreements) from the
“gatekeepers” (those with power and authority)
• e.g. parents, principal, etc
Negotiating entry
• How to get the true information with
protection of human beings and their
organization
• How to protect your participants when your
research is sensitive. (e.g. homosexual, AIDS,
etc)
Entering the field
• Make plans to enter the field in the least
disruptive manner
• Ex: when you have to go to elementary school,
you can make a promise that you won’t
interfere the class and give the detail about your
plan to the school.
Role of the researcher
• Unbiased, objective, discover multiple views of
the participants; more interactive
1. Supervisor (with authority)
2. Leader (e.g., scout leaders)
3. Friend (with respect)
Critically Analyzing
Qualitative Research
• When you get the information you want, how
should you analyze the data?
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Credibility
Transferability
Dependability
Confirmability
Authenticity
Transformative Paradigm Criteria
Credibility
• Internal validity (a correspondence between
how the researcher observes and participants
express viewpoints)
1. Prolonged and substantial engagement: give enough
time for yourself to stay in the environment.
2. Persistent observation : Sufficient observation
until identifying clear issues/picture
e.g. observe your participants’ facial expression,
why they give the answer, and so on.
3. Peer debreifing : Discuss with the disinterested
peers for better research ideas
e.g. your research is too broad or your idea is
unclear, etc
4. Negative case analysis: If the finding doesn’t fit
the hypothesis, seek more information and
analyze the negative case.
negative case = minority’s idea
5. Progressive subjectivity: Be open-minded and keep
changing if necessary
6. Member checks: if your result of quantitative and
qualitative have some inconsistency, you should
discuss with other (teachers or classmates).
7. Triangulation: Check information from different
sources or methods to find consistency
Transferability
• Thick description (provide sufficient details such
as time, place, context) and multiple cases for
external validity (generalize the results to other
similar situation)
• To analyze your result can be applied in other
situation or not.
Dependability
• Reliability (maintain the same result without
change no matter tested how many times)
Confirmability
• Objectivity (provide evidences by synthesizing
data instead of researcher’s imagination)
without your subjective idea.
Authenticity
• Present a balanced view of all values and beliefs
1. Fairness: Display different views (pros and cons)
2. Ontological authenticity: Show individual’s real
experiences
3. Catalytic authenticity: Get evidences of
participants’ views by the “inquiry” process
Transformative Paradigm Criteria
• Positionality or standpoint epistemology :
1. The research result can not contain all
universal truth because a lot of factors may
influence the result;
2. should avoid showing the position or
standpoint of the author ( e.g. I, You)
• Community :
1. Know the research site well to link the research
results to positive action within that community
2. To know more about you participants’ group,
location, etc, and the result you get will more
correct and objective.
• Attention to voice: Speak for the minority
The minority’s idea may be important, too
• Critical reflexivity: Be sensitive to understand the
psychological state of participants
To know more what your participants think in
their mind
• Reciprocity: Develop trust with participants
• Sharing the perquisites of privilege: Share research
results
＊Thanks for you attention＊