Qualitative Research
Methodology
DESIGNING QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH
A. Ideas and Theory
2, Literature Review
3. Framing Research Problems
1Questions
4, Operationalization and
Conceptualization
5, Designing the Project
1. Ideas and Theory
Every researeh project starts with an idea. This
idea emerges because of a problem or situation
‘one experiences or observes.
From these ideas you might begin to think about
how these questions could be explored or
answered, how you might research these
phenomena.
‘You begin with an idea and relate it theory
Social scientist usually define theory as a system
of logical statements or propositions that explain
the relationship between two or more objects,
concepts, phenomena, or characteristics of
humans ~ what are sometimes called variables.
‘Theory might also represent attempts to develop
explanations about reality or ways to classify and
“organize events, or even to predict future
‘occurrences of events.
Some say ideas and theory must come before
‘empirical research — theory before research mode!
= this has been described by Karl Popper (1968)
who suggests that one begins with ideas
(conjectures) and then attempts to disprove or
refute them through tests of empirical research
(refutation).
Cont
‘Some say that research must come before theory
= research before theory model ~ this has been
described by Robert Merton (1968) who says that
research goes beyond the passive role of verifying
theory. Research plays an active role: it performs
at least four major functions which help shape the
development of theory. It initiates, it reformulates,
it deflects, and it clarifies theory.In other words research suggest new problems for
theory, require theoretical innovation, refine
existing theories, or serve to verify past theoretical
assumptions
2. Literature Review
After developing a rough idea for research, you
begin to examine how others have already thought
about and researched the topic.
‘The next step is to visit the library to get started on
a literature review. You can consult any of a
rhumber of available cumulative indexes both text
form or computer based.
‘The next task is to begin to creatively think about
subject topics related to your research idea or
question and to search for this topic in the
indexes.
Tt is important fo develop a number of different
subject areas to search. Some will be more fruitful
than others, and some will yield litte information
Cone
‘The next step you begin reading some of these
references and you need to continue to expand
this literature search — you can do this by locating
several recent articles and consult their reference
pages.
You must keep records o the references and take
notes of what each says.
After studying what others have said about your
research topic you will need to explain what
makes your research different from the works of
‘others, This establishes originality of the researeh.
3. Framing Research
Problems/Questions
Research problems direct or drive the research
enterprise.
How you will eventually conduct a research study
depends largely upon what your research
questions are
It is important to formulate a clear research,
problem statement
‘The research process began with an idea and only
a rough notion of what was to be researched. As
you read and collect information from the
literature, these rough questions must become
clearer and theoretically more refined.
Cont‘You must frame this idea as a problem statement
with researchable questions
‘These questions do not just happen
spontaneously and they must be influence by the
literature. You have to also think about what
issues are important and how those issues might
be measured.
‘This requites you to consider various concepts
and definitions and perhaps to develop
operationalized definitions.
4. Operationalization and
Conceptuatization
Operational definitions concretize the intended
‘meaning of a concept in relation to particular study
and provide some criteria for measuring the
‘empirical existence of that concept (Leedy, 1993)
In operatively defining a term or concept you begin
by declaring the term fo mean whatever you want
it to mean throughout the research.
Designing the Project
TThe design for a research project isthe plan for
hhow the study will be conducted. It is a matter of
thinking about, imaging and visualizing how the
research study will be undertaken,
‘The design stage of the researeh is concerned
‘with what types of information or data will be
gathered and through what forms of data
collection techniques.
In doing research you must decide whether to use
‘one data collection strategy alone or combine
several (data triangulation).
‘You must decide whether the study will be framed
by a single overarching theory or by several
related theories,
Cont
How much will the project cost in time and money
and how much you can actually afford?
‘What population will best serve the study's
purposes?
Are the data-collection strategies appropriate for
the research questions being asked?
What will the data look like once they have been
collected?
How will the data be organized and analyzed?
Researchers in the social sciences conduct
research on human subjects. Its during the
design stage that you must consider whether
ethical standards are met.SOME QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
METHODS
1. Interviewing -
2. Ethnographic Field Method
3. Historiography
4. Oral Histories,
1. Interviewing
Interviewing is usually defined as conversation
swith a purpose,
‘The purpose is to collect data,
‘Types of Interviews
‘The standardized interview
‘The standardized interview uses a formally
structured schedule of interview questions.
‘The interviewers are required to ask subjects to
respond to each question
We have to offer each subject the same stimulus so
that responses to the questions will be comparable.
Cont
You will have to solid ideas about the things you
‘want (0 uncover during the interview.
‘The questions scheduled in your interview
instrument must be comprehensive to elicit
information relevant tothe study topic.
In sum, standardized interviews are designed 10
elicit information using a set of predetermined
questions that are expected to elicit the respondents
thoughts, opinions, and attitudes about the study
related issues
Cont
‘The Unstandardized Interview
‘The unstandardized interview do not utilize
schedules of questions.
Interviewers begin with the assumption that they do
not know in advance what all the necessary
questions are.
In an unstandardized interview, the interviewers
must develop, adapt and generate questions and
follow-up probes appropriate to the given situation
and the central purpose of the investigation.
This results in appropriate and relevant questions
arising from interactions during the interview itself
I is sometimes used during the course of field
research to augment field observation,Cont
‘The Semistandardized Interview
Located somewhere between the extremes of
‘completely standardized and completely
unstandardized interviewing structures.
It involves the implementation of a number of.
predetermined questions
‘The interviewers are also permitted to probe
beyond the answers to their prepared questions
Cont
Focus Group Interviewing
‘The focus group may be defined as an interview
style designed for small groups.
You strive to learn through discussion about
‘conscious, semiconscious and unconscious
psychological and socio-cultural characteristics and
processes among various groups.
It is an attempt to learn about the life structure of
‘group participants.
Focus group interviews are either guided or
unguided discussions addressing a particular topic
of interest or relevance to the group and the
researcher.
2. Ethnographie F
Ethnography is the work of describing a culture
‘The core of this Method is to understand another
way of life from the native point of view.
Ethnographers are those who enter the natural
setting in order to conduct field research.
Ethnography involves the end product of field
research — namely the written account of
‘observations.
Ethnography places the researcher in the midst of,
whatever itis they study.
Researchers can examine various phenomena as
perceived by participants and represent these
observations as accounts.
Cont
Ethnography is the science of cultural description
It is a process that attempts to describe and
interpret social expressions between people and
‘groups
‘The central component of ethnographic research
is the enthnographic account.
Providing such narrative accounts of what goes on.
in the lives of the study people derives from havingmaintained complete, accurate, and detailed field
notes over a relatively long period of time.
3. Historiography
Historiography is an examination of elements from
history.
Historiography involves retelling of facts from the
past
Linking together pieces of information found in
diaries, letters or other documents.
Its descriptive, factual and fluid
Historical research extends beyond a mere
collection of incidents, facts, dates or figures. Ibis
a study of the relationships among issues that
have influenced the past, continue to influence the
present and will certainly affect the future.
I involves a process that examines events or
combinations of events in order to uncover
accounts of what happened in the past
4. Oral Histories
ral histories allow you to escape some of the
deficiencies of residual and official presentations
in documentary records.
This involves history within living memories.
It can provide researchers a means of reaching as
far back as perhaps 100 years.
Older people hold a gamut of facts and memories
and this information may be unavailable anywhere
else.
ral histories also can be useful for providing
background and social texture to your research.
It provides increased understanding and a living
context fo the otherwise one-dimensional
information offered by documents.
5. Content Analysis
Researchers exa
communication
‘These are written documents or transcriptions of
recorded verbal communications.
Content Analysis is any technique for making
inferences by systematically and objectively
identifying special characteristics of messages.
Objective analysis of messages (written or oral) is.
accomplished by means of explicit rules called
criteria of selection which must be established
before the actual analysis of data
artifacts of social
Cont"
‘The criteria of selection used in any given content
analysis must be sufficiently exhaustive to account
for each variation of message content and must be
tigidly applied so that other researchers looking atthe same messages would obtain the same or
‘comparable results.
In developing these criteria - it should reflect all
relevant aspects of the messages and retain the
‘exact wording used in the statements.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
DESIGN ISSUES
1. The Language of Cases and
Contexts
2. Grounded Theory
3. The Context is Ci
4. Bricolage
5. The Case and Process
6. Interpretation
1. The Languay
Contexts
Qualitative researchers use a language of cases
and contexts, employ bricolage, examine social
[processes and cases in their social context, and
Jook at interpretations or the creation of meaning
in specific settings.
‘They look at social life from multiple points of view
and explain how people construct identities. Only
rarely do they use variables or test hypotheses, or
tty to convert social life into numbers.
Cont
Qualitative researchers look at social life as
ualitative in nature and they the following
stand:
‘qualitative data are not imprecise or deficient but are
meaningful
instead of converting social life into numbers and
variables they borrow the ideas from the people they
study and place them within the context of a setting
they examine motifs, themes, distinctions, and ideas
instead of variables
they adopt the inductive approach of grounded theory.
Qualitative data are empirical
Itinvolves documenting real events, recording what
people say (with word, gestures and tone), observing
specific behaviours, studying written documents, or
examining visual images.
2. Grounded Theory
‘A qualitative researcher develops theory duringthe data collection process.
‘This inductive tethod means that theory is built
from data or grounded in the data.
Conceptualization and operationalization occur
simultaneously with data collection and preliminary
data analysis.
(Qualitative research is flexible and lets data and
theory interact.
(Qualitative researchers are willing to change the
direction or focus of a research project in the
middle of a project.
A qualitative researcher builds theory by making
comparisons.
The Context is Critical
Qualitative researchers emphasize the social
context for understanding the social world.
‘They hold that the meaning of a social action or
statement depends, in an important way, on the
context in which it appears.
‘When a researcher removes an event, social
action, answer to a question, or conversation from
the social context in which it appears, or ignores
the context, social meaning and significance are
distorted,
Attention to social context means that a
researcher notes what came before or what
surrounds the focus of study. It also implies that
the same events or behaviours can have different
meanings in different cultures or historical eras.
‘Qualitative researchers place parts of social life
into a larger whole. Otherwise the meaning of the
partis lost.
Qualitative researchers are bricoleurs, they learn
to be adept at doing many things, drawing on a
variety of sources, and making do with whatever is,
at hand.
‘The qualitative style emphasizes developing an
ability o draw on a variety of skills, material
approaches as they may be needed.
‘A bricolage technique means working with one’s
hands and being pragmatic at using an assortment
of odds and ends in an inventive manner to
accomplish a specific task.
(Qualitative researchers use a mixture of diverse
‘materials and apply disparate approaches.
5. The Case and ProcessQualitative researchers tend to use a case-
oriented approach that places cases, not
variables, center stage.
‘They examine a wide variety of aspects of one or
a few cases
Explanations or interpretations are complex and
‘may be in the form of an unfolding plot or a
narrative story about particular people or specific
events,
Rich detail and astute insight into the cases
replace the sophisticated statistical analysis of
precise measures across a huge number of units
fr cases found in quantitative research.
‘The passage of time is important in qualitative
research. They look at sequence of events and
pay attention to what happens first, second, third
‘and so on. So the researchers can detect process.
and causal relations.
6. Interpreta
‘The word interpretation means assigning
significance or coherent meaning
(Qualitative research reports rarely include tables
with numbers
A researcher weaves the data into discussions of
their significance. The data are in the form of
words, including quotes or descriptions of,
particular events. Any numerical information is
supplementary to the textual evidence.
A qualitative researcher interprets data by giving
them meaning, translating them, or making them.
understandable.
‘The meaning he or she gives begins with the point
of view of the people being studies. He or she
interprets data by finding out how the people being
studies see the world, how they define the
situation, oF what it means for them.
‘The first step in qualitative interpretation, whether
in examining historical documents or the text of
spoken words or human behaviour isto learn
about its meaning for the people being studies.