Unit 3: Qualitative Research

 Qualitative Research: an inquiry process of understanding where the researcher builds a

complex, holistic picture, analyzes words, reports detailed views of informants, and
conducts the study in a natural setting.
 Always the what answers the question best.

5 Major Traditions:

1. Biography: author tells the story of a single individual/

a. in-of-on study: sample size of one is not very statistically valid.
2. Case Study: the researcher indentifies a “case” which is bounded by either time or place.
3. Phenomenology: the author studies a single phenomena.
4. Ethnography: typically use a high degree of participant observation, attempts to describe
the quality and impact of culture and behavior.
5. Grounded Theory: the author’s goal is to generate a theory using systematic analysis of
interviews.

How is Qualitative Unique?

1. The researcher is the primary instrument of data collection.

2. The process is more dynamic; the design may change once data collection begins.
3. Data is analyzed as it is collected.
4. The participants are studied in their natural setting in order for the researcher to
experience the complexity of their experience.

Pre-Study Tasks or Questions to Address:

1. Decide on topic—what makes a good topic? Important but not too passionate to you (or
that you are too certain about). Questions about perceptions, attitudes, and processes are
good.
2. How much literature is needed to be qualitative research? Have to know what has been
done, not just summarized [synthesized]
3. What specific research question do you want to address?
4. What is the best site for this research?
5. What techniques or types of data will you play in research?
6. Consider time frame—BE REALISTIC!!!
7. You will need consent forms and an IRB application.
8. Consider doing a pilot study to test out the methodology.
9. Plan on how to gain access, often takes a long time before data collection can start in
earnest.
10. Consider your role as the researcher in the context of the study.
Five Types of Qualitative Data

1. Observational Data
a. Complete participant—researcher conceals role.
b. Complete Participant—researcher’s role is revealed.
c. Participant as Observer—participation and observation are split 50/50
d. Complete Observer—researcher not involved beyond observation.
2. Interview Data
a. Face-to-Face: one on one, in person.
b. Telephone: researcher conducts interview over the phone.
c. Group: researcher interviews participants in group.
i. *** types of interview ***
ii. Informal: occur during participant observation and happen naturally
iii. Structured: when an interview is scheduled and has been prepared at a
specific time and place
iv. Semi-Structured: keep to general topic, but let the participant wander a bi
3. Documents
a. Public papers; minutes of a meeting, newpapers
b. Private Papers; letters, journals, diaries
4. Audio-Visual Material
a. photographs, videotapes, art objects, computer software, film
5. Verbal Protocol
a. Participant verbalized as he works through some tasks—thinking aloud

The Ten Commandments of an Interview

1. Do not begin an interview cold

2. remember that you are there to get information
3. be direct
4. dress appropriately
5. find a quite place where you and the interviewee will not be distracted
6. if you do not get a satisfactory answer, rephrase the question
7. use a tape or digital recorder if possible—lets you see their face
8. make the interviewee feel like an important part of the project
9. being a good interviewer takes a lot of practice
10. thank the interviewee and ask if they have any questions

Additional Tips

1. Listen and probe do not talk a lot

2. memorize your big questions so that you can maintain eye contact
3. ask questions that get them thinking in concrete and detailed ways
 4. be careful not to lend them into responding in a certain way
5. ask “why” and “tell me more about…”
6. Be prompt, get consent at the very beginning of session, and stick close to predetermined
time for the interview.

How to Analyze Qualitative Data

1. Get a sense of the big picture

a. Read through all of the transcripts
2. Pick one transcript and go through it carefully, asking what are the key themes that
emerge
3. do the same for several participants then make a list of all topics that are consistently
appeared
a. cluster the similar ones together, array the topics as major, minior, unique, etc.
4. code the topics (a, b, c, etc) so that they can be used to read through the rest of the date
5. go back through transcripts and see if data still fits the coding scheme. see if new topic
emerges
6. go through transcripts pulling all the examples of one category together (in separate
folders)
7. read through examples in each category to make sure the fit is still only one place
8. recode data if/when necessary

Top Tips to enhance validity & reliability

1. Use multiple instruments: field notes, tapes, interviews, follow-ups

2. learn the vocabulary and other nuances of the culture through prolonged engagement
3. Record your thoughts—be aware of the value of judgments & biases
4. Engage in negative case study analysis—see if you can find cases that go against what
you expect to find
5. Document sources of information: who said what? Where did you get that information?
6. Document bases for inferences—explain your thinking
7. Engage in member checking—have participants review transcript & analysis
a. you can humble yourself by hearing what you sound like
8. make sure you have rich, thick description
9. collect data on multiple occasions over time
10. have an external audit—other researchers look over process

Ethical Issues of Qualitative Research

1. You tend to get deeper connections with participants since you spend more time with
them
2. you learn more intimate details about participants due to our in-depth study of them
3. Their privacy is harder to protect since their identity cannot be blended into a group of
numbers
4. your relationship may be understood differently by the participant than what you
intended.