QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH
I. Characteristics A. Focuses on phenomena
occurring in natural settings. B. Involves studying phenomena in
all their complexity. C. More concerned with
authenticity than generalizability. D. Does not allow for identification
of cause-and-effect.
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH II. Field Research Designs A. Case Study 1. Description – in-depth
study of individual, program, or event for a specified time
period. 2. Method – uses variety data
sources, including observation, artifacts, interviews, etc.
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH II. Research Designs (con.) B. Grounded Theory Study 1. Description – a. focuses on the process related to
particular topic, especially individuals’ actions, reactions, and
interactions. b. purpose is to use data from the field
to create theory, especially when current theory is inadequate or
simply doesn’t exist. 2. Method – uses interviews, observations,
artifacts, etc.
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH III. Data Collection A. Observation – field journal B. Interviews 1. Informal conversational interview a. Unplanned and unanticipated
interaction between researcherand respondent occurring naturally during course of fieldwork.
b. Most open-ended form of interviewing.
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH III. Data Collection (con.) B. Interviews (con.) 2. General interview guide approach a. More structured than informal
conversational interviewing. b. Lists in outline form topics and
issues that researcher should cover, but allows interviewer to adapt sequencing and wording questions to each particular interview.
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH III. Data Collection (con.) B. Interviews (con.) 3. Standardized open-ended
interview a. Most formal. b. All interviews conducted in
consistent, thorough manner, with minimum interviewer effects and biases.
c. Least used.
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH III. Data Collection (con.) B. Interviews (con.) 4. Focus group a. Researcher interviews 10-12
people together at the same time.
b. Discuss a particular issue for 1-2 hours.
C. Artifacts
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH IV. Data Analysis A. Computer assisted qualitative data analysis
software (CAQDAS) 1. Pros a. efficiency in managing and organizing
data b. frees you from manual and clerical
tasks c. way to manage huge amounts of data d. newest packages can analyze social
media, YouTube videos, & web pages
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH IV. Data Analysis A. CAQDAS (con.) 2. Cons a. increasingly rigid and deterministic
processes b. increased pressure to focus on
volume and breadth rather than depth and meaning (more quantitative bent)
c. time spent learning program rather than getting into & analyzing the data
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH IV. Data Analysis A. CAQDAS (con.) 3. Examples a. Aquad (open source; windows) b. CAT (coding analysis kit; open source) c. Compendium (open source; windows;
mac) d. HyperRESEARCH (proprietary; mac;
windows) e. MAXQDA (proprietary; windows) f. NVivo (proprietary; windows)
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH IV. Data Analysis (con.) B. Using Software in
Qualitative Research by Ann Lewins and Christina Silver (Sage, 2007)
C. Saturation D. Transcription
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH IV. Data Analysis E. Specific Data Analysis Method --
Successive Approximation 1. Reading/Memoing a. Read field notes, transcripts,
memos, and observer comments to get a sense of data.
b. Write notes in margins or underline sections or issues
that seem important so that have record initial thoughts and
sense data.
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH
IV. Data Analysis (con.) E. Successive Approximation (con.) 2. Description a. Addresses issue: What is going
on in this setting and among these participants?
b. Aim to provide true picture settings and events taking place so that researcher and reader have
understanding context in which study took place.
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH
IV. Data Analysis (con.) E. Successive Approximation (con.) 3. Classifying a. Involves ordering field notes or
transcriptions into categories representing different aspects of data.
b. Lower-level categories can themselves be organized into
even higher, more abstract conceptual categories.
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH
IV. Data Analysis (con.) E. Successive Approximation
(con.) 4. Interpreting – involves
synthesizing organized data into general conclusions or understandings.
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH
V. Analyzing What is Missing from Data A. Negative Evidence 1. Nonappearance of something can
reveal great deal and provide valuable insights.
2. Kinds of negative evidence to consider a. events that do not occur; b. events of which population is
unaware; c. events the population wants to hide;
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH
V. Analyzing What is Missing from Data (con.) A. Negative Evidence (con.) 2. Kinds (con.) d. overlooked commonplace
events; e. effects of researcher’s
preconceived notions; f. unconscious nonreporting; and g. conscious nonreporting.
QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH
V. Analyzing What is Missing from Data (con.) B. Limitation by Omission 1. Need be aware alternative perspectives
and not let limits specific social group to which belong, or which studied, blind
you to broader view. 2. Need be sensitive to distinctions race,
sex, age, and other social distinctions.