Introduction to Qualitative Research

1
Introduction to Qualitative Research
2
Philosophical Assumptions

• Ontology Metaphysical study of being and the
  nature of reality
• Axiology Study of nature of values and
  judgements (overriding or fundamental goal)
• Epistemology Study of the nature of knowledge,
  its presuppositions and foundations, and its
  extent and validity

3
Positivistic vs. Interpretive

• Ontological nature of reality
• Objective
• Single
• Divisible
• Nature of social beings
• Deterministic
• Reactive

• Ontological nature of reality
• Socially constructed
• Multiple
• Holistics/Contextual
• Nature of social beings
• Voluntaristic
• Proactive

4
Positivistic Vs. Interpretive

• Axiological (fundamental goals)
• Truth
• Explanation behaviours follow universal laws
• Predictive

• Axiological
• Understanding based on Verstehen
• Identifying meanings

5
Positivistic Vs. Interpretive

• Epistemological
• Knowledge Generation
• Idiographic
• Time-bound
• Context-dependent
• View of Causality
• Multiple, simultaneous shaping
• Research relationship
• Interactive, cooperative
• No privileged point of observation

• Epistemological
• Knowledge Generation
• Nomothetic
• Time-free
• Context-independent
• View of Causality
• Real causes exist
• Research relationship
• Dualism, separation
• Privileged point of observation

6
Qualitative Inquiry

• Qualitative questions why or how
• Fit of Question and Method
• Sampling and Saturation
• Purposeful, convenience, nominated, theoretical
• Data saturation

7
Methods

• Ethnography
• Focused ethnography (decision making)
• Critical ethnography (aids emancipation)
• Participation observation
• Phenomenology
• Experience snapshots
• Describing the essence of human experience
• Grounded theory
• Highly inductive
• Iterative process evolving theory

8
Methods

• Narrative
• Story that reveals persons experiences
• Represents larger social experience
• Case Study
• Intrinsic (understanding 1 case)
• Instrumental (refining theory)
• Collective (several instrumental cases, looking
  for broader context)

9
Methods

• Participatory Action Research
• Reflects needs of the people
• Group ownership of process (involvement of
  participants from design to results)
• Conducted to solve social or community problems

10
Data Collection

• Interviews (depth)
• Observation
• Field Notes
• Documents
• Video, photographs

11
Triangulation

• Uses a combination of more than one research
  strategy in a single investigation.
• Data time, space, person
• Investigator complimenting areas of expertise
• Theory testing and comparison of theories
• Methods simultaneous sequential implementation
  (separate analysis)

12
Universe of Discourse
13
Quantitative vs. Qualitative

• Types of Questions
• Probing

• Types of Questions
• Limited probing

• Sample size
• Small

• Sample size
• Large

• Administration
• Few special interview skills

• Administration
• Interview skills required