Showing papers in "The Qualitative Report in 2020"
TL;DR: The purpose of this paper is to examine the specific attributes of Zoom that contribute to high quality and in-depth qualitative interviews when in person interviewing is not feasible.
Abstract: The proliferation of new video conferencing tools offers unique data generation opportunities for qualitative researchers. While in-person interviews were the mainstay of data generation in qualitative studies, video conferencing programs, such as Zoom Video Communications Inc. (Zoom), provide researchers with a cost-effective and convenient alternative to in-person interviews. The uses and advantages of face-to-face interviewing are well documented; however, utilizing video conferencing as a method of data generation has not been well examined. The purpose of this paper is to examine the specific attributes of Zoom that contribute to high quality and in-depth qualitative interviews when in person interviewing is not feasible. While video conferencing was developed to facilitate long-distance or international communication, enhance collaborations and reduce travel costs for business these same features can be extended to qualitative research interviews. Overall, participants reported that Zoom video conferencing was a positive experience. They identified strengths of this approach such as: (1) convenience and ease of use, (2) enhanced personal interface to discuss personal topics (e.g., parenting), (3) accessibility (i.e., phone, tablet, and computer), (4) time-saving with no travel requirements to participate in the research and therefore more time available for their family. Video conferencing software economically supports research aimed at large numbers of participants and diverse and geographically dispersed populations.
207 citations
TL;DR: This article used Leximancer, a text mining software that uses co-occurrence to conduct semantic and relational analyses of text corpuses to identify concepts, themes, and how they relate to one another.
Abstract: This paper offers an approach to enhancing trustworthiness of qualitative findings through data analysis triangulation using Leximancer, a text mining software that uses co-occurrence to conduct semantic and relational analyses of text corpuses to identify concepts, themes, and how they relate to one another. This study explores the usefulness of Leximancer for triangulation by examining 309 pages of previously analyzed interview data that resulted in a conceptual model. Findings show Leximancer to be an ideal tool for refining a priori conceptual models. The Leximancer analysis provided missing nuance from the a priori model, depicting the value of and connection between emergent themes. Dependability was also added to the findings by facilitating a better understanding of how participant quotes represent particular themes.
58 citations
TL;DR: A review of the available literature about the netnography method, bringing a brief explanation about its emergence and evolution, as well as its characteristics and application, is presented in this article.
Abstract: Netnography originated in ethnography and evolved following the advances in data transmission technology. The netnographic method is distinguished by its axiological orientation residing in recognition of online social experiences. The main method for data collection adopted by the netnographer is participant observation. One premise that must be observed is the necessary estrangement, which means that the researcher must be a layman as regards the object of study. In the field of administration, netnography emphasized the area of marketing and consumer behavior. The goal is to understand the consumer culture of online communities. One of its main challenges consists of how to conduct ethical research. The current article reviewed the available literature about the netnography method, bringing a brief explanation about its emergence and evolution, as well as its characteristics and application. The article also presents the advantages, challenges, and trends of this modern research method and also suggests topics for future research.
27 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors address the increased need to develop research protocols or interview guides to meet the requirements set by IRBs and human subjects review committees, and provide guidelines that can be used to develop an interview guide that adds structure to the interview process.
Abstract: This article, aimed at the novice researcher, is written to address the increased need to develop research protocols or interview guides to meet the requirements set by IRBs and human subjects review committees. When data collection involves conducting qualitative interviews, the instruments include the researcher and the interview questions. The value of the data collected during a qualitative interview depends on the competence of the researcher and the strength of the interview questions. For this reason, it is important to ensure that the interview questions used by novice researchers are appropriate and capable of supporting their efforts to reach their goal of acquiring a detailed answer to the research question. This article expands upon the ideas presented by various authors about the topic of developing robust qualitative interview questions. It provides guidelines that can be used to develop an interview guide that adds structure to the interview process, as well as provides transparency of methods to human subjects review committees and IRBs, while at the same time allows flexibility within the interview process. Various types of interview questions are described and working examples are included.
26 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, Corbin et al. investigate the functions and processes of qualitative document analysis (QDA), a method widely used in case study research, and provide guidelines for novice researchers seeking to use thematic analysis in a QDA process, arguing for rigour in naming assumptions and explicitness about the procedures employed.
Abstract: This paper probes functions and processes of qualitative document analysis (QDA), a method widely used in case study research. It firstly demonstrates the application of a QDA framework to inform a case study of women entrepreneurs in rural Australia; and provides insights into the lessons learnt, including strengths and limitations of QDA. Secondly, the paper provides guidelines for novice researchers seeking to use thematic analysis in a QDA process, arguing for rigour in naming assumptions and explicitness about the procedures employed. The paper contributes to discussion in the literature that positions QDA not only as a convenient tool, but as a method embedded in a conceptual framework integral to the credibility and rigour of the qualitative “story” and what makes that story feel “right” to both researcher and reader (Corbin & Strauss, 2008).
24 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a qualitative study of deaf adults' retrospective experiences with dinner table syndrome growing up was conducted, where personal interviews and a focus group were used to explore how deaf adults experienced conversations during family dinner gatherings.
Abstract: Conversations at the dinner table typically involve reciprocal and contingent turn-taking. This context typically includes multiple exchanges between family members, providing opportunities for rich conversations and opportunities for incidental learning. Deaf individuals who live in hearing non-signing homes often miss out on these exchanges, as typically hearing individuals use turn-taking rules that differ from those commonly used by deaf individuals. Hearing individuals’ turn-taking rules include use of auditory cues to get a turn and to cue others when a new speaker is beginning a turn. Given these mechanisms, hearing individuals frequently interrupt each other—even if they are signing. When deaf individuals attempt to obtain a turn, they are frequently lost in the ongoing dialogue. This experience, wherein deaf individuals are excluded from the flow of conversations at mealtime, is known as the dinner table syndrome. This study documents deaf adults’ retrospective experiences with dinner table syndrome growing up. Personal interviews and a focus group were used to explore how deaf adults experienced conversations during family dinner gatherings. A phenomenological approach was used for analysis. Developed themes include: Missing out on Communication and Language with Hearing Family Members, Access to Current News and Events, Conversational Belonging and Sense of Exclusion within the Family, and the Realization of Missing Out on Conversations. These themes revealed the essence of Loved, yet Disconnected. Results of this qualitative research study can help identify what happens when participants miss cues during dinner table conversations, leaving them out of the conversation.
22 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the experiences of university-work transition of undergraduates, using an open-ended interview, and obtained narrative data from 150 undergraduates from Southern Italy.
Abstract: In the last few years, economic and social changes have made the path from university to work long and twisted, in particular in Southern Italy, an area with the highest rate of unemployment. This contribution aims to exploring the experiences of university-work transition of undergraduates. Using an open-ended interview, the authors obtained narrative data from 150 undergraduates from Southern Italy. Textual Analysis and Text Network Analysis were carried out to identify the thematic clusters and obtain the network pattern of lemmas in order to understand process of meaning construction of students. The analysis shows four clusters: “Awareness of one’s own image in the past,” “Change perception,” “Experimentation and planning of objectives,” “Prospects towards work.” In the uncertainty of contemporary society where each individual is called upon to build one’s own working career, university may represent for students a protective factor allowing them to define and re-define themselves in view of the acquisition of future roles and the preparation for the world of work.
21 citations
19 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) procedures to gain insights into the experiences of employees regarding their social media usage and consequences of social media overuse at the workplace.
Abstract: The objective of this study is to gain insights into the experiences of employees regarding their social media usage and consequences of social media overuse at the workplace. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) procedures. The qualitative data was collected from the employees working in renowned IT/ITES companies in India. The themes that emerged are lack of sleep; backache and eye strain; feeling of envy; lack of depth in the relationships; tendency to seek approvals; not meeting deadlines; compromise with the work quality; distraction from work. The present study intends to assist human resource managers in designing appropriate policies and guidelines pertaining to employees’ social media usage at the workplace.
16 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used a qualitative case study approach to explore how cassava farmers who had limited access to agricultural advisory services from public extension agents managed to up-scale their farming business.
Abstract: Inadequate access to agricultural extension services often results in poor farm practices, affecting yields and subsequently the income and wellbeing of smallholder farmers. Given the high demand for agricultural information and the limited capacity of extension services, a farmer-to-farmer extension approach has been explored by many underserved farmers. In this study, we use a qualitative case study approach explore how cassava farmers who had limited access to agricultural advisory services from public extension agents managed to up-scale their farming business. Our research question was: what lessons can be learned from the lived experience of these farmers to address current challenges of cassava farming? The results of our study revealed diversity in advisory messages from farmer to farmer and agricultural extension agents. Farmers’ messages focused on encouraging farmers’ commitment and motivation towards farming business, availability of needed financial resources for the entire production season, willingness to reinvest profits, and access to farmland for future expansion. In contrast, the traditional messages from agricultural extension agents focused on encouraging group formation to address marketing challenges, diversification of farm operations, and good agricultural practices. These results show the need for pluralistic extension approaches to ensure farmers get access to necessary information.
16 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report the findings of action research on the implementation of extensive reading to literary text (henceforth ER) with learning logs and find that students engaged actively and autonomously in the literary text identifying, word defining, class presentation, vocabulary enforcement and reflection through literary text extensive reading (ER) program with learning log (LL).
Abstract: This article reports the findings of action research on the implementation of extensive reading to literary text (henceforth ER) with learning logs (henceforth LL). The research question was: In what ways do the students engage in comprehending literary texts through ER with learning logs? And what are students’ reactions to these activities? The research was conducted in the English Language Education Study Program English Education Department of a state university in Indonesia in which twenty six students voluntarily participated in this study. The data of the research were collected from students’ reflective journals and semi-structured interviews. The empirical findings show that the students engaged actively and autonomously in the literary text identifying, word defining, class presentation, vocabulary enforcement and reflection through literary text extensive reading (ER) program with learning logs (LL). The findings also reveal that through the use of scaffolding by teachers and peer support, the students were engaged in the discovery of English literature vocabulary by documenting unfamiliar or interesting words from their English literature reading texts. The students also enjoyed exploring the different meanings of vocabulary using electronic dictionaries and corpus software. Furthermore, the findings show that they had enhanced awareness of word classes, word orders, and word meanings. The research suggests that the use of learning logs has managed to engage the students in reading literary texts as meaning making and learning autonomy that expand their reading ability and lexico-grammatical repertoires.
TL;DR: An overview of secondary qualitative analysis processes and general recommendations for researchers to consider in planning and conducting qualitative secondary analysis is given in this paper, along with a select list of data sources.
Abstract: Publications and presentations resulting from secondary analysis of qualitative research are less common than similar efforts using quantitative secondary analysis, although online availability of highquality qualitative data continues to increase. Advantages of secondary qualitative analysis include access to sometimes hard to reach participants; challenges include identifying data that are sufficient to respond to purposes beyond those the data were initially gathered to address. In this paper I offer an overview of secondary qualitative analysis processes and provide general recommendations for researchers to consider in planning and conducting qualitative secondary analysis. I also include a select list of data sources. Well-planned secondary qualitative analysis projects potentially reflect efficient use or reuse of resources and provide meaningful insights regarding a variety of subjects.
TL;DR: Indigenous research frameworks address these concerns within the academic research process by promoting values such as: relationality, multilogicality, and the centralization of Indigenous perspectives as discussed by the authors, which can be used in multiple contexts within higher education to bring equitable practices to research, teaching, mentoring, and organizational leadership.
Abstract: Indigenous research frameworks can be used to effectively engage Indigenous communities and students in Western modern science through transparent and respectful communication. Currently, much of the academic research taking place within Indigenous communities marginalizes Indigenous Knowledge, does not promote long-term accountability to Indigenous communities and their relations, and withholds respect for the spiritual values that many Indigenous communities embrace. Indigenous research frameworks address these concerns within the academic research process by promoting values such as: relationality, multilogicality, and the centralization of Indigenous perspectives. Indigenous research frameworks provide a framework that can be used in multiple contexts within higher education to bring equitable practices to research, teaching, mentoring, and organizational leadership. In this article, as a researcher who uses Indigenous research frameworks, I utilize autoethnography to engage in critical, reflexive thinking about how my perspective as an Indigenous researcher has developed over time. The purpose of this autoethnography is to reveal how Indigenous research frameworks may enhance higher education, especially for Indigenous students.
TL;DR: The Critical Imaginal Hermeneutic Spiral as discussed by the authors is a methodological guide for text construction and interpretation processes developed by partnering Paul Ricoeur's critical hermeneutics and Carl Jung's imaginal arts-based approach.
Abstract: Professional relationships are at the heart of professional practice. Qualitative studies exploring professional practice relationships are typically positioned in either the social constructivist (interpretive) paradigm where the aim is to explore actors’ subjective understandings of their relationships and relational practices, or in the critical paradigm where the aim is to reveal objective unconscious structures and hidden power plays influencing actors’ practices. This paper introduces critical imaginal hermeneutics as a systemic philosophical and methodological approach situated on the juncture of the social constructivist and critical paradigms where the dual aim is to explore both actors’ subjective understanding and meaning-making processes associated with their relational practices as well as explore objective unconscious structures and power relations influencing their relational practices. At the core of this approach is a Critical Imaginal Hermeneutic Spiral – a methodological guide for text construction and interpretation processes developed by partnering Paul Ricoeur’s critical hermeneutics and Carl Jung’s imaginal arts-based approach. The spiral was developed, employed, and coined as part of the first author’s doctoral thesis exploring clinical play therapists’ relational practices with parents. It incorporates the Bourdieu and Jung thought partnership explored by the authors in another paper in this volume. The approach provides a systemic guide for developing practitioners’ critical reflexivity regarding personal, social, and collective unconscious influences on their relational practices, and in turn minimising the unconscious influences that undermine the quality of professional practice relationships.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors conducted semistructured interviews with four participants who shared the commonality of caring for a relative with dementia and reported the survey data using descriptive statistics and applied interpretative phenomenological analysis to analyze and report results from the interviews.
Abstract: The desire to maintain an independent lifestyle is one shared by an increasing number of older adults. Adult children, spouses, siblings, and other relatives, also known as family caregivers, play an integral role in helping their loved ones maintain independence. Remote monitoring technologies (RMTs) such as wearable sensors, mobile emergency devices, smartphone apps, and webcams can be used to monitor, sense, record, and communicate a person’s daily activities. However, understanding is limited of the family caregiver’s needs and perceptions of RMTs used in a home-based setting. The purpose was to explore how family caregivers perceive RMTs and their use for monitoring and supporting their care recipients who choose to live independently. We used a survey to capture some basic characteristics of family caregivers, what they know about RMTs, and to recruit interview participants. We conducted semistructured interviews with four participants who shared the commonality of caring for a relative with dementia. We reported the survey data using descriptive statistics and we applied interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to analyze and report results from the interviews. Four themes emerged including the unique relationships that exist in family care, the risk-benefit conundrum that accompanies benefits and tradeoffs of RMT use, human-technology interaction and usability, and the importance of creating tailored solutions to facilitate RMT adoption and use. Our findings provide insight into factors impacting adoption and use.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the way photographs can trigger memories, help us revisit lived experiences and reevaluate the past, and found that a sense of self-empowerment was the main function that past photographs have in the life of the participants when revisiting experiences.
Abstract: This study examines the way photographs can trigger memories, help us revisit lived experiences and reevaluate the past. Specifically, it explores how fragments of past experience survive in somebody’s internal world, what actually happens during recollection and how photographs shape someone’s narrative and their construction of meaning about life. The dynamics of memory formation in psychoanalytic theory, schema theory and cognitive neuroscience is discussed, alongside its impact on subjectivity during retrieval and reconstruction. Additionally, the study draws upon the main theories on photographic images and on studies using visual data, which provide a more pluralistic perspective that entails both a subjective and a historical dimension. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three individuals aged 43-78, of both genders, who were asked to select photographs indicative of significant events in their lives. The transcribed interview material was processed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), which revealed that a sense of Self-Empowerment was the main function that past photographs have in the life of the participants when revisiting experiences. This function was revealed through four distinct themes (a) evidence of lived experience, (b) sense of control over recollection (c) contribution to family history and heritage for posterity, and (d) compensation for loss and bereavement. The results underscore the significance of visual data in the current research on subjective experience and suggest that personal photographs can provide an additional interpretative tool in psychotherapeutic practice.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors tried to identify the passive jobseekers' perceived experience towards LinkedIn as a job searching platform, and they used Focused Group Discussion (FGD) method to unmask the perception of 150 respondents from Bangladesh and India who use LinkedIn as professional social networking site frequently.
Abstract: LinkedIn is a famous online social networking platform for the jobholders, jobseekers and employers although their purposes vary. Passive jobseekers are those who already have jobs but are searching for better alternatives. In this paper, we tried to identify the passive jobseekers’ perceived experience towards LinkedIn as a job searching platform. We used Focused Group Discussion (FGD) method to unmask the perception of 150 respondents from Bangladesh and India who use LinkedIn as professional social networking site frequently. After summarizing the FGD results, it was revealed that LinkedIn is the most preferred source of job search tool among the passive job candidates in terms of all aspects such as information availability, accuracy, relevance, reliability, timeliness and cost effectiveness. In addition, the authors revealed that the participants did not care much about privacy, fairness and ethics on LinkedIn as a professional social networking site (SNS). We expect that the results of this qualitative study will be helpful as a groundwork for further research. We also hope that the results will aid the recruiters to efficiently attract competent passive candidates as well as the job seekers to utilize LinkedIn in finding better job opportunity.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the sources of test anxiety among foreign language learners, and found that test anxiety is a strong predictor of achievement in English as a foreign language learning process and has considerable influences on proficiency in the target language.
Abstract: Test anxiety is a strong predictor of achievement in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning process and has considerable influences on proficiency in the target language. Research also has not reached a consensus on the sources and the effects of test anxiety. This study aims to examine the sources of test anxiety among foreign language learners, to find the effects of test anxiety on EFL learners, and explore the strategies used by learners to overcome test anxiety. The sample group of the study consisted of 57 students studying EFL at a preparatory school of a state university in Turkey. A background questionnaire, focus groups, essay papers, and interviews were used to collect qualitative data. The findings reached in the study show that EFL learners suffer from test anxiety due to several reasons and that they experience physical problems, problems related to tests, and affective problems, whereas they use a limited number of strategies to decrease the level of test anxiety. The study suggests that EFL teachers should raise their awareness of anxiety-provoking issues, their effects on learners, and the strategies to decrease their levels.
TL;DR: In this article, a phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to examine the lived experiences of first-generation college students of color at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI), and four major themes were revealed: a college degree is a means to a better lifestyle; money always matters; a heightened sense of safety concerns exists; and there is a desire for a supportive multicultural campus environment.
Abstract: As many colleges and universities continue to increase their enrollment and diversification of their student body, the number of first-generation college students of color will continue to rise. Colleges have been charged with the challenge of not only enrolling this student population but also ensuring that they are connected to the university and persist to graduation. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of first-generation college students of color at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). This study utilized individual in-depth interviews and a focus group to examine how first-generation students of color experienced college at a PWI. Four major themes were revealed: a college degree is a means to a better lifestyle; money always matters; a heightened sense of safety concerns exists; and there is a desire for a supportive multicultural campus environment. The findings of this study may aid institutional leaders in understanding the first-generation college student of color experience at a PWI and assist in establishing and maintaining academic and social support programs that are geared towards these students.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors aimed at elaborating factors affecting ICT integration during teaching practices in pre-service teacher training programs (PTTPs) of three Indonesian universities from the perspectives of fifty-five preservice teachers.
Abstract: Information and communication technology (ICT) is a strong force for economic, social, political, and educational reforms happening throughout the world including in developing countries. In this qualitative inquiry, we aimed at elaborating factors affecting ICT integration during teaching practices in pre-service teacher training programs (PTTPs) of three Indonesian universities from the perspectives of fifty-five preservice teachers. The thematic analysis of this study revealed two major themes, barriers and enablers, which affected the integration of ICT during teaching practices. Based on the themes, this study led to the development of a conceptual model of factors affecting the ICT integration. Recommendations are made for the betterment of Indonesian PTTPs and related stakeholders.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors employed a descriptive phenomenological research design to describe the struggles, coping mechanisms, and insights of childless teachers in the Philippines and found that although being childless continued to be a challenge in their married life, the informants found a way to be happy and considered their situation as a plus factor.
Abstract: The phenomenon of childlessness has elicited interest among professionals all over the world. However, this phenomenon received little interest, particularly in the Philippine context. The purpose of this study was to describe the struggles, coping mechanisms, and insights of childless teachers in the Philippines. We employed a descriptive phenomenological research design. Ten childless teachers participated in the semi-structured key informant interview (KII), and the data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Results revealed the following themes: embarrassment, incompleteness, and pressures for their struggles; escapism and optimism for their coping mechanism; and work commitment and acceptance for their insights. Although being childless continued to be a challenge in their married life, the informants found a way to be happy and considered their situation as a plus factor, particularly in being available and committed to their teaching job.
TL;DR: An overview of the post qualitative research paradigm, tracing the main concepts that underpin it, and the way it opens up research to include the experiential can be found in this article.
Abstract: This paper presents an overview of the post qualitative research paradigm, tracing the main concepts that underpin it, and the way it opens up research to include the experiential. Research that tends to affect and the totality of existence. The cornerstone of post qualitative is its flat ontology—researcher, theory, and subject matter, form a non-hierarchical assemblage. The human and the non-human, material and immaterial, merge in a liminal entity. Nothing is considered as tainting, bar from the introduction of power relations. And this is the snare commanding caution. Academic approval is conducive to the misinterpretation of the theoretical pieces on post qualitative, of morphing them into authoritative theory, fixed points. Autonomy and the assemblage of theory from, and under lived experience, are the institutional elements of post qualitative. The introduction of any form of closure constitutes a lapse into the doppelgänger of what it set out to surmount.
TL;DR: This paper explored family resilience in klithih behavioral preventive efforts in the perspective of adolescents with the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method on three male middle teens aged 16-17 years, living in urban areas with biological parents, Muslims, and having good behavior both in school and the society.
Abstract: In the past seven years, the people of Yogyakarta have been confronted with the rampant of brutal behavior of adolescent social behavior, and have led to criminal acts, known as klithih. It is necessary to research about how the resilience of Yogyakarta families in conducting preventive solutions to klithih behavior. Most family resilience study is related to the behavior solution of klithih focusing on the role of parents in parent’s perspective. This study aims to explore family resilience in klithih behavioral preventive efforts in the perspective of adolescents with the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method on three male middle teens aged 16-17 years, living in urban areas with biological parents, Muslims, and having good behavior both in school and the society. Thematic analysis of the data showed that the participants are personally able to suppress the emergence of klithih because of the strong establishment in religious values, the existence of two-way communication, behavioral control, and continuous selfesteem that characterize adolescents not to act klithih.
TL;DR: In this paper, a more fully pragmatic version of Grounded theory is presented, which replaces induction with abduction, emphasizes the importance of prior beliefs as starting points, treats theoretical sampling as action following earlier inquiry, and justifies the value of verification in developing theory.
Abstract: Recently, there have been calls for renewed attention to the roots of Grounded Theory in pragmatism, and this article continues that effort at both the theoretical and the procedural level. From a theoretical perspective, it counters the claim that pragmatism is compatible with a relativist epistemology, as claimed by advocates of Constructivist Grounded Theory, and argues instead for a cyclical process of inquiry that moves from beliefs to actions to consequences. At the procedural level, the article demonstrates four concrete principles so that pragmatism: replaces induction with abduction; emphasizes the importance of prior beliefs as starting points; treats theoretical sampling as action following earlier inquiry; and, justifies the importance of verification in developing theory. Overall, it demonstrates the value of pursuing a more fully pragmatic version of Grounded Theory.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore how nine participants in a qualitative case study became co-researchers by the study's conclusion, and the increase in their active participation required methodological alterations to the project while I conducted the study.
Abstract: Researchers request a variety of levels of engagement from their participants in a research study. This can range from merely serving as a data generation opportunity to being actively involved in each stage of the project. The latter is a co-researcher. In this paper, I explore how nine participants in a qualitative case study became co-researchers by the study’s conclusion. The increase in their active participation required methodological alterations to the project while I conducted the study. This paper presents these alterations by examining: (1) my position as a researcher; (2) my relationship with the participants; (3) the trajectory of the project; (4) data analysis; and (5) the presentation of the findings. I conclude with a discussion of such alterations for qualitative research and offer suggestions for novice researchers when experiencing situations during research that may warrant unanticipated methodological changes.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the lived experiences of the stigmatized castes in the context of the opportunities made available by the government of India for their Socio-Political Empowerment.
Abstract: The authors present the lived experiences of the stigmatized castes in the context of the opportunities made available by the government of India for their Socio-Political Empowerment. The study aimed to gain an understanding about the respondents’ unique experiences of caste-based stigmatization at their workplace, their overall experience of empowerment at work and the other spheres of their lives, and to capture their perceived importance of, and the success of reservation policy as well as several other initiatives taken by the Government of India for empowering the marginalized castes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 male Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribe respondents working at respectable positions in the government organizations situated in the National Capital Region of Delhi. The phenomenological approach (Langdridge, 2007) was used to unearth the essence of the participant’s experiences of stigma driven treatments. The overall perceptions and experiences of the respondents included experiencing direct and indirect forms of caste-related discrimination at workplace; experiencing economic, social and psychological empowerment but not at the workplace; favouring the policy of reservation for Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribe in government jobs; and believing in the improper implementation of policies in India. The research findings indicate the incomplete success of the governmental policies for the holistic empowerment of the Indian marginalized castes.
TL;DR: In this article, the feasibility of conducting a qualitative case study of micro finance research is examined and the authors argue that qualitative case studies can be used as a supplement or an alternative to quantitative methodology, because it is context specific and naturally enquires research problem.
Abstract: This paper sheds light on the methodological dilemma in microfinance research and examines the feasibility of conducting a qualitative case study. Microfinance research is dominated by quantitative impact studies. However, the issues of process and implementation are critical to make an impact. The paper argues that a qualitative case study method can be used as a supplement or an alternative to quantitative methodology, because it is context-specific and naturally enquires research problem. The indepth and in-detail inquiry make the findings more robust, and readers can understand the meaning holistically by reading stories and quotes. The case study can be used to prove microfinance impacts and to improve microfinance practices.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the family context and its influence on the coffee tradition within the framework of a proposal to build knowledge and transfer technology, and found that women have changed from a position of support in the home to becoming leading actors in the coffee production processes.
Abstract: The analysis of the family context in rural communities can provide helpful insight to promote technology appropriation processes. For this study, the family context and its influence on the coffee tradition were investigated within the framework of a proposal to build knowledge and transfer technology. To address this aim, the construction of genograms was carried out, accompanied by semi-structured interviews with coffee women from a producer’s association in the department of Huila, Colombia. Key elements around their training process as coffee growers were analyzed based on the consolidation of a tradition derived from parents and grandparents, but with unknowns regarding their continuity in future generations. The findings showed a group of women, most of whom have lived and grown around coffee farming, where their role has changed from a position of support in the home to become leading actors in the coffee production processes. Opportunities and challenges were found in the face of the possibilities in the role of woman in the coffee growing development, but important questions arise regarding the role that the following generations may have in the future.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors introduce a thought partnership between Pierre Bourdieu and Carl Jung used to explore clinical play therapists' understanding and critical reflexivity of unconscious influences on their relational practices with parents.
Abstract: This paper introduces a thought partnership between Pierre Bourdieu and Carl Jung used to explore clinical play therapists’ understanding and critical reflexivity of unconscious influences on their relational practices with parents. The partnership is situated within a broader methodological partnership between Paul Ricoeur and Jung discussed by the authors in another paper in this issue. The purpose of the Bourdieu and Jung partnership is to design a comprehensive theoretical tool kit that enables the exploration of the interrelated nature of personal, social, and collective unconscious influences on professional practices. The paper discusses seven Bourdieusian and ten Jungian thinking tools and how they were brought together within a critical imaginal hermeneutic approach drawn from the first author’s doctoral study. The application of the conceptual partnership to the study’s text sets is then discussed to provide an in-depth structural analysis of the study’s phenomenon. The results highlight how the application of the thinking tools provide a critical and systemic awareness of how personal, social, and collective unconscious influences shape professional practices. Implications for professional practice are discussed as well as the role the Bourdieusian and Jungian thinking tools can play in enhancing the fundamental aims of qualitative research, particularly critical inquiry.
TL;DR: This article proposed an alternative access strategy adapted from journalism, using interviewees as fixers, which not only shortens access time and decreases noncommitment of the potential interviewees, but also lends the researcher a partial insider status in the studied elite circle, and thus potentially enhances the quality of interviews.
Abstract: Social science methods literature identifies gaining access as one of the main challenges of conducting elite interview research. However, the existing literature mostly fails to provide access strategies other than the “textbook” methods of sending email, letters, faxes, or making phone calls. Many researchers, especially the ones who conduct purposive sampling-based in elite interview research encounter various obstacles when they try to gain access to the potential interviewees. Especially in challenging research environments, textbook methods either fail the researchers using purposive sampling or considerably increase the time and energy spent to gain access to elite respondents. Drawing on the author’s own purposive sampling-based research in the Middle East, this article proposes an alternative access strategy adapted from journalism, using interviewees as “fixers.” This free-of-charge strategy not only shortens access time and decreases non-commitment of the potential elite interviewees, but also lends the researcher a partial insider status in the studied elite circle, and thus potentially enhances the quality of interviews.