Showing papers on "Qualitative research published in 1997"

Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theory and Methods

Abstract: 1. Foundations of Qualitative Research in Education: An Introduction. Characteristics of Qualitative Research. Traditions of Qualitative Research. Theoretical Underpinnings. Ten Common Questions About Qualitative Research. Ethics. What Is to Come. 2. Research Design. Choosing a Study. Case Studies. Multi-Site Studies. Additional Issues Related to Design. Concluding Remarks. 3. Fieldwork. Gaining Access. First Days in the Field. The Participant/Observer Continuum. Doing Fieldwork in Another Culture. Researcher Characteristics and Special Problems with Rapport. Be Discreet. Research in Politically Charged and Conflict-Ridden Settings. Feelings. How Long Should an Observation Session Be? Interviewing. Visual Recording and Fieldwork. Triangulation. Leaving the Field. 4. Qualitative Data. Some Friendly Advice. Fieldnotes. The Process of Writing Fieldnotes. Transcripts from Taped Interviews. Documents. Photography. Official Statistics and Other Quantitative Data. Concluding Remarks. 5. Data Analysis. Analysis in the Field. Analysis After Data Collection. The Mechanics of Working with Data. Concluding Remarks. 6. Writing It Up. Writing Choices. More Writing Tips. Criteria for Evaluating Writing. Texts. A Final Point About Getting Started. 7. Applied Qualitative Research for Education. Evaluation and Policy Research. Action Research. Practitioner Uses of Qualitative Research. Appendix A. Examples of Observational Questions for Educational Settings. Appendix B. Examples of Fieldnotes. Glossary. References. Index.

Qualitative research in information systems

Abstract: Qualitative research involves the use of qualitative data, such as interviews, documents, and participant observation, to understand and explain social phenomena. As the focus of information systems research shifts from technological to managerial and organizational issues, qualitative research methods become increasingly useful. This example of "living scholarship" within MISQ Discovery's worldwide web archive provides an overview of qualitative research for the newcomer and a set of resources for those more experienced. The work discusses philosophical perspectives that can inform qualitative research, qualitative research methods, techniques, and modes of analysis. Links to citation lists, Internet resources, software tools, and calls for papers are also included.

Choosing Qualitative Research: A Primer for Technology Education Researchers

Abstract: A number of writers have commented on the dearth of substantive research within the field of technology education, and point to the expansion of its research agenda as a means of strengthening the discipline. Waetjen, in his call for good research in technology education, states that “the plea is to use experimental type research as much as possible” (1992, p. 30). Interestingly, the three areas of research need outlined in his essay would all lend themselves to alternative methodologies, including qualitative methodologies.

Examining the Validity Structure of Qualitative Research

Abstract: Discussions of the term "validity" have traditionally been attached to the quantitative research tradition. Not surprisingly, reactions by qualitative researchers have been mixed regarding whether or not this concept should be applied to qualitative research. At the extreme, some qualitative researchers have suggested that the traditional quantitative criteria of reliability and validity are not relevant to qualitative research (e.g., Smith, 1984). Smith contends that the basic epistemological and ontological assumptions of quantitative and qualitative research are incompatible, and, therefore, the concepts of reliability and validity should be abandoned. Most qualitative researchers, however, probably hold a more moderate viewpoint. Most qualitative researchers argue that some qualitative research studies are better than others, and they frequently use the term validity to refer to this difference. When qualitative researchers speak of research validity, they are usually referring to qualitative research that is plausible, credible, trustworthy, and, therefore, defensible. We believe it is important to think about the issue of validity in qualitative research and to examine some strategies that have been developed to maximize validity (Kirk & Miller, 1986; LeCompte & Preissle, 1993; Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Maxwell, 1996). A list of these strategies is provided in Table 1. Table 1 Strategies Used to Promote Qualitive Research Validity Strategy Description Researcher as "Detective" A metaphor characterizing the qualitive researcher as he or she searches for evidence about causes and effects. The researcher develops an understanding of the data through careful consideration of potential causes and effects and by systematically eliminating "rival" explanations or hypotheses until the final "case" is made "beyond a reasonable doubt." The "detective" can utilize any of the strategies listed here. Extended fieldwork When possible, qualitive researchers should collect data in the field over an extended period of time. Low inference descriptors The use of description phrased very close to the participants' accounts and researchers' field notes. Verbatims (i.e., direct quotations) are a commonly used type of low inference descriptors. Triangulation "Cross-checking" information and conclusions through the use of multiple procedures of sources. When the different procedures or sources are in agreement you have "corroboration." Data triangulation The use of multiple data sources to help understand a phenomenon. Methods triangulation The use of multiple research methods to study a phenomenon. Investigator triangulation The use of multiple investigators (i.e., multiple researchers) in collecting and interpreting the data. Theory triangulation The use of multiple theories and perspectives to help interpret and explain the data. Participant feedback The feedback and discussion of the researcher's interpretations and conclusions with the actual participants and other members of the participant community for verification and insight. …

Interpretive description: a noncategorical qualitative alternative for developing nursing knowledge.

Abstract: Despite nursing's enthusiastic endorsement of the applicability of qualitative research approaches to answering relevant clinical questions, many nurse researchers have been hesitant to depart from traditional qualitative research methods While various derivations of phenomenology, grounded theory, and ethnography have been popularized within qualitative nursing research, the methodological principles upon which these approaches are based reflect the foundations and objectives of disciplines whose aims are sometimes quite distinct from nursing's domain of inquiry Thus, as many nurse researchers have discovered, nursing's unique knowledge mandate may not always be well served by strict adherence to traditional methods as the "gold standard" for qualitative nursing research The authors present the point of view that a non-categorical description, drawing on principles grounded in nursing's epistemological mandate, may be an appropriate methodological alternative for credible research toward the development of nursing science They propose a coherent set of strategies for conceptual orientation, sampling, data construction, analysis, and reporting by which nurses can use an interpretive descriptive approach to develop knowledge about human health and illness experience phenomena without sacrificing the theoretical or methodological integrity that the traditional qualitative approaches provide

Research Methods in Health: Investigating Health and Health Services

Abstract: Part 1 Investigating health services and health: the scope of research introduction evaluating health services -multidisciplinary collaboration social research on health -sociological and psychological concepts and approaches health needs and their assessment - epidemiology and demography costing health services - health economics. Part 2 The philosophy, theory and practice of research: introduction the philosophical framework of measurement the principles of research. Part 3 Quantitative research sampling and research methods: introduction sample size and sampling quantitative research - surveys quantitative research - experiments and other analytic methods of investigation sample selection and group assignment methods in experiments and other analytic methods. Part 4 The tools of quantitative research: introduction data collection methods in quantitative research - questionnaires, interviews and their response rates questionnaire design techniques of survey interviewing preparation of quantitative data for coding and analysis. Part 5 Qualitative research methods and combined research methods, and their analysis: introduction unstructured and structured observational studies unstructured interviewing and focus groups other methods using both qualitative approaches - case studies consensus methods, action research and document research.

Focus on Qualitative Methods Interpretive Description: A Noncategorical Qualitative Alternative for Developing Nursing Knowledge

Abstract: Despite nursing's enthusiastic endorsement of the applicability of qualitative research approaches to answering relevant clinical questions, many nurse researchers have been hesi- tant to depart from traditional qualitative research methods. While various derivations of phe- nomenology, grounded theory, and ethnography have been popularized within qualitative nurs- ing research, the methodological principles upon which these approaches are based reflect the foundations and objectives of disciplines whose aims are sometimes quite distinct from nursing's domain of inquiry. Thus, as many nurse researchers have discovered, nursing's unique knowl- edge mandate may not always be well served by strict adherence to traditional methods as the "gold standard" for qualitative nursing research. The authors present the point of view that a non- categorical description, drawing on principles grounded in nursing's epistemological mandate, may be an appropriate methodological alternative for credible research toward the development of nursing science. They propose a coherent set of strategies for conceptual orientation, sam- pling, data construction, analysis, and reporting by which nurses can use an interpretive de- scriptive approach to develop knowledge about human health and illness experience phenome- na without sacrificing the theoretical or methodological integrity that the traditional qualitative approaches provide. q 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 20: 169-177, 1997

The new language of qualitative method

Abstract: In recent years, scholars and researchers have moved away from quantitative methods of research and toward qualitative methods, which emphasize questions of meaning and interpretation. Gubrium and Holstein offer a new theoretical view which reintegrates the traditional emphasis on the "how" and "what" of social life with a contemporary understanding of the "why". The authors demonstrate how their approach may be put into practice in research on family, aging, deviance and social problems, and organizations and institutions.

Evaluating Qualitative Research in Social Geography: Establishing ‘Rigour’ in Interview Analysis

Abstract: A review of 31 empirical and eighteen substantive papers by qualitative social geographers mainly using in-depth interviews reveals little explicit reference to the principle(s) adopted to enhance ‘rigour’ and to ensure meaningful inference. Given the modest explicit discussion of evaluative criteria in these papers, a scheme from evaluation research itself is critically reviewed. A set of evaluation questions derived from this review and their application to an empirical piece of qualitative work frame an argument for a general set of criteria rather than rigid rules for assessing qualitative work. Such criteria can serve as anchor points for qualitative evaluation.

Focus on Qualitative Methods Qualitative Metasynthesis: Issues and Techniques

Abstract: There has been an accumulation of qualitative studies in recent years, but little cumulation of the understandings gained from them. Qualitative research appears endangered both by efforts to synthesize studies and by the failure to do so. Techniques used have included reciprocal translations of key metaphors and concepts and qualitative and quantitative comparative analyses to produce narrative and theoretical integrations. The major problem yet to be resolved is developing usable and communicable systematic approaches to conducting metasynthesis projects that maintain the integrity of individual studies.

On Writing Qualitative Research: Living by Words

Abstract: 1.To you from us 2.What is there about writing? 3.Creating forms - informing understanding working in analytic modes 4.Working in interpretive modes 5.Negotiating, collaborating, responding ripples on the self/ripples on others 6.Qualitative research writing - what makes it worthwhile after all?

How to read a paper: Papers that go beyond numbers (qualitative research)

Abstract: Epidemiologist Nick Black has argued that a finding or a result is more likely to be accepted as a fact if it is quantified (expressed in numbers) than if it is not1 There is little or no scientific evidence, for example, to support the well known “facts” that one couple in 10 is infertile, or that one man in 10 is homosexual Yet, observes Black, most of us are happy to accept uncritically such simplified, reductionist, and blatantly incorrect statements so long as they contain at least one number Researchers who use qualitative methods seek a deeper truth They aim to “study things in their natural setting, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them,”2 and they use “a holistic perspective which preserves the complexities of human behaviour”1 #### Summary points Qualitative methods aim to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them Qualitative research may define preliminary questions which can then be addressed in quantitative studies A good qualitative study will address a clinical problem through a clearly formulated question and using more than one research method (triangulation) Analysis of qualitative data can and should be done using explicit, systematic, and reproducible methods Questions such as “How many parents would consult their general practitioner when their child has a mild temperature?” or “What proportion of smokers have tried to give up?” clearly need answering through quantitative methods But questions like “Why do parents worry so much about their children's temperature?” and “What stops people giving up smoking?” cannot and should not be answered by leaping in and measuring the first aspect of the problem that we (the outsiders) think might be important Rather, we need to listen to what people have to say, …

Ensuring rigour in qualitative research

Abstract: The issues of reliability and validity in qualitative research are not as readily codified as has been the case for quantitative research. However, a variety of methods do exist and are reviewed here. This general review is followed by a detailed illustration of selected techniques, including the use of counting in qualitative research, the development of systematic coding schemes with the aid of computer programmes, searching for deviant cases and the use of the transcription techniques of conversation analysis. The examples given are drawn from a variety of studies conducted by the authors.

Context and Method in Qualitative Research

Abstract: Introduction - Gale Miller Context and Method in Qualitative Research PART ONE: VALIDITY AND PLAUSIBILITY IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH The Logics of Qualitative Research - David Silverman Producing 'Plausible Stories' - Kath M Melia Interviewing Student Nurses Techniques of Validation in Qualitative Research - Michael Bloor A Critical Commentary PART TWO: METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Accounts, Interviews and Observations - Robert Dingwall Problems with Interviewing - Isobel Bowler Experiences with Service Providers and Clients Contextualizing Texts - Gale Miller Studying Organizational Texts Using Computers in Strategic Qualitative Research - Tom Durkin Dramaturgy and Methodology - Scott A Hunt and Robert D Benford Research Techniques from a Theatrical Perspective PART THREE: ANALYZING INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS Network Analysis and Qualitative Research - Emmanuel Lazega A Method of Contextualization The Interactional Study of Organizations - Robert Dingwall and P M Strong A Critique and Reformulation Toward Ethnographies of Institutional Discourse - Gale Miller Proposal and Suggestions PART FOUR: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AS A MORAL DISCOURSE Ethnography and Justice - David L Altheide and John M Johnson One Branch of Moral Science - P M Strong An Early Modern Approach to Public Policy Conclusion - Robert Dingwall The Moral Discourse of Interactionism

Patient-physician trust: an exploratory study.

Abstract: Background Patients' trust in their physicians has recently become a focus of concern, largely owing to the rise of managed care, yet the subject remains largely unstudied. We undertook a qualitative research study of patients' self-reported experiences with trust in a physician to gain further understanding of the components of trust in the context of the patient-physician relationship. Methods Twenty-nine patients participants, aged 26 to 72, were recruited from three diverse practice sites. Four focus groups, each lasting 1.5 to 2 hours, were conducted to explore patients' experiences with trust. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded by four readers, using principles of grounded theory. Results The resulting consensus codes were grouped into seven categories of physician behavior, two of which related primarily to technical competence (thoroughness in evaluation and providing appropriate and effective treatment) and five of which were interpersonal (understanding patient's individual experience, expressing caring, communicating clearly and completely, building partnership/sharing power and honesty/respect for patient). Two additional categories were predisposing factors and structural/staffing factors. Each major category had multiple subcategories. Specific examples from each major category are provided. Conclusions These nine categories of physician behavior encompassed the trust experiences related by the 29 patients. These categories and the specific examples provided by patients provide insights into the process of trust formation and suggest ways in which physicians could be more effective in building and maintaining trust.

An exploratory study examining the influence of translation on the validity and reliability of qualitative data in nursing research

Abstract: Although the complexity of undertaking qualitative research with non-English speaking informants has become increasingly recognized, few empirical studies exist which explore the influence of translation on the findings of the study. The aim of this exploratory study was therefore to examine the influence of translation on the reliability and validity of the findings of a qualitative research study. In-depth interviews were undertaken in Cantonese with a convenience sample of six women to explore their perceptions of factors influencing their uptake of Pap smears. Data analysis involved three stages. The first stage involved the translation and transcription of all the interviews into English independently by two translators as well as transcription into Chinese by a third researcher. The second stage involved content analysis of the three data sets to develop categories and themes and the third stage involved a comparison of the categories and themes generated from the Chinese and English data sets. Despite no significant differences in the major categories generated from the Chinese and English data, some minor differences were identified in the themes generated from the data. More significantly the results of the study demonstrated some important issues to consider when using translation in qualitative research, in particular the complexity of managing data when no equivalent word exists in the target language and the influence of the grammatical style on the analysis. In addition the findings raise questions about the significance of the conceptual framework of the research design and sampling to the validity of the study. The importance of using only one translator to maximize the reliability of the study was also demonstrated. In addition the author suggests the findings demonstrate particular problems in using translation in phenomenological research designs.

Choosing the best research design for each question

Abstract: Lots of intellectual and emotional energy, ink, paper, and readers' precious time have been expended comparing, contrasting, attacking, and defending randomised control trials, outcomes research, qualitative research, and related research methods. This has mostly been a waste of time and effort, and most of the disputants, by focusing on methods rather than questions, have been arguing about the wrong things. Our thesis is short: the question being asked determines the appropriate research architecture, strategy, and tactics to be used—not tradition, authority, experts, paradigms, or schools of thought. If the question is, “What is the importance of patient preferences in the choice of treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia?” the appropriate study architecture, strategy, and tactics are those that identify and characterise the reactions of individual patients to their disease and their assessments of the risks and benefits of alternative treatments through open ended, in depth interviews (to the point of redundancy or saturation), with emphasis on variations in preferences among individuals. The fact that this …

Information systems and qualitative research

Abstract: Most mature social studies include both qualitative and quantitative methods in the normal course of research activities. Scholars may gain reputations based on one or the other, or in some cases on the combination of both. In fields such as sociology, psychology, history, political science, and even anthropology the balance has been struck; the rules are accepted. Business studies in general, and information systems in particular, have had a much harder time coming to terms with the balance. With so many colleagues using exclusively quantitative methods in business economics, in marketing, in accounting and even in organizational behavior, and other colleagues sticking strictly to formal methods in computer science and software engineering, we have had to fight an uphill battle at times. This volume is evidence of the maturing of information systems as a discipline which can recognize the place of qualitative along with quantitative research methods.

The Use of Diaries in Sociological Research on Health Experience

Abstract: Diaries have been relatively neglected as a sociological research method. This paper highlights the value of diary research, drawing on the literature on auto/biographies and health service researc...

Theory Building in Qualitative Research and Computer Programs for the Management of Textual Data

Abstract: This article refers to recent debates about the potential methodological costs and benefits of computer use in qualitative research and about the relationship between methodological approaches (eg....

Reflections on the researcher-researched relationship : A woman interviewing men

Abstract: The enactment of gender in interviews with the men in my recent study of divorced fathers is the focus of this paper. Neither the role of gender in the qualitative research process nor its influence on research products has been given much descriptive or analytical attention, especially with respect to studies of men by women. While contextually situated, the relationships which evolve during the research process are influenced by the identities and histories of those involved, including those of gender. Such questions about the researcher-researched relationship and interactional dynamics which emerge during interviewing are ones of reflexivity. This paper, then, retrospectively examines men's assertions of gender identities and the gender hierarchy during interviews with me, and suggests that the negotiation of gender in research warrants much more attention.

Feminist Dilemmas in Qualitative Research: Public Knowledge and Private Lives

Abstract: How can researchers produce work with relevance to theoretical and formal traditions and requirements of public academic knowledge while still remaining faithful to the experiences and accounts of research participants based in private settings? Feminist Dilemmas in Qualitative Research explores this key dilemma and examines the interplay between theory, epistemology and the detailed practice of research. It does this across the whole research process: access, data collection and analysis and writing up research. It goes on to consider ways of achieving high standards of reflexivity and openness in the strategic choices made during research, examining these issues for specific projects in an open and accessible style. Particular themes examined are: the research dilemmas that occur from feminist perspectives in relation to researching private and personal social worlds; the position of the researcher as situated between public knowledge and private experience; and the dilemmas raised for researchers seeking to contribute to academic discourse while remaing close to their knowledge forms.

Strengthening Qualitative Studies and Reports

Abstract: This article examines six criteria for conducting qualitative research and evaluating qualitative research reports in social work: (1) identification of the chosen philosophy/epistemology, (2) identification of audience and objectives, (3) specification of the study method, (4) identification of biases, (5) maintenance of social work ethics, and (6) assurance of consistency between conclusions and study philosophy, objectives, and presented data. Throughout, the author emphasizes the need to examine potentially disconfirming data in all qualitative research. These criteria are intended to guide qualitative researchers, inform the teaching of qualitative research methods, and aid review of qualitative research reports.

Focus Groups: a useful qualitative method for educational research?

Abstract: During 1994‐95, a small team of researchers at the Scottish Council for Research in Education (SCRE) undertook a commissioned study of adults’ perceptions of their lifestyle options within a Scottish region. The findings of the research were intended to inform initiatives in health education and promotion. Two methods of data collection were employed: in‐depth interviews and focus group meetings. In this article, the researcher reflects on one of those methods — focus groups — which has been used extensively in market research, and explores (a) what focus groups are, (b) how they have been utilised by researchers and (c) some of the practical and theoretical implications for incorporating focus groups in the design of educational research projects, paying particular attention to issues of data generation.

Persistence, Connection, and Passion: A Qualitative Study of the Career Development of Highly Achieving African American-Black and White Women.

Abstract: This article describes a qualitative study of the career development of 18 prominent, highly achieving African American-Black and White women in the United States across 8 occupational fields. Grounded theory methodology (B. G. Glaser & A. L. Strauss, 1967; A. L. Strauss & J. Corbin, 1990) was used to generate a theory of the career development of participants that was grounded in their experiences, as related in semistructured, in-depth interviews. The theoretical model generated from the data included 5 major components: (a) a core story consisting of participants' work behaviors and attitudes, which is enacted within (b) sociocultural, (c) personal background, and (d) current contextual conditions and leads to particular career (e) actions and consequences. The emergent model and illustrative quotations from participants are presented, and the implications of the study and the theoretical model for both research and practice are discussed.

Can Sociological Research Be Qualitative, Critical and Valid?

Abstract: Qualitative Research is enjoying a new found respectability in medical sociology, derived in part from an increasing willingness to submit to positivist criteria of reliability and validity. Whilst such claims to 'scientific' credibility have raised the status of the approach, this has only been achieved by driving a wedge between ethnographic methods of data-collection and their origins in the phenomenological strands of sociological thought. One consequence of this schism has been to rob qualitative research of its critical potential, transforming it from a means of challenging discursive formations into a mechanism of surveillance. This paper defines the broad contours of a qualitative methodology synthesised with the perspective of social critique. Positivist arguments are rebutted and validity is re-conceptualised as reflexive management of the relationship between the testimony of informants and a broader process of historical and structural analysis. The process of managing validity is illustrated for each stage of the research cycle.