Showing papers on "Qualitative research published in 2001"

Social Research Methods

Abstract: PART ONE ; 1. The nature and process of social research ; 2. Social research strategies: quantitative research and qualitative research ; 3. Research designs ; 4. Planning a research project and formulating research questions ; Getting started: reviewing the literature ; 6. Ethics and politics in social research ; PART TWO ; 7. The nature of quantitative research ; 8. Sampling in quantitative research ; 9. Structured interviewing ; 10. Self-administered questionnaires ; 11. Asking questions ; 12. Structured observation ; 13. Content analysis ; 14. Using existing data ; 15. Quantitative data analysis ; 16. Using IBM SPSS for Windows ; PART THREE ; 17. The nature of qualitative research ; 18. Sampling in qualitative research ; 19. Ethnography and participant observation ; 20. Interviewing in qualitative research ; 21. Focus groups ; 22. Language in qualitative research ; 23. Documents as sources of data ; 24. Qualitative data analysis ; 25. Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis: using NVivo ; PART FOUR ; 26. Breaking down the quantitative/qualitative divide ; 27. Mixed methods research: combining quantitative and qualitative research ; 28. Writing up social research

Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Abstract: Part I: AN INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH. 1. The Process of Conducting Research. 2. Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Part II: THE STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF RESEARCH. 3. Identifying a Research Problem. 4. Reviewing the Literature. 5. Specifying a Purpose and Research Questions or Hypotheses. 6. Collecting Quantitative Data. 7. Analyzing and Interpreting Quantitative Data. 8. Collecting Qualitative Data. 9. Analyzing and Interpreting Qualitative Data. 10. Reporting and Evaluating Research. Part III: RESEARCH DESIGNS. 11. Experimental Designs. 12. Correlational Designs. 13. Survey Designs. 14. Grounded Theory Designs. 15. Ethnographic Designs. 16. Narrative Research Designs. 17. Mixed Methods Designs. 18. Action Research Designs. Appendix A: Answers to the Chapter Study Questions. Appendix B: Determine Size Using Sample Size Tables. Appendix C: Non-Normal Distribution. Appendix D: Strategies for Defending a Research Proposal. Glossary. References. Author Index. Subject Index.

Introducing Qualitative Research in Psychology

Abstract: About the authors Acknowledgements Part 1: Conceptual Preparation From recipes to adventures Epistemological bases for qualitative research Qualitative research design and data collection The role of interpretation Putting together a research proposal Part 2: Doing Research Thematic analysis Grounded theory methodology Phenomenological methods Case studies Discursive psychology Foucauldian discourse analysis Narrative psychology Visual methods Part 3: Reflections and Conclusions Quality in qualitative research Review and conclusion: Where next for qualitative psychology? Appendix 1: What influences a person's decision to want to stop using drugs? A grounded theory study exploring the experiences of heroin users Appendix 2: The experience of body dysmorphic disorder: An interpretative phenomenological analysis and photo elicitation study Appendix 3: Constructing self-harm at the turn of the 21st century: A Foucauldian discourse analysis References

Checklists for improving rigour in qualitative research: a case of the tail wagging the dog?

Abstract: Qualitative research methods are enjoying unprecedented popularity. Although checklists have undoubtedly contributed to the wider acceptance of such methods, these can be counterproductive if used prescriptively. The uncritical adoption of a range of “technical fixes” (such as purposive sampling, grounded theory, multiple coding, triangulation, and respondent validation) does not, in itself, confer rigour. In this article I discuss the limitations of these procedures and argue that there is no substitute for systematic and thorough application of the principles of qualitative research. Technical fixes will achieve little unless they are embedded in a broader understanding of the rationale and assumptions behind qualitative research. #### Summary points Checklists can be useful improving qualitative research methods, but overzealous and uncritical use can be counterproductive Reducing qualitative research to a list of technical procedures (such as purposive sampling, grounded theory, multiple coding, triangulation, and respondent validation) is overly prescriptive and results in “the tail wagging the dog” None of these “technical fixes” in itself confers rigour; they can strengthen the rigour of qualitative research only if embedded in a broader understanding of qualitative research design and data analysis Otherwise we risk compromising the unique contribution that systematic qualitative research can make to health services research In medical research the question is no longer whether qualitative methods are valuable but how rigour can be ensured or enhanced. Checklists have played an important role in conferring respectability on qualitative research and in convincing potential sceptics of its thoroughness.1–3 They have equipped those unfamiliar with this approach to evaluate or review qualitative work (by providing guidance on crucial questions that need to be asked) and in reminding qualitative researchers of the need for a systematic approach (by providing an aide-memoire of the various stages involved in research design and data analysis4). Qualitative researchers stress the …

Validity in Qualitative Research

Abstract: Much contemporary dialogue has centered on the difficulty of establishing validity criteria in qualitative research. Developing validity standards in qualitative research is challenging because of the necessity to incorporate rigor and subjectivity as well as creativity into the scientific process. This article explores the extant issues related to the science and art of qualitative research and proposes a synthesis of contemporary viewpoints. A distinction between primary and secondary validity criteria in qualitative research is made with credibility, authenticity, criticality, and integrity identified as primary validity criteria and explicitness, vividness, creativity, thoroughness, congruence, and sensitivity identified as secondary validity criteria.

Qualitative Methods in Social Research

Abstract: 1. WHAT IS SOCIAL RESEARCH? SOME PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL CONCERNS / What Is Social Research? / Why Do Research? / Developing a Sociological Imagination / The Research Process: Moving Between Theories and Data / Paradigms / Traditional Approaches to Social Research (Positivism) / Challenges to Traditional Ways of Doing Social Science / You Are Here: Locating the Self in Social Research / Naturalism / Social Constructionist and Interpretive Approaches / Feminist and Other Critical Approaches / Postmodernism / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 2. STRATEGIES FOR BEGINNING RESEARCH / Getting Started: Where to Begin? / Where Do Ideas Come From? / A Problem Is Always a Problem for Someone / Deciding What to Research / Developing a Research Strategy / Reading the Literature / Summary: The Research Process in View / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Additional Readings 3. ETHICAL ISSUES / Sleeping Well at Night: A Practical Ethics / Ethical Codes / Confidentiality and Informed Consent / Controversies in Social Research / Feminist Approaches to Research Ethics / Institutional Review Boards / Ethical Concerns in Qualitative Research / Practical Concerns in Protecting Privacy / Conclusion / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 4. OBSERVATION: PARTICIPANT AND OTHERWISE / Participating and Observing / The Self as Instrument / Thinking About Settings: Selecting a Site / Getting In, Gaining Access / Emotions in The Field / Writing Field Notes / Leaving the Field / Focusing / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 5. INTERVIEWS / Interviewing as a Relationship / Types Of Interviews / Closeness and Distance In Interview Situations / Developing Relationships / Getting Ready to Begin: Preparing For The Interview / Before the Interview / During the Interview / After The Interview / Group Interviews / Making Meaning / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 6. UNOBTRUSIVE MEASURES: ANALYZING TEXTS AND MATERIAL ARTIFACTS / Physical Traces / Material Artifacts / Documents and Records / Electronic Texts / Historical Research / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 7. ACTION RESEARCH / Varieties of Action Research / Research for Whom? / Empowerment / The Process of Action Research: Look, Think, Act / Identifying Stakeholders / Formulating a Collective Problem / Think: Exploring the Problem / Act: Defining an Agenda for Action / Sharing the Results / Some Problems and Opportunities in Action Research / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 8. MAKING SENSE OF DATA / Making Sense of Qualitative Data: A Process of Making Meaning / Managing Data / Getting Intimate With Your Data / Coding / Memos / Asking Questions / Developing an Analysis / Content Analysis / Semiotic Analysis / Grounding the Analysis / Computer-Assisted Data Analysis / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 9. NARRATIVE ANALYSIS / What Is a Narrative? / The Structure of Stories / Other Structures of Stories / Structure, Story, and Social Context / Some Practical Advice / Evaluating Narratives / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 10. WRITING / Writing as a Process / Audiences and Venues / Useful Ways to Structure Qualitative Research / Making Writing Vivid / Other Genres of Qualitative Research / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading Appendix A American Sociological Association Code of Ethics Appendix B Sample Informed Consent Form References

Combining IS Research Methods: Towards a Pluralist Methodology

Abstract: This paper puts forward arguments in favor of a pluralist approach to IS research. Rather than advocating a single paradigm, be it interpretive or positivist, or even a plurality of paradigms within the discipline as a whole, it suggests that research results will be richer and more reliable if different research methods, preferably from different (existing) paradigms, are routinely combined together. The paper is organized into three sections after the Introduction. In §2, the main arguments for the desirability of multimethod research are put forward, while §3 discusses its feasibility in theory and practice. §4 outlines two frameworks that are helpful in designing mixed-method research studies. These are illustrated with a critical evaluation of three examples of empirical research.

Qualitative Marketing Research

Abstract: PART ONE: SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH AND MARKETING Philosophy of Research Scope of Research in Marketing Design of a Research Problem Academic, Business and Practitioner Research PART TWO: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES Justification of a Qualitative Research Methodology In-Depth Interviewing Case-Based Research Focus Group Interviewing Observation Studies Ethnography and Grounded Theory Action Research and Action Learning PART THREE: APPLICATIONS AND OUTCOMES OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Organizing, Processing and Visualizing Data Writing Qualitative Research Reports Integrative Multiple Mixes of Methodologies Qualitative Research Future Evolution

Ethics in qualitative research.

Abstract: Purpose: To critically examine ethical issues in qualitative research. Organizing Construct: The ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, and justice are guides for researchers to address initial and ongoing tensions between the needs and goals of the research and the rights of participants. Methods: Research literature, ethics literature, and researcher experiences. Conclusions: Ethical principles can be used to guide the research in addressing the initial and ongoing issues arising from qualitative research in order to meet the goals of the research as well as to maintain the rights of the research participants.

Doing and Writing Qualitative Research

Abstract: Approaching Qualitative Research Starting Out Showing the Workings What Counts as Data Writing about Data Writer Voice Writing about Relations Making Appropriate Claims

Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography

Abstract: Provides an introductory but comprehensive account of the main forms of research practice in geography and the environmental sciences. It aims to instruct novice researchers to conduct their own research. Contributors are drawn from Australia and New Zealand and the book is designed for use at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Qualitative Research: A Personal Skills Approach

Abstract: Chapter 1 Becoming a Skilled Qualitative Researcher Chapter 2 Observing Chapter 3 Conversing Chapter 4 Participating Chapter 5 Interpreting Chapter 6 Questioning Chapter 7 Data Gathering Chapter 8 Analyzing Chapter 9 Narrating Chapter 10 Writing Chapter 11 The Seven Deadly Sins of Qualitative Research Chapter 12 Once and Future Qualitative Research References Index

Qualitative research requires quality concepts of its own

Abstract: This article consists of two parts, starting with a discussion about generally accepted quality concepts in research, criticising them from the qualitative perspective. The article concludes by suggesting alternative concepts to be used for securing quality when pursuing qualitative research.

Ethical issues in qualitative research on internet communities

Abstract: The internet is the most comprehensive electronic archive of written material representing our world and peoples' opinions, concerns, and desires. Physicians who surf the internet for the first time are often stunned by what they learn on websites set up by lay people or patient self support communities. Material on these venues can be a rich source for researchers interested in understanding the experiences and views of people and patients. Qualitative analysis of material published and communicated on the internet can serve to systematise and codify needs, values, concerns, and preferences of consumers and professionals relevant to health and health care. While the internet makes people's interactions uniquely accessible for researchers and erases boundaries of time and distance, such research raises new issues in research ethics, particularly concerning informed consent and privacy of research subjects, as the borders between public and private spaces are sometimes blurred. #### Summary points Internet communities (such as mailing lists, chat rooms, newsgroups, or discussion boards on websites) are rich sources of qualitative data for health researchers Qualitative analysis of internet postings may help to systematise and codify needs, values, and preferences of consumers and professionals relevant to health and health care Internet based research raises several ethical questions, especially pertaining to privacy and informed consent Researchers and institutional review boards must primarily consider whether research is intrusive and has potential for harm, whether the venue is perceived as “private” or “public” space, how confidentiality can be protected, and whether and how informed consent should be obtained Internet communities provide a way for a group of peers to communicate with each other. They include discussion boards on websites, mailing lists, chat rooms, or newsgroups. Examples of health related mailing lists can easily be found by inserting a key word such as “cancer” in the search box at the …

Real qualitative researchers do not count: the use of numbers in qualitative research.

Abstract: Two myths about qualitative research are that real qualitative researchers do not count and cannot count. These antinumber myths have led to the underutilization of numbers in qualitative research and to the simplistic view of qualitative research as non- or antinumber. Yet numbers are integral to qualitative research, as meaning depends, in part, on number. As in quantitative research, numbers are used in qualitative research to establish the significance of a research project, to document what is known about a problem, and to describe a sample. But they are also useful for showcasing the labor and complexity of qualitative work and to generate meaning from qualitative data; to document, verify, and test researcher interpretations or conclusions; and to re-present target events and experiences. Although numbers are important in the treatment of qualitative data, qualitative researchers should avoid the counting pitfalls of verbal counting, overcounting, misleading counting, and acontextual counting.

The Shifting Perspectives Model of Chronic Illness

Abstract: Purpose: To present the Shifting Perspectives Model of Chronic Illness, which was derived from a metasynthesis of 292 qualitative research studies. Design: The model was derived from a metasynthesis of qualitative research about the reported experiences of adults with a chronic illness. The 292 primary research studies included a variety of interpretive research methods and were conducted by researchers from numerous countries and disciplines. Methods: Metastudy, a metasynthesis method developed by the author in collaboration with six other researchers consisted of three analytic components (meta-data-analysis, metamethod, and metatheory), followed by a synthesis component in which new knowledge about the phenomenon was generated from the findings. Findings: Many of the assumptions that underlie previous models, such as a single, linear trajectory of living with a chronic disease, were challenged. The Shifting Perspectives Model indicated that living with chronic illness was an ongoing and continually shifting process in which an illness-in-the-foreground or wellness-in-the-foreground perspective has specific functions in the person's world. Conclusions: The Shifting Perspectives Model helps users provide an explanation of chronically ill persons' variations in their attention to symptoms over time, sometimes in ways that seem ill-advised or even harmful to their health. The model also indicates direction to health professionals about supporting people with chronic illness.

Challenges Incarcerated Women Face as They Return to Their Communities: Findings from Life History Interviews

Abstract: This article uses results of a qualitative research project to describe the challenges that incarcerated women face as they return to their communities from jail or prison. Following a descriptive profile of the population, the particular challenges are discussed, focusing on the gender and culturally specific needs that formerly incarcerated women from low-income communities face upon release from correctional facilities in this country. The article concludes with a discussion of the broader contexts that affect women's self-sufficiency, and the need for neighborhood development initiatives, public policy reform, and social changes.

Qualitative research through case studies

Abstract: What Is Qualitative Research? PART ONE: THE INTERPRETIVE TRADITION Addressing 'Lived Experience' Symbolic Interactionism and Ethnography Varieties of Symbolic Interactionism Grounded Theory and Dramaturgical Analysis Investigating Practices Ethnomethodological Ethnography Researching Language Conversation Analysis PART TWO: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES From Description to Critique Feminism and Qualitative Research Postmodern Ethnography PART THREE: CONCLUSION The Craft of Qualitative Research

Research methods in sport and exercise psychology: quantitative and qualitative issues

Abstract: Contemporary aspects of research methods in sport and exercise psychology are discussed in this wide-ranging review. After an introduction centred on trends in sport and exercise psychology methods, the review is organized around the major themes of quantitative and qualitative research. Our aim is to highlight areas that may be problematic or controversial (e.g. stepwise statistical procedures), underused (e.g. discriminant analysis), increasingly used (e.g. meta-analysis, structural equation modelling, qualitative content analysis) and emergent (e.g. realist tales of writing). Perspectives range from the technical and speculative to the controversial and critical. While deliberately not providing a 'cookbook' approach to research methods, we hope to provide enough material to help researchers to appreciate the diversity of potential methods and to adopt a more critical perspective in their own research consumption and production.

From Meaning to Meaning: The Influence of Translation Techniques on Non-English Focus Group Research

Abstract: Language translation techniques are at the core of many cross-cultural qualitative research projects. The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of translation techniques on the collection and interpretation of non-English to English qualitative data and, in particular, on focus-group data collection and analysis. The goal is to offer suggestions that will minimize potential threats to validity. This article includes a working definition of translation, a discussion of issues related to translation in quantitative research, a discussion of how translation issues differ in focus group research, evaluation criteria for translators and interpreters, and an example of translation techniques used in a research study of perimenopausal Hispanic women.

Using qualitative methods to elicit young people's perspectives on their environments: some ideas for community health initiatives

Abstract: This paper describes qualitative methods used in a research project for the former Health Education Authority, exploring Putnam's concept of 'social capital' in relation to children and young people's well-being and health. Putnam's conceptualization of social capital consists of the following features: trust, reciprocal support, civic engagement, community identity and social networks, and the premise is that levels of social capital in a community have an important effect on people's well-being. Research was carried out with 102 children aged between 12 and 15 in two relatively deprived parts of a town in southeast England. The paper describes the research setting, methods, consent process and ethical issues that arose. It explores how the methods generated different forms of interconnected data, giving rise to a number of health/well-being-related themes. The paper concludes that using a range of methods, including visual methods, has helped to explore quality of life issues for children that are usually neglected in studies of young people's health-related behaviours.

Data analysis and ‘theorizing as ideology’:

Abstract: In this article the author reviews a segment from a report of a research project that she undertook in 1991. In this initial entry into the research world, the research process used aimed to make a...

An encounter with grounded theory: tackling the practical and philosophical issues

Abstract: INTRODUCTION The purpose of this chapter is to explore the practical and philosophical issues of applying the grounded theory approach to qualitative research in Information Systems Over the past decade, we have seen a substantial increase in qualitative research in general (Klein, Nissen and Hirschheim, 1991; Walsham, 1995; Markus, 1997; Myers, 1997; Myers and Walsham, 1998; Klein and Myers, 1999; Walsham and Sahay, 1999; Trauth and Jessup, 2000; Schultze, 2000) and also an increase in the use of grounded theory (Toraskar, 1991, Orlikowski, 1993, Urquhart, 1997, 1998, 1999a, 1999b; Adams and Sasse, 1999, Baskerville and Pries-Heje, 1999, Trauth, 2000) Over the past three years, the most frequent request I have had from postgraduates is for some insight into the ‘how-to’ of coding and grounded theory Obviously these observations are not unconnected, as an increase in the use of qualitative methods in information systems results in a

Communication Research: Asking Questions, Finding Answers

Abstract: PART I. RESEARCH BASICS 1. Introduction to Research in Communication 2. The Research Process -- Getting Started 3. Introduction to Quantitative Research 4. Introduction to Qualitative Research 5. Research Ethics PART II. THE SPECIFICS OF RESEARCH METHODS 6. Measurement 7. Sampling, Significance Levels, and Hypothesis Testing 8. Quantitative Research Designs 9. Surveys, Questionnaires, and Polls 10. Descriptive Statistics 11. Testing for Differences 12. Testing for Relationships 13. Analyzing Texts 14. Designing Qualitative Research 15. Qualitative Methods PART III. READING AND WRITING RESEARCH REPORTS 16. Reading and Writing the Quantitative Research Report 17. Reading and Writing the Qualitative Research Report Appendix A: All Math and Statistical Formulas Glossary Index At the end of each chapter: Summary Checklist

Qualitative Inquiry: The Path of Sciencing

Abstract: Presents qualitative research methods for systematically studying human experiences. Parse (Loyola University) describes the conceptual, ethical, and interpretive dimensions of qualitative research, and provides the ontology, epistemology, and methodology for several approaches. Example research stu