Qaulitative Methods I

Qaulitative Methods I

1. methodology vs methods and techniques

   • methodology: theoretically informed framework regarding approach to the research
   • methods and techniques: the specific approach we will take to collecting and analysing our data

2. experiential approach:

   • inferring meaning from data
   • draws references about people - think, feel, do
   • includes: thematic analysis, grounded theory, narrative theory, interpretive phenomenology, framework-analysis

3. discursive approach:

   • how talk is used in social situations
   • does not make inferences about how people think, feel and do
   • includes: discourse analysis, conversation analysis, analysis of institutional interaction e.g. workplaces

4. GROUNDED THEORY

   • Purpose: theory development
     • used in discovering what problems exist in a social scene and how persons handle them
     • involves formulation, testing and redevelopment of propositions until a theory is developed
   • underlying approach to knowledge
     • pragmatism: "knowledge production is a matter of perspective and that warrants to truth are a matter of consensus among the members of the community of inquirers" (Rennie 2000, p. 492)
     • symbolic interactionism: social interactions are meaningful and these shared meanings are influential in society
   • process:
     • 1. determine initial research question
     • 2. recruit and collect data
       • - theoretical sampling - collect data - prepare data for analysis - create transcripts
       • theoretical sampling is defined as a process of ongoing data collection for the purpose of generating theory, where previous analysis influences decisions about the subsequent data to be collected. it is theoretical because it is guided by and contributes to the emerging model. it is an essential characteristic of a complete grounded theory study (Payne 2007, p. 74)
     • 3. break up transcripts into excerpts using open coding
       • reflect on thoughts and contradictions by writing memos during analysis notice similarities and differences between excerpts: - compare different excerpts from the same person - compare similar excerpts from different people - compare different peoples' experiences with similar excerpts - compare excerpts as they differ from one day to the next
     • 5. group codes into categories using axial coding
       • - compare codes with other codes - codes with connections they are grouped into a 'category'
     • 6. analyse excerpts using constant comparative method
       • - make comparisons with your new excerpts to codes and categories you have already created. aimed to do one of three things: ~ contradiction ~ expansion ~ support - important for theoretical saturation
     • 7. continue collecting data and analysing until you reach theoretical satuation
       • - how do we know when we have collected enough data? - theoretical saturation - when new data does not add new information
     • 8. define the core category using selective coding
       • - pulls your findings together - all codes and categories under ONE core category - represents the central thesis of your research
     • 9. write your grounded theory
       • - state your new theory in just a couple words or sentences  - define the limits or boundary of your theory - summarise and write a description of your theory - use your coded data to validate the points you suggest in your theory - write an accurate statement of what was studied, and construct your theory in a form that other researchers can use
     • 4. group excerpts into codes using open coding
       • - sets of excerpts that represent the same central idea or concept, and group them together - you can use a "code" to encapsulate these groups of excerpts - codes are like tags or labels that are assigned to excerpts of texts  - once you have a code - all future excerpts get compared to this code (and any others)
   • data collection methods
     • data collection
       • sampling (participant selection)
         • purposive
         • theoretical
       • collective via:
         • interviews
         • focus groups
         • observation
         • record review
           • - diaries/documents - videos - photos  - images
         • combination
     • analysis:
       • analysis is "an iterative and recursive process; while each stage informs the next, all stages are revisited as the research project progresses" (Hawker & Kerr 2007, pp. 88-89)
       • coding data - use categories and make links
       • following phases:
         • transcription of interview data
         • initial (or "open") coding
         • axal coding
         • selective coding
         • testing of emergent theory
   • advantages:
     • findings accurately represent real world setting
     • findings are tightly connected to the data
     • great for new discoveries
     • offers strategies for analysis
     • data collection and analysis are streamlined and tightly interwoven
     • protects against confirmation bias
   • disadvantages:
     • difficulty recruiting
     • time consuming
     • challenges in analysis