Qualitative Research Methods

Qualitative methods examine questions about the human world by analysing local, detailed data in order to gain insights into people's practics and processes and to understand the meaning of a topic in its context.

Why is it good?

• more in depth
• focused
• specific
• for a particular situation in its context
• its own terms of meaning

Methodology=ontology+epistemology

• Realism: the objective pocket shot
• Positivism: we must uncover the true meaning of the pocket shot
• Critical realism: the real subjective experience
• Phenomenology: we must understand people's interpretation of the pocket shot
• Relativism: there are many meanings of the pocket shot
• Constructionism: people construct meanings of pocket shots in interaction

History of Qualitative Research:

• Rejection of "pure objectivity"
• Development of rigorous new analytic methods
• Engagement with new "naturalistic" kinds of data
• Defined by different research questions

How do you do it?

• generate ideas
• read stuff
• make plans
• collect data
• code data
• analyse data
• develop claims
• write report

Observations

Observing

• participant - you can join in and be in the field
• participant observer - half and half
• observer participant - small part of you still participating
• observer- watching from afar

Ethnolgraphy - people write - describing people's lives from their own perspective. The goal is to gain insight into a particular place, people or set of practices.

Componants of field observation:

• naturalistic setting
• participant-observer roles
• styles of note taking
• the ethnographic attitude

Interviews

Types of interviews:

• respondant
• narrative
• ethnographic
• informant

Questions can either be closed (yes/no) or open ended where they can explain something, tell stories, compare, imagine and share their opinions and experiences.

Preparing Data

For interviews you need to procuce transcripts which are typed record of all speech. Then for observations you need to produce fieldnotes which are typed narraative of scene and events.

Transcrips:

• 10 point Courier font
• single spaced
• hanging indents
• indicate pauses, significant noise and actions

Fieldnotes:

• 12 point Times font
• single space
• …