Hope you like it!
Main Game Board
Welcome to Qualitative-Land! The game
where you explore the main points that Amber learned in Dr. V’s Qualitative
Research class this past Fall semester. Click on the game tiles numbers 1
through 10 to move through each learning point, and have fun!
Qualitative Research inquiry involves
utilizing several methods that are organic and malleable; these methods allow
for data capture from several rich and sometimes unexpected sources.
“anything can be data” –Dr. V
Many of the research studies that we
explored utilized unexpected sources, such as the college dorm door art in
Nathan’s text; the sound files in the Wailing Women text; and observation of
people and characteristics, as found in many of our texts this semester.
2
Conversation
and human interactions are ripe with data, including conversation (what is
said, and what is not said), body language, positioning, eye contact, breaths,
and other gestures.
Data can be found in big discourse
analysis and little discourse analysis, in word choice, in referring terms
used, and in how speech is reported whether as direct or indirect re-telling.
3
Ethnographic
research is an often used and powerful tool for collecting data and telling the
story of an interaction or phenomenon.
The Princeton Department of Anthropology
defines ethnography as “a research method central to knowing the world from the
standpoint of social relations”… and that it “involves hands-on, on-the-scene
learning.” Researcher Hruska states that her ethnographic procedures “included
prolonged engagement, persistent observation, and triangulation.”
Using ethnography, we also can analyze
and present our own background biases as the researcher, in addition to
exploring all elements of a situation or phenomenon both critically and
holistically.
4
Critical
Discourse Analysis involves both the microanalysis and macroanalysis of conversations; conversation
collected by observation, or by reviewing an interview transcript or recording.
Several frameworks exist to guide discourse analysis, including Toon Van Dyke’s
and Gee’s frameworks. Conversations can be analyzed through narrative analysis,
coding through counting, and thematic coding. Conversation elements such as
multimodals or semiotics can also be analyzed with the text. Very
little is spontaneous in speech and typically people want to look good by how
they present themselves.
5
Reflective
Journaling can be a key tool for any researcher, especially in qualitative
methods where we are making connections, noting differences, and writing down
thoughtfully our activities and ideas about a subject.
Through my journal this semester, I have
been able to build my thoughts from class and apply them to projects or
theories I am cultivating, and fully clarify the perspectives and methods that
I have been learning in class.
6
Coding
is analysis (even before the analysis begins).
Many times while working on my own
thematic coding project and also the two group coding projects, we made several
key decisions of analysis during our coding process that ultimately affected
the data received and then formally analyzed. Choosing a deductive or inductive
structure for your coding is an analysis decision; receiving the coding themes
in project 2 may have limited our themes applied; and sometimes our limited
knowledge of a topic develops as we code, so we then need to go back and revise
our previous coding applications. Many decisions are made during coding!
7
Observation
will make you feel like a secret agent.
My observation assignment really pushed
me out of my comfort zone, but it gave me great confidence at the success of
data collection that me and my partner had through that project. Observation is
a powerful qualitative tool that can produce great amounts of data. Just make
sure you conduct your observations in a public place and stealthy like a secret
agent!
8
Several
perspectives are available for your research outlook and also how you analyze
your data, including the research perspectives of: positivist, post-positivist,
constructivist, modernist, pos-modernist, feminist, critical
theory, and grounded theory.
All theories have their strengths and
weaknesses; and may not be applicable to the current phenomenon you are
researching. Expect to try on several perspectives and frameworks when
analyzing your data and approaching problems of interest.
9
Don’t
forget the essential ‘housekeeping’ to research: IRB approval, consent of
participants/interviewees, confidentiality, privacy, anonymity, and keeping
appropriate relationships.
These important considerations must be
addressed up front and any violations of these policies or ethical issues could
harm someone, end the project, and possibly end your career.
10
Triangulation
is the confirmation of your data and coding themes across resources or across
researchers. Doing so can strengthen your findings and enhance validity of your
study.
Triangulation can be conducted at any
stage of coding or analysis; it can be conducted multiple times throughout a
project; or you can compare what two or more researchers have found in the same
dataset.
Semester end!
