Lecture Communication research: Asking questions, finding answers (4e) Chapter 15: Designing qualitative research

Chapter 15

DESIGNING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH


IN

OUA

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* Researcher is primary data collection
instrument
* Participation and observation are integrated
* Focuses on specific interactants in specific
communication contexts and events


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ans

* Needs theoretical knowledge and social
sensitivity

* Must be able to recognize his/her role in the
research experience

* Must be able to think abstractly to make
connections among data


FORMS OF

PAR

* Complete participant

D2ANT

OBSERVATION

* Committed

membership

* Particioant-as-observer

* Peripheral member

* Observer-as-participant

* Active member

* Complete observer

TMA

LAR

* Researcher as
interviewer


DO YOU HAVE
THE ABILITY TO MOVE_
AMONG THESE RESEARCHER ROLES?


IDEN

-YÌNG TT

* Is the research question personally interesting or
compelling’?
* Should be contextually bound
* Each project will result in a unique design solution
* Develop a purpose statement as road map

* Consider researcher's flexibility to fit in


JIN

NW

it

* Become familiar with content literature
+ Terminology or practices in this setting
+ Theories that can be supported or challenged

* Become familiar with research which

used the

method you re planning to use
+ Become familiar with research techniques before
saining access


CONCEPT MAPS
* Sketchy or detailed
* Helps In
+ Grouping ideas together
+ Identifying relationships among concepts
+ Identifying boundaries for the study

* Use to ald creativity and thinking about the
project


R

ARCH

C

DIN

AND

OF

* Qualitative emphasizes description and explanation
* More common
+ Research question or series of questions
+ Research purpose or objective

* Connected to context studied

* Initially considered as tentative


AIVIPFLING IN

QUA

ù

ii

aN

* Snowball sampling
+ Ask participants for referrals

* Purposive sampling

+ Seek individuals who meet criteria

* Maximum variation sampling
+ Seek participants until data are redundant


SAMPLE SIZE
Cannot be predetermined
Enough data when:
New information is not being added

Existing information is not challenged

Not enough data will
limit interpretation

Too much data can
be paralyzing

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AIVIPFLING

IN

QUA

A

* Impossible to observe every interaction of all
interactants
* Identify settings, persons, activities, events, and time
periods
* Distinguish between routine, special, and untoward
events

* Randomly selecting days and times increases the
representativeness of your observations


GAINING ACCESS

* What would you tell the people you approach
that you wanted to study?
+ What if they asked why you want to study them’?

* Consider alternative ways of gaining access
* Be careful of invading personal space or private
conversations in public settings


GAINING ACCESS
* If you take on a covert role, your acceptance by others
depends on your ability to play the part
* Consider a gatekeeper or sponsor
* Will your observations provide the data you need’?
+ Is the setting suitable?
+ Can you observe what you want to observe’?
+ Will your observations be feasible?
+ Can you observe in such a way that you are not suspect to


BECOMING

FAMILIAR WITH PEOPLE AND PLACES

Ask for a tour

Ask for relevant background

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out

prior written consent c
McGraw-Hill
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DEVELOPING TRUST
* Trust must be addressed

due to researcher's intimate

role with participants
+ Must be addressed

tn first contact

+ Trust is person-specific
+ Trust Is established over time

+ Trust can be destroyed with one event

* Trust between
paramount

researchers and participants Is


i}

JFING

RAPPOR

* Ask simple questions
* Maintain positive conversation posture
* Learn names and titles
* Perform

commitment

* Locate key informants

acts


iP

1INIIN3

ff

* What communication

R

ARCH

PRU

phenomenon do you want to study?

* What is the historical, economic, political, cultural background
of the phenomenon?
*

How will you determine what you are observing Is that
phenomenon?

* What is the physical setting of this phenomenon’?
*

How will you enter the interaction environment?

*

Do you have the time to commit to the project’?

*

Do you have resources to manage the data?


WHAT CONSTITUTES DATA IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?

The concept of data is broadly cast
+ ranges from public to private

More continuous than discrete
Field notes
Recordings
Written or digital documents
Photographs or maps
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JUR

LIVIPA

AS

AP

ARCHER

* Your sex, age, and ethnicity affect what you
observe and how you observe it
* Report similarities and differences that you
believe affected data collection or
interpretation

* Research teams should

be diverse