INTRODUCTION TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Qualitative Research Workshops 2017-18

2017

Monday 13th November 2017 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods

Thursday 23rd November 2017 QDA with NVivo

Wednesday 29th November 2017 Advances in Case Study Research

Tuesday 5th December 2017 Ethnography 

Thursday 7th December 2017 Qualitative Research Q&A

Wednesday 13th December 2017 Working with NVivo Q&A


2018

Tuesday 13th February 2018 Grounded Theory Method

Friday 16th February 2018 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods

Thursday 8th March 2018 Qualitative Research Q&A

Wednesday 14th March 2018 QDA with NVivo

Monday 16th April 2018 Working with NVivo Q&A

Thursday 17th May 2018 Advances in Case Study Research

Thursday 7th June 2018 Ethnography



Qualitative research is any research not using statistical techniques to arrive at interpretations. It examines the lived experience of individuals and groups of people. Traditions of this research include: Ethnography, Life histories, Biographies, Case Studies, Phenomenology, Grounded Theory, Conversation Analysis, Discourse, Narrative and Storytelling.


Types of data used in qualitative research include:Observations, interviews, documents, artefacts, photographs, images, video, audio, books and possibly quantitative data used for other purposes such as census data or other statistical materials to provide qualitative insights.


Characteristics of qualitative research are:-

  1. ability to step back and critically analyze situations
  2. ability to identify bias
  3. ability to think in the abstract sense
  4. open minded
  5. reflexive, flexible and open to constructive criticism
  6. sensitivity to words, actions and interactions of participants
  7. open to creativity in research design and analysis
  8. comfortable drawing in their own experience to shape, inform, analyse and interpret.​


Methodology

Ways of thinking about the nature of social reality shaping the research.


For example, if a work team is developing new processes they might be constructing their own realities to develop practices the team will engage in. In this sense they are socially constructing their own reality to do this.


Methods

Procedures and techniques for collecting and analyzing data.


For example, Grounded Theory, Critical Discourse Analysis or Case Studies.


Coding

"The analytic processes through which data are fractured, conceptualized, and integrated to form theory." (Strauss and Corbin, 1990)


For example, working with interview transcripts you might search for patterns in the text by highlighting key words, phrases or passages. Once you have read through the whole transcript you might decide that there are emerging categories or key themes repeated throughout the interview. You might code these by assigning a meaningful label to categorise these discussions. Sometimes the interviewees themselves might have helped by using a 'catchy phrase'  that these fragments can be assigned to. This is known as 'in vivo' coding - in their own words. At other times it may simply be easier or more effective for the researcher to create category labels - 'in vitro'.