Welcome to Qualitative Research Methods

1. Welcome to Qualitative Research Methods • Please turn off your mobile phone • In case of Emergency, exit via the courtyard and walk up the hill towards K Block • Coffee/Tea and Biscuit break • Online resources http://www.rsc.qut.edu.au/studentsstaff/training/qutresources.jsp • Evaluation to be sent to you via email

2. Qualitative Research Methods for Beginning Research Students Mark Brough Barbara Adkins

3. Workshop Objectives • Compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative research • Overview the diversity of qualitative methods • Discuss the linkages between selection of method and types of research questions • Introduce some basic concepts and skills of qualitative research

4. Context of Workshop: The Qualitative Thesis • Methodology Chapter - why a qualitative approach? (key defining characteristics of qualitative research) • approaches to data selection, collection and analysis • Data Chapters - The broad logic of data analysis

5. Why a Qualitative Approach Key Characteristics of Qualitative Research

6. Diversity of qualitative methods • Various types of qualitative interviews – in-depth, structured, semi-structured, unstructured, life history, focus group • Specialised data analysis methods including conversation analysis, sociolinguistic analysis • Observation – participant and non-participant • Other field methods – participant diaries, photo-voice, pile sorting... • Qualitative methods for analysing existing text (eg discourse analysis, content analysis) • Today will focus on the interview – others mentioned briefly

7. Qualitative Sampling • Usually Purposive (non probabilistic) • Usually not attempting to be representative • Focus is on depth/ thickness of understanding • The smaller the number the deeper the engagement. Consider carefully the trade-offs in both very small samples and also larger samples. • Saturation can help tell you when enough is enough

8. Slumdog Millionaire 2008 “Qualitative Research is like peeling onions” Ulin, Robinson, Tolby (2005) Qualitative Methods in Public Health Jossey-Bass, San Francisco What are some layers here?

9. Peeling the Onion • Qualitative research focuses on depth, meaning, and detail • Adjectives like rich, deep, thick often used in talking about qualitative data • Phrases like ‘webs of signification’ • Deliberate focus on ‘subjectivities’, the participant is the expert • Focus on building understanding from the ground up (refer grounded theory for more on this) • Valuing the insider perspective is crucial

10. Quantitative and Qualitative Methods • Quantitative methods relate to numbers. Data must be able to be numericised and presented in terms of statistical patterns/ associations. Commonly positivist • Qualitative methods – non quantifiable, focus on values, processes, experiences, language and meaning. Data is often words/ text. Commonly non-positivist • Both methods have their strengths and weaknesses, This workshop not about methodological elitism

11. Differences between quantitative and qualitative research

12. What sort of research questions can qualitative methods best answer? Consider the following: • ‘Lived experience’ • ‘Insider’ perspectives • Context/ Meaning oriented rather than measurement oriented

13. Observation Warm Up ExerciseCan you ‘read’ this image http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.peacebus.com/Aquarius/080501JointRollers.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.peacebus.com/Aquarius/080510MardiGrass.html&usg=__9C-7Mw3XyixS9WqN7kLF0ZBwTog=&h=425&w=567&sz=40&hl=en&start=19&um=1&tbnid=0McyDjDrNKrniM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=134&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnimbin%2Bphotograph%26hl%3Den%26um%3D1

14. Emic/ Etic frameworks Consider the following examples: • Family/ Kinship • Plants/ Animals • Maps • Disease/ Illness • Identity

15. Observation ExerciseCan you ‘read’ this image

16. Qualitative Data Selection Principles of sampling – justifying selection of data in methodology chapter

17. Purposive/Theoretical Sampling • 1 – the selection of contexts, respondents etc as theoretically (not statistically) representative of an aspect of the research problem • 2 – during the data analysis process, the selection of aspects of the data collected as the main focus of the study (data reduction), based on refinement of theory through data analysis

18. In-Depth Interviewing • An in-depth interview is a conversation with a purpose - a conversation between researcher and informant, focusing on the informant’s perception of self, life and experience, and expressed in his or her own words. • It is the means by which the researcher can gain access to, and subsequently understand the private interpretations of social reality that individuals hold. (Minichiello et al, 1995:p. 61)

19. Qualitative Data Collection e.g. qualitative interviewing

20. Qualitative interviewing – conceptual challenges Is the interviewee a straightforward informant and the interview an information-gathering exercise? Or is it more complex? Are ideas out there waiting to be ‘discovered’ ‘uncovered’ or is meaning more complex than that. Is it contextual, negotiated, fluid. Maybe its the latter which is more important?

21. Critical reflections of the interview process • Interviews offer just one slice of understanding – they have limitations • Are you just gathering information (excavating) or is understanding more contextual/negotiated than this? (eg What is good parenting?) • Grounding interviews in context is extremely important (eg How do you parent? In relation to different contexts) • Challenge of not leading the interview – but need to achieve a purpose in the conversation – these can be in tension

22. Importance of Rapport What really is rapport? How can it be achieved? What might be some of the barriers/ facilitators? Ethical aspects of the researcher participant relationship need to be considered http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxXT1A4zqcU

23. Interview Strategies Funnelling (start with the ‘grand-tour’ question) Story-telling (puts researcher in role of active listener, rather than questioner) Solicited Narratives (requested written pieces) Probing (importance of follow-up) Linking (making a link between an earlier comment and current comment)

24. Interview Strategies cont. Puzzled (clarifying something that doesn’t seem to make sense, naive positioning) Encouraging (please go on) Acknowledging/Understanding (show your growing understanding) In general your role is as ‘learner’ not ‘expert’.

25. Qualitative Data Analysis The logic of identifying patterns and drawing inferences from the data collected

26. Qualitative Analysis Usually inductive rather than deductive process – build knowledge from ground up Open Coding – First Pass (codes can be anything eg definitions/ perspectives, processes, events, strategies) Axial Coding – Relationships between Codes Selective Coding – Having established a code, looking for more examples Analytical Memos – Notes to self about evolving understanding Iterative Cycle – Test ideas, ongoing relationship with ‘field’ Source p.289 Minichiello, Aroni, Hays In-Depth Interviewing 2008

27. Qualitative Interviewing Exercise • We are going to develop an interview guide on the topic of wellbeing, do an interview and bring back some findings to analyse • First, lets consider some of the challenges of conceptualising wellbeing

28. Interviewing ExerciseWellbeing • Your task is to work in small groups (4) and come up with a qualitative interview guide on the topic of health and wellbeing • Your interview guide can be written as an aid to hold a ‘conversation with purpose’ • You want to understand what health and wellbeing might mean from an insider perspective. • Time allocation 20-30 minutes • Be ready to report your question lines back to the class

29. Presentation of qualitative thesis • Consider the following: • Strong presence of participant voice • Strong sense of ‘being there’ • Resonates with insider perspective • Transparency • Embedded within appropriate methodological literature • Position on rigour • Strong interpretation • Evidence of theory building • MOST IMPORTANTLY RICHNESS OF DATA

30. Questions?