HC 1 MTO-E QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Checking you presumptions
- Induction generally associated with qualitative
Deduction quantitative
- Random quantitative
Non random qualitative
- Specific qualitative
All similar quantitative
- Exploratory/Explanatory qualitative
Starting the cycle: Research goals
- Contextual or descriptive or exploratory
- Explanatory
- Evaluative
- Generative
Research objectives
Fundamental or theoretical research
- Start : Knowledge problem
- Contribution to scientific knowledge, theory
- Gap, contrast, error
o (Gap logic, contrast logic, error logic)
Applied research:
- Start: policy or practice problem
- Contribution to approach or solution of problem
- Initiative outside scientific community (policy, practice)
Qualitative or mixed?
Stand-alone when:
- Ill defined
- Deeply rooted
- Complex
- Specialist
- Delicate
- Sensitive
Mixed
- Using multiple qualitative techniques
- Using quantitative and qualitative
Working definition
Qualitative research is a naturalistic, interpretative approach, concerned with exploring phenomena
‘from the interior’ and taking the perspectives and accounts of research participants as a starting
point.
,In sum: characteristics QR
Perspective participants What is studied?
- Meaning of social phenomena
- Experience of events
- Understanding mechanisms.
Open or flexible procedure / methods How it is studied?
- Research design
- Data collection
- Data analysis
Nature of the findings What are the outcomes?
- Show meaning
- Descriptions
- Understanding (meaningful picture)
Foundations of research
Philosophy: Ontology
What is reality?
Realism Reality is something external which exists independently of people’s beliefs or
understandings.
Idealism Reality is mind-dependent
Critical (depth Realism Reality is something that exists independently of who observe BUT is
accessible through the perceptions and interpretations of others.
Realism versus Idealism
Philosophy: Epistemology
How can we learn?
Positivism Knowledge is produced through observation and remains unaffected by the research
process.
Post-positivism knowledge is produced by testing propositions
Interpretivism Knowledge is produced by exploring and understanding the world focusing on
meaning and interpretation.
,Foundation of research
- Qualitative methods generally fit assumptions interpretative paradigm
- Quantitative methods generally fit assumption (post-) positivistic paradigm
Epistemology
- How is knowledge acquired?
o Induction – deduction – abduction – retroduction
- How does the relationship between the researcher and the researched influence facts and
values?
o Objective observation – emphatic reality – value-mediated observation
- What is truth?
o Correspondence – coherence theory of truth – pragmatic
Epistemology: induction versus deduction
- Deduction move from general (theory) to particular (data)
- Induction Moving from particular (data) to general (theory)
Epistemology: Induction and deduction
- In the light of the realism – idealism continuum…
Epistemology: Researcher and Researched
How does the relationship between the researcher and the researched influence the connection
between facts and values?
- Objective observation complete independence between phenomena studies and
behavior of the researcher
- Emphatic neutrality research is not value-free but desirable, transparency is important.
- Value-mediated findings are the product of values of the researcher and negotiation
between researcher and researched.
In the light of the Realism – Idealism continuum…..
Epistemology: truth
What does it mean to accept particular claims as the truth?
- Correspondence theory of truth Complete match between observations and reality.
- Coherence theory of truth Reality can be captured by consensus
- Pragmatic theory of truth Truth is assured by outcomes.
In the light of the realism – idealism continuum
, Use of theory in QLR
- Literature and theory
- Examine first person perspective
- Differences in traditions
- Reinventing the wheel
- Evidence
Theory in quantitative research No theory in qualitative research?
Theory in qualitative research
Sensitizing concepts
- Lens
- Help you to move on in your field of research
- Explanatory power for unraveling your puzzle
- Opening up creativity, not constraining (Tunnel vision)
Theoretical sensitivity Sensitive to thinking about data in theoretical terms
- Enables researchers to discover new insights by using a certain theoretical lens to look at the
data.
Definitive and sensitizing concepts
Sensitizing concepts Definitive concepts
- Broad and general description - Fixed content
- Not yet formalized - Know how to measure: operational
- Lens definition.
- In a field that needs exploration of the - Measuring instrument available
first perspective - In a mature field
Qualitative Quantitative
Checking you presumptions
- Induction generally associated with qualitative
Deduction quantitative
- Random quantitative
Non random qualitative
- Specific qualitative
All similar quantitative
- Exploratory/Explanatory qualitative
Starting the cycle: Research goals
- Contextual or descriptive or exploratory
- Explanatory
- Evaluative
- Generative
Research objectives
Fundamental or theoretical research
- Start : Knowledge problem
- Contribution to scientific knowledge, theory
- Gap, contrast, error
o (Gap logic, contrast logic, error logic)
Applied research:
- Start: policy or practice problem
- Contribution to approach or solution of problem
- Initiative outside scientific community (policy, practice)
Qualitative or mixed?
Stand-alone when:
- Ill defined
- Deeply rooted
- Complex
- Specialist
- Delicate
- Sensitive
Mixed
- Using multiple qualitative techniques
- Using quantitative and qualitative
Working definition
Qualitative research is a naturalistic, interpretative approach, concerned with exploring phenomena
‘from the interior’ and taking the perspectives and accounts of research participants as a starting
point.
,In sum: characteristics QR
Perspective participants What is studied?
- Meaning of social phenomena
- Experience of events
- Understanding mechanisms.
Open or flexible procedure / methods How it is studied?
- Research design
- Data collection
- Data analysis
Nature of the findings What are the outcomes?
- Show meaning
- Descriptions
- Understanding (meaningful picture)
Foundations of research
Philosophy: Ontology
What is reality?
Realism Reality is something external which exists independently of people’s beliefs or
understandings.
Idealism Reality is mind-dependent
Critical (depth Realism Reality is something that exists independently of who observe BUT is
accessible through the perceptions and interpretations of others.
Realism versus Idealism
Philosophy: Epistemology
How can we learn?
Positivism Knowledge is produced through observation and remains unaffected by the research
process.
Post-positivism knowledge is produced by testing propositions
Interpretivism Knowledge is produced by exploring and understanding the world focusing on
meaning and interpretation.
,Foundation of research
- Qualitative methods generally fit assumptions interpretative paradigm
- Quantitative methods generally fit assumption (post-) positivistic paradigm
Epistemology
- How is knowledge acquired?
o Induction – deduction – abduction – retroduction
- How does the relationship between the researcher and the researched influence facts and
values?
o Objective observation – emphatic reality – value-mediated observation
- What is truth?
o Correspondence – coherence theory of truth – pragmatic
Epistemology: induction versus deduction
- Deduction move from general (theory) to particular (data)
- Induction Moving from particular (data) to general (theory)
Epistemology: Induction and deduction
- In the light of the realism – idealism continuum…
Epistemology: Researcher and Researched
How does the relationship between the researcher and the researched influence the connection
between facts and values?
- Objective observation complete independence between phenomena studies and
behavior of the researcher
- Emphatic neutrality research is not value-free but desirable, transparency is important.
- Value-mediated findings are the product of values of the researcher and negotiation
between researcher and researched.
In the light of the Realism – Idealism continuum…..
Epistemology: truth
What does it mean to accept particular claims as the truth?
- Correspondence theory of truth Complete match between observations and reality.
- Coherence theory of truth Reality can be captured by consensus
- Pragmatic theory of truth Truth is assured by outcomes.
In the light of the realism – idealism continuum
, Use of theory in QLR
- Literature and theory
- Examine first person perspective
- Differences in traditions
- Reinventing the wheel
- Evidence
Theory in quantitative research No theory in qualitative research?
Theory in qualitative research
Sensitizing concepts
- Lens
- Help you to move on in your field of research
- Explanatory power for unraveling your puzzle
- Opening up creativity, not constraining (Tunnel vision)
Theoretical sensitivity Sensitive to thinking about data in theoretical terms
- Enables researchers to discover new insights by using a certain theoretical lens to look at the
data.
Definitive and sensitizing concepts
Sensitizing concepts Definitive concepts
- Broad and general description - Fixed content
- Not yet formalized - Know how to measure: operational
- Lens definition.
- In a field that needs exploration of the - Measuring instrument available
first perspective - In a mature field
Qualitative Quantitative
