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Understanding Qualitative Field Research Methods

Discover characteristics, designs, data collection, and analysis methods in qualitative field research, including observation, interviews, artifacts, and CAQDAS software. Learn about case studies, grounded theory, and more.

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Understanding Qualitative Field Research Methods

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  1. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH

  2. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • I. Characteristics • A. Focuses on phenomena occurring in natural settings. • B. Involves studying phenomena in all their complexity. • C. More concerned with authenticity than generalizability. • D. Does not allow for identification of cause-and-effect.

  3. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • II. Field Research Designs • A. Case Study • 1. Description – in-depth study of individual, program, or event for a specified time period. • 2. Method – uses variety data sources, including observation, artifacts, interviews, etc.

  4. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • II. Research Designs (con.) • B. Grounded Theory Study • 1. Description – • a. focuses on the process related to particular topic, especially individuals’ actions, reactions, and interactions. • b. purpose is to use data from the field to create theory, especially when current theory is inadequate or simply doesn’t exist. • 2. Method – uses interviews, observations, artifacts, etc.

  5. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • III. Data Collection • A. Observation – field journal • B. Interviews • 1. Informal conversational interview • a. Unplanned and unanticipated interaction between researcher and respondent occurring naturally during course of fieldwork. • b. Most open-ended form of interviewing.

  6. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • III. Data Collection (con.) • B. Interviews (con.) • 2. General interview guide approach • a. More structured than informal conversational interviewing. • b. Lists in outline form topics and issues that researcher should cover, but allows interviewer to adapt sequencing and wording questions to each particular interview.

  7. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • III. Data Collection (con.) • B. Interviews (con.) • 3. Standardized open-ended interview • a. Most formal. • b. All interviews conducted in consistent, thorough manner, with minimum interviewer effects and biases. • c. Least used.

  8. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • III. Data Collection (con.) • B. Interviews (con.) • 4. Focus group • a. Researcher interviews 10-12 people together at the same time. • b. Discuss a particular issue for 1-2 hours. • C. Artifacts

  9. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • IV. Data Analysis • A. Computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) • 1. Pros • a. efficiency in managing and organizing data • b. frees you from manual and clerical tasks • c. way to manage huge amounts of data • d. newest packages can analyze social media, YouTube videos, & web pages

  10. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • IV. Data Analysis • A. CAQDAS (con.) • 2. Cons • a. increasingly rigid and deterministic processes • b. increased pressure to focus on volume and breadth rather than depth and meaning (more quantitative bent) • c. time spent learning program rather than getting into & analyzing the data

  11. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • IV. Data Analysis • A. CAQDAS (con.) • 3. Examples • a. Aquad (open source; windows) • b. CAT (coding analysis kit; open source) • c. Compendium (open source; windows; mac) • d. HyperRESEARCH (proprietary; mac; windows) • e. MAXQDA (proprietary; windows) • f. NVivo (proprietary; windows)

  12. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • IV. Data Analysis (con.) • B. Using Software in Qualitative Research by Ann Lewins and Christina Silver (Sage, 2007) • C. Saturation • D. Transcription

  13. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • IV. Data Analysis • E. Specific Data Analysis Method -- Successive Approximation • 1. Reading/Memoing • a. Read field notes, transcripts, memos, and observer comments to get a sense of data. • b. Write notes in margins or underline sections or issues that seem important so that have record initial thoughts and sense data.

  14. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • IV. Data Analysis (con.) • E. Successive Approximation (con.) • 2. Description • a. Addresses issue: What is going on in this setting and among these participants? • b. Aim to provide true picture settings and events taking place so that researcher and reader have understanding context in which study took place.

  15. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • IV. Data Analysis (con.) • E. Successive Approximation (con.) • 3. Classifying • a. Involves ordering field notes or transcriptions into categories representing different aspects of data. • b. Lower-level categories can themselves be organized into even higher, more abstract conceptual categories.

  16. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • IV. Data Analysis (con.) • E. Successive Approximation (con.) • 4. Interpreting – involves synthesizing organized data into general conclusions or understandings.

  17. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • V. Analyzing What is Missing from Data • A. Negative Evidence • 1. Nonappearance of something can reveal great deal and provide valuable insights. • 2. Kinds of negative evidence to consider • a. events that do not occur; • b. events of which population is unaware; • c. events the population wants to hide;

  18. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • V. Analyzing What is Missing from Data (con.) • A. Negative Evidence (con.) • 2. Kinds (con.) • d. overlooked commonplace events; • e. effects of researcher’s preconceived notions; • f. unconscious nonreporting; and • g. conscious nonreporting.

  19. QUALITATIVE (FIELD) RESEARCH • V. Analyzing What is Missing from Data (con.) • B. Limitation by Omission • 1. Need be aware alternative perspectives and not let limits specific social group to which belong, or which studied, blind you to broader view. • 2. Need be sensitive to distinctions race, sex, age, and other social distinctions.

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