C6 Flashcards
What is qualitative research?
Qual is about rich, detailed description, understanding and insight rather than measurement. It is less artificial and superficial than quantitative research and can provide highly valid data. It aims to get below surface, beyond ‘top of mind’ rational response. It is good at uncovering subtleties and nuances in responses and meanings as a result. It is more flexible, less structured and thus standardised, which can, if not monitored and controlled, threaten reliability. Descriptive not statistical data.
Two main sets of qual rsearch methods?
There are two main sets of methods in qual - observational data collection methods (ethnography and semiotics) and interrogative methods (group discussions, in-depth interviews and workshops).
What research enquiry is qual suited to?
Qual is particularly suited to exploratory and descriptive research enquiries and for researching complex issues. This is due to the data it produces - descriptive, rich, nuanced and non-artifical data.
Schools of qual rsearch?
Two different ‘schools’ of qualitative research, in the way that the researcher believes knowledge is created:
Positivist / cognitive - rational forum / process of collecting information on basis that participant have information that can be extracted through asking direct questions
Interpretivist - more likely to use techniques of observation, ethnography and semiotics to involve more collaboration between researcher and participants than positivist approach.
Who are recruiters? what do they do?
Recruiters are responsible for finding and inviting people to take part in qual research - in social research projects this is sometimes the same person who delivers the research. The approach in sampling in qual research, and sampling criteria to be used to choose sampling will be decided by researcher who designs the project. Either researcher or fieldwork manager will brief recruiters to find people who match criteria using approach specified by themselves.
Sample sizes in qual projects? What is this dependent on?
Sample sizes in qual projects are typically small. The number of interviews / groups / workshops will depend on research objectives, complexity of topic, sample requirements, range of views needed and practicalities of time and cost.
Qual sample size and representativeness?
Such small sample sizes use purposive rather than random sampling methods, findings from qual research cannot be said to be representative in the statistical sense, and not meant to be so. The relationship between sa,ple and wider population from which is drawn should be made explicit by the researcher. Sampling approach used in qual research should be described just as openly as it would be in a quant study to allow others to judge reliability and validity of research findings.
Broadly, what qualitative methods are used for market / social research?
Most commercial qual market research takes form in in-depth interviews or group discussions and all variations of these methods. Other methos - more commonly used in academic and social qual research - have become popular in commercial sector including variations on observational and ethnographic techniques used in sociological and anthropological studies as well as semiotics. The more traditional commercial interview-based methods have been developed into more collaborative and deliberative approaches such as workshops, panels and juries. F2F qual methods have also been adpapted to online.
For what reasons might you choose a qual approach?
Typically lends itself to exploratory and descriptive research enquiries. Qual may be chosen if:
You want to find out about people’s experiences, the way they do things, motivations, attitudes, the way in hich they interpret things or meanings attached to things
Want to see and hear people tell their own stories, in their own way, in their own words
Want in-depth accounts, detailed (idiographic) descriptions, context-rich data, understanding of issue, processes or behaviour
Believe that it is the best or only way of getting type of evidence needed to address research problem or finding out what it is you want to know
What are qual interviews like compared to quant?
In comparison to quant interviews, qual interviews or discussions are more flexible - the interviewer (referred to as a moderator or facilitator when running group sessions) has freedom to involve respondent or research participant more, to react to what participant is saying and adapt interview accordingly. Questions can be altered, as can order asked, and follow-up questions can be asked if respondent mentions something that interviewer may want to clarify or explore in greater detail.
Whatis ethnography?
Ethnography is a method for studying and learning about a person, or more typical, group of people, in their own environment over a period of time. It usually involves both observation - watching people, listening to what they say; and interviewing - asking questions. The researcher observes or becomes immersed in daily lives of those being studied in order to get a detailed understanding of behaviour, circumstances and attitudes. Aim may be to achieve holistic description of groups or set of people, or to provide a detailed description of specific issues / situations / experience within ider setting, or to explore and unfamiliar issue / setting / group.
Benefits to ethnography?
Give insights that may not be seen in interviewing along e.g. unconscious behaviour
Allow you to see ‘bigger pictures’ - social and cultural context of behaviour / activity in which you are interested
Allows to see things from point of view of the people involved
Allows you to hear people describe and explain things in their own words and in their own way
Allow you to see things happen, behaviour activities etc. in setting and at time they normally take place
Roles researcher can take in ethnographic study?
Extent to which researcher can be involved can vary from complete observer (performing what is known as simple observation) to participant observer to complete participant.
Simple observation involves watching / recording people and activity in relevant setting e.g. supermarket, bar, cafe. If researcher is present they do not interact with those being observed but makes notes about ehaviour, incidents, routines and body language. If the researcher is not present, the activity may be recorded and this record v viewed and analysed later.
Observation allows researcher to gather data on what people do rather than say, in order to understand the despondent behaviour the recording may be played back to participant as a reminder and then asked activity, thought sna feelings at the time. This is known as a co-discovery interview.
Participant observation is where researcher is involved in all or part of task or activity being observed. The extent of participNT MAY VARY; RESEARCHER MAY Adopt role of ‘-observer-as-participant’ ;imiting amount of involvement or engagement with participant sna d focusing on observing; or researcher may adopt role of ‘participant-as-obsever’, where they participate in the activities and lives of people being researched. Accompanied shopping is a form of OaP, where respondent is listened to, observed and recorded on audio or video and made notes on. Researcher then asks questions for clarification or understanding to note feelings and thoughts - data that is relevant to research objectives.
Researcher may adopt role of complete participant, where their role as researcher is concealed from participants. This may also be referred to as covert observation. Researcher joins group under study, posing as ordinary member of group but with aim of conducting research. This method is more frequently used in academic research to study secretive or ‘hidden’ groups. This may be the only way togain knowledge without being tainted by observer effect but comes with major ethical drawbacks. Informed consent cannot be gained. Study is likely to require to be sent research ethics committee, which may be rejected or critiqued heavily.
How should ethnograhic study be planned delivered?
Ethnographic study should be delivered via a systematic approach, with clear statement of what it seeks to achieve, description of population / group to be studied and how sample is chosen. Research plan or guide should be drawn up that sets up what is to be done during fieldwork, wat role researcher will take, participant briefing document, pro-forma for note taking, list of questions or interview guide, schedule for filming and schedule for reviewing material with participants. Time plan for ethnography should allow scope for flexibility as things may arise during fieldwork which were not anticipated at planning stafe.
What areas of research is ethnography useful for? Why?
Five main areas to which ethnographic study can provide a great deal of insight are:
Retail navigation Product development Lifestyles and cultures Urban ethnography Habitual actions
Ethnography is useful in providing detail and in-depth understanding how and why people do things in context they do them, real behaviour in real time. This includes how they think and feel at the time of doing them.
For this reason it is particularly useful for exploratory phase of a project, when you are getting to grips with an unfamiliar activity, process, audience or setting. It is also a useful approach to challenge assumptions on activities in which can be too familiar, and when you need to see and understand things from the perspective of the respondent. Partivcularly in situations where respondent may find it difficult to describe behaviour. Ethnography can be expensive and time consuming compared to interviews - this is where auto-ethnography comes into play, where researchers are also participants.
What is online ethnography?
Web ethnography is the application of ethnographic methods to the world of web - it is a study of specific groups or communities through observation and the analysis on online talk or conversation or other online material.
What sites would you conduct webnography on?
Sites useful to conduct this on are blogs, discussion boards, newsgroups, social media sites such as YT, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Webnogrpahy gives researcher the access to more engaged / involved consumer, access to natural, spontaneous consumer conversations which are often immediate, topical and sometimes in real time; insight into consumers way of thinking, emotionally rich text, links with and overlap between online and offline worlds.
why / when would you use webnography
Has similar applications to offline ethnography, in terms of lifestyles and cultures for example - can be useful in understanding how people live and work, how online communities operate, how people interact and engage with eachother or products, brands and organisations. It is particularly useful in inderstaning the life of a brand and its relationship to its fans or non-fans, as a route to evaluating how brands are perceived, way of estimating brand buzz, uncovering emotions associated with it snd thus reaching understanding of what is driving or missing from it. Webnography is a suitable approach if the community you want to observe is one where most of its interaction between its members take place online.
things to consider when choosing webnography to study community on a site?
Functionality of site, level of communication supported between users or members
Type / volume of content that users can make available to others
Level of likelihood that site users reveal real identity and true thoughts / feelings in interactions on the site
MRS COC related to observational research, and guidance for this
Related MRS COC:
Research must conform to national and international legislation relevant to given project including DPA 18 - audio and video recordings classed a this under DPA, and online discussions may include personal data
Members must ensure that all of the following are undertaken when observation equipment is being used - Iclear legible signs placed in surveillance areas, comeras sited so that they monitor only areas intended for surveillance, signs must state individual / organisation responsible for surveillance including contact information and purpose
Guidance
Quality of recorded image should be appropriate to meet purpose of surveillance
Images must be retained no longer than necessary
Disclosure of recorded images to third parties must only be made in limited and prescribed circumstances and with individuals consent
Adequate security measure must be in place to ensure against any unauthorused processing, loss destruction or damage to data
Researchers who use CCTV must follow Security Industry Authority licensing requirements
