SOC200 - Qualitative Interviewing + Data Analysis (Chapter 11 + 13)

Question 1

Qualitative Interviewing

Answer 1

generally less structured: Survey interviews rigid set of standardized questions
questions are almost always open-ended

Question 2

Qualitative Interviewing

Answer 2

Never know where you end up
Structure in depth interview
General interest – guide conversation
Pursue issues in greater depth
Explore unanticipated issues
More powerful when used properly

Question 3

Qualitative Interviewing

Answer 3

many of us already employ qualitative interviewing
qualitative interviewing is transformed from casual form of interaction, to a scientific tool
Interviewer has a general plan of inquiry but not a rigid set of questions that must be asked in particular words + order

Question 4

Key Issues Related to Qualitative Interviewing

Answer 4

Degree of direction + structure from interviewer can vary depending on the research topic
Answers elicited by initial questions should shape following ones
Respondent’s line of discussion should never be halted or cut off, but subtly redirected back to your main concern

Question 5

Key Issues Related to Qualitative Interviewing

Answer 5

Never halt – they will shut down and withdraw
need to be especially adept in following with questions that
Provide more detail on what respondent just said + redirects respondent back to the main concern

Question 6

Key Issues Related to Qualitative Interviewing

Answer 6

Listening to what the respondent is saying, Interpreting his/her meaning, affects your next question
Using these skills almost simultaneously

Question 7

Key Issues Related to Qualitative Interviewing

Answer 7

Rigid set can trip you up
Focus on negating own ego
Socially acceptable incompetent: might think you know what they’re saying, but you are actively engaging in question to find out what these experiences mean to them

Question 8

Key Issues Related to Qualitative Interviewing

Answer 8

reviewing your interview records: prepare for subsequent interviews by: Identifying effective questions + questions you missed

Question 9

Key Issues Related to Qualitative Interviewing

Answer 9

wording + tone used during your interviewing
How you responded to what was said + what you “should
have” followed up on
Identifying areas where you assumed the respondent’s meaning instead of asking for clarity

Question 10

1. In-Depth Interview Studies

Answer 10

qualitative interviews primary means of data gathering

Very effective for enabling researchers to access voices from “subordinated” groups in society

Question 11

1. In-Depth Interview Studies

Answer 11

More efficient data collection method than field observation

still allows issues + perceptions to emerge that would not come out of structured survey interviews

Question 12

1. In-Depth Interview Studies

Answer 12

What it means to them – asking the person is more valid than participating
What it means to them as opposed to what it means to you

Question 13

1. In-Depth Interview Studies

Answer 13

Limited by time consumption, hard to obtain, require great deal of cooperation from subjects
Too much to do large probablity samples, small non-probability samples are usually the main option
Good with exploratory studies

Question 14

1. In-Depth Interview Studies

Answer 14

limitations common among data collected through nonprobability sampling techniques
Data can often be used to develop future survey questions

Question 15

Focus Groups

Answer 15

6-10 people brought together to discuss issue
discussion is almost always navigated by moderator
data generated via group interaction
popular in non-academic research (consumer, market, + political research)

Question 16

Focus Groups

Answer 16

Depends on topic - # of ppl

Moderator: control conversation, probes, lets everyone talk, Keep them focused

Question 17

Focus Groups

Answer 17

Interpret quantitative analysis like a survey
Designing questionnaires for stats can
Exploratory – small group, get info for bigger research project

Question 18

Focus Groups

Answer 18

Only more recently have focus groups gained popularity in non-academic research
useful for helping researchers to interpret results of a quantitative analysis (like a survey)
testing the appropriateness of survey questions

Question 19

Conducting Focus Groups

Answer 19

no more than 12 people
10-15, until you hit “saturation point” of responses - similar patterns and issues, themes
expect perspectives on topic to vary widely, then more groups may be necessary

Question 20

Conducting Focus Groups

Answer 20

Stratification of groups may be necessary
If you know diff betw demographic groups – age groups, males/females
Participants for whom the topic is relevant only selected for focus groups

Question 21

Conducting Focus Groups

Answer 21

Led by a Trained Moderator – keep the discussion on track, ensure everyone has a chance to speak + prevent anyone from dominating the exchange
Informal Environment – participants exchange with each other rather than with moderator

Question 22

Conducting Focus Groups

Answer 22

Moderator’s Dilemma – involved enough to ensure exchange is on track, questions are answered + everyone has a chance to talk, while preventing exchange from being stifled by his/her involvement

Question 23

Conducting Focus Groups

Answer 23

More ppl hard to control
Asking same questions to 15 diff groups of ppl
Complex/contraversial issues – need more

Question 24

Advantages of Focus Groups

Answer 24

Captures real life data in social environment: high degree of face validity
Flexibility: adapted to fit a wide variety of research situations (# of participants, level of the moderator’s involvement, types of questions asked, # of sessions conducted)

Question 25

Advantages of Focus Groups

Answer 25

Relatively low in cost: relatively inexpensive to conduct relative to cost of collecting the same information through other methods

Question 26

Advantages of Focus Groups

Answer 26

Speedy results: relatively quick to conduct + low number of participants - results quickly compiled for decision making purposes

Question 27

Advantages of Focus Groups

Answer 27

Reveals unanticipated information: enable aspects/issues of topic to emerge that would not have been possible through surveys/one-on-one interviews

Question 28

Disadvantages of Focus Groups

Answer 28

Researcher control: researcher has less control
Data analysis issues: analyzing the data can still pose problem (analyzed like interview data?)
Moderator skills: require special skills & training. Lack of appropriate training & skills could compromise result

Question 29

Disadvantages of Focus Groups

Answer 29

Difficulties with groups: group can be difficult to assemble Diff betw + within groups can also be difficult to deal with
Generalizability: not appropriate for making statistical descriptions of a large population - “one shot case studies”

Question 30

Oral History

Answer 30

interviewee to recall their recollections + experiences
detailed information on given topic/individual, focus is always historical concerns
speaking to a respondent who has been exposed to set of experiences + asks them to describe those experiences + their feelings

Question 31

Oral History

Answer 31

Anthropologists + historians
recently gained momentum in social sciences
aim is to gather information beyond particular life stories
Abstract social patterns from these stories

Question 32

Advantages of Oral History

Answer 32

Correcting knowledge gaps: created by official documents and statistical overviews
Flexibility: issues pursued in-depth, reinforcing validity of info obtained
Relatively low in cost: All you need interviewer + a recording device

Question 33

Disadvantages of Oral History

Answer 33

Reliability: hard to assess. Is reliance on memory, subjective feelings + stories a “proper” way to obtain “facts?” Depends on the issue under study + interpretation being offered
Is memory correct

Question 34

Disadvantages of Oral History

Answer 34

Data analysis issues: separate fact from fiction/abstract to larger social issues may be difficult
Reactivity: interactive process can alter outcome of data

Question 35

Disadvantages of Oral History

Answer 35

Generalizability: individs seldom selected by probability sampling. not a concern if aim is to document person’s story

Question 36

Qualitative Data Analysis

Answer 36

nonnumerical examination + interpretation of observations
goal of identifying patterns/themes from observed data
inductive logic is central to identification of patterns in qualitative data: pool together patterns to contribute to theory

Question 37

3 Main Approaches to Identifying Themes in Qualitative Data

Answer 37

1.Theory Driven: coding qualitative data according to researcher’s/existing theories.
coding scheme rationalized by logic of theory
have preconceived set of themes that you slot observations in, when there’s already knowledge

Question 38

3 Main Approaches to Identifying Themes in Qualitative Data

Answer 38

Prior Data/Prior Research Driven: applying/modifying coding scheme used in previous research

Question 39

3 Main Approaches to Identifying Themes in Qualitative Data

Answer 39

Inductively Driven: applying codes created from researcher’s own reading of data (grounded theory)
most time consuming

Question 40

Searching for Patterns in the Data

Answer 40

similarities + dissimilarities

Question 41

Searching for Patterns in the Data

Answer 41

1. Structures: diff types of the behaviour?
2. Processes: is there an order to types of behaviour?
3. Frequencies of behaviour

Question 42

Searching for Patterns in the Data

Answer 42

4. Magnitudes of behaviour
5. Causes: what appear to be the causes of behaviour/of any of its subtypes
6. Consequences: how does the behaviour affect people?

Question 43

Searching for Patterns in the Data

Answer 43

In searching for patterns (similarities and dissimilarities), many researchers strive to continuously refine generalized understandings over course of observations
Conclusions from one set of observations provide foundation for further refinement of observations

Question 44

Searching for Patterns in the Data

Answer 44

1. You may observe that verbal confrontations occur equally among males and females, but tend to escalate more among males
2. may only escalate among males when each party is with all-male company
3. it’s not all-male company, but that larger crowds of all males tend to encourage confrontation

Question 45

The Role of Theory

Answer 45

Grounded theory fundamental part
ongoing iteration betw theory, data, + observation (recursiveness)
Observations of patterns in data lead to formulation of a provisional theory: interem theory – beginning to form theory

Question 46

The Role of Theory

Answer 46

theory then compared against further observations to see whether it is true to data (constant comparative method: mini hypothesis testing)

Question 47

The Role of Theory

Answer 47

Hypotheses come out of this constant comparison that lead to new directions for analysis + observation
role of grounded theory: iteration betw induction + deduction

Question 48

Processing Qualitative Data

Answer 48

amorphous mass of raw observations

Prepare to mark in your observation notes, preliminary codes of some common themes you see emerging

Question 49

Processing Qualitative Data: Coding and Memoing

Answer 49

iterative + highly integrated process

Coding: classification of phenomena under observation.

Question 50

Processing Qualitative Data: Coding and Memoing

Answer 50

identifying + labeling parts of raw data that illustrate idea/concept related to phenomena
Goal is to group observations of similar events, objects + behaviours under a common classification

Question 51

Processing Qualitative Data: Coding and Memoing

Answer 51

Complicated: grouping concepts into themes
Memoing: make notes + commentaries about patterns
your notes + commentaries about the patterns, relationships or differences you observe to make your codes

Question 52

Processing Qualitative Data: Coding and Memoing

Answer 52

1. Codes Notes: write down in plain language, what you mean by codes you use

Question 53

Processing Qualitative Data: Coding and Memoing

Answer 53

2. Theoretical Notes: make connections + relationships among concepts
3. Operational Notes: describe how data were collected + situations encountered