Chapter 16 Qualitative methods of data collection

Qualitative methods of data collectionChapter 16Observation strategiesSeamless containerVisually work around the roomDescribe what you see and hearHow do people enter and leave the setting?Ask yourself questions about The peopleThe settingThe contextTaking notesField notesCreated on the spot; a sequential record of what was observedRead through and reflect immediately after leaving the sceneJot down additional detail or questionsNumber and date each pageTake more notes than you believe are necessaryMore on taking notesCapture participants’ words, phrases, and commentsYour notes should help you answer:Who are these people?What their roles and relationships?What activity are they performing?What artifacts are involved?More detail is bestTwo types of notesdescribinganalyzingWhat?Who?When?Where?Why?How?Digital note takingUsing audio or videoDepends on the situation and researcher roleSome people are uncomfortable with recordingMust turn off recording if requestedEthically maintain the recordingsEven the best recordings cannot capture the full spectrum of nonverbal behaviorRecording devices can failTranscribing fieldnotesCreate written records from recordingsTwo methodsWord for word transcriptionAdd additional reflection and questions as you transcribeDistinguish what you addedDo not tidy up what people sayMake notes about nonverbal behaviorsIf you can’t take notesRetreat to a setting away from the interaction sceneTake frequent breaks so you don’t overload your memoryAfter leaving the interaction setting, review the notes you madeadd detail and ask questionsField interviewingMethod for discovering how people Think and feel about their communication practicesOrder and assess their worldSemidirected conversation Goal is to uncover participant's point of viewMore than just asking questions to get answersInterviews can be formal, informal, or bothStrengths and limitations of Online interviewingstrengthslimitationsLow costEasy to collect data from people who are geographically distantSome techniques can provide some privacy in discussing sensitive issuesMore difficult to develop rapportHard to know when participant is confused by your questionsCan give participant opportunity to develop fictional social realityCan take longerThe Interview as researchDevelop research questions Design the interviewConduct the interviewTranscribe any recordingsAnalyze dataVerify data and analysisDevelop written reportConducting the interviewSelect locations and times comfortable and accessible for respondentsBest done in pairsOne to interview; one to take notesEstablish context and frame for interviewDefine situation, explain purpose, ask about taping the interview, ask if participant has any questionsAsking questionsCarefully construct questions to get the information you need or to prompt discussionPrepare and use an interview guideAsk relevant biographical questions to contextualize informationSome questions should allow respondent to tell his or her own storyOpen questions are better than closed questionsInterviewing techniqueListen, listen, listenAsk question when you don’t understandDon’t interruptBe careful of sharing your opinion or experienceMonitor your nonverbal behaviorsIt’s okay for silence to occurConcluding the interviewDebrief the participantSummarize main points and new informationProvide any information that was withheld from participant before interviewAsk if participant has any questionsThank the participantTranscribe the interviewStrengths and limitations of interviewingstrengthslimitationsFace-to-face setting allows you to probe and follow upCan collect data on behavior/events you cannot observeInterviews produce an enormous amount of dataParticipant can stray off courseParticipant may be hesitant to talkFocus groupFacilitator-led group discussionUsually 5 to 10 participants60 to 90 minute group discussionRespondents encouraged to interact with one anotherNot a decision-making groupNot a marketing focus groupFocus group scheduleStandardized list of questions or topics to cover in each focus groupUsually a funnel from general to more specificOpening questions should be broadTo encourage free discussionAllow each participant to respondAllow moderator to identify other issuesSelecting focus group participantsBased upon research questionSelect strangers who possess similar characteristicsUse screening questions to qualify participationMotivate those selected to participateOverrecruit by 20%Conducting focus group reserachResearcher decides level of structure and how conversation will be encouragedIn 90 minutes or lessIntroduce participantsServe refreshmentsConduct discussionSummarize what was said as feedback to participantsFocus group moderatorMay not be the researcherSomeone with whom participants can identifySomeone who is perceived as credibleHas the communication skills to gently guide a group’s discussionNot an interviewerNot a participantFocus group strengths and limitationsstrengthslimitationsProvides views and opinions in participants’ own wordsAllows consensus or conflict to emerge among participantsCan generate information about same topic from different peopleTalkative or overly opinionated participantsHesitant to express opinions opposite of others’ opinionsResearcher can over influenceEasy to overgeneralize findingsCollecting narrativesPeople tell stories as a way of knowing, understanding, and explaining their livesStories organize and interpret their experiencesReveals participant’s point of viewTold chronologicallyReveals the participant’s explanation for event Uncover how isolated events are part of a larger environmentUncover justifications people give for past actionsSources for narrativesOne-on-one interviewsCritical incident techniquePositive or negative memorable eventsEveryday conversationThrough some form of participant observationIn print or onlineStrengths and limitations of narrative researchstrengthslimitationsRichness and depth of dataCollect data about communication events that would be difficult or impossible to observeRisk in asking participants to recall troubling or negative storiesGeneralizability of findings can be restrictedDid participants embellish story?ethnographyStudy and representation of people and their interactionHolistic description of interactants in their cultural or subcultural groupResearcher immersed into interaction field for long periodsTypes of ethnographyEthnography of communicationFocus on language or speech communitiesSpeaking is structuredSpeaking is distinctiveSpeaking is socialAutoethnographyResearcher is also participantHighly personal and emotionalethnographersShare the environment of those being studied Capture interaction as it occurs in its natural contextExperience firsthand the problems, background, language, rituals, and social relations of a specific group of peopleCharacteristics of ethnographyResearchers are unlikely to have well-developed research questions Researcher must work with data that do not fit neatly into categoriesFocus is on one or a small number of cases Analysis produces deep, thick descriptionsStrengths and limitations of ethnographystrengthslimitationsRich deep descriptionResearcher develops intimacy with communicators and context otherwise not possible Time commitmentResearcher must be saturated in the data to write the research reportCan over-identify with participants