Qualitative resesarch- wrap up10.12.2013Maija Lanas

What is qualitative research?• Commonly aims to increase understanding of something• Vast amounts of methodologies. Depending on what the reseach hopes to

understand, a methodology is chosen/developed• Commonly the researcher draws from existing literature to formulate the specific

methodology for their own research

The research is not assessed based on how well it matches a pre-existing methodology, but based on how well it does what it is supposed to do.

WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO DO, DEPENDS ON THE RESEARCH GOAL AND ORIENTATION

If the purpose is to understand to predict

methodology: experiments, models, surveys

If the purpose is to understand people’s personal experiences, life worlds, meaning making, values, beliefs

Narrative research, phenomenological research, phenomenography...

If the purpose is to understand society, cultural phenomena

Discourse analysis, ethnography, document analysis, historical analysis…

If the purpose is to emancipate

Postcolonial research, feminist research, critical research

Each methodology - and how the researcher applies it - links to some understanding of reality and knowledge (epistemology and ontology)

Is reality (in which this research is interested):

Is knowledge (in which this research is intrested):

VALIDITY, RELIABILITY ANDETHICSOF RESEARCH

objective and predictable and outside of human mind

- or is it subjective and filtered by

human mind?

something static that exists ”out there” to be found

- or is it something co-produced

wthin the research between the researchees and the

researcher?

If the purpose is to understand to predict

methodology: experiments, models, surveys

Objectivity, generalizablity, repeatability…

If the purpose is to understand people’s personal experiences, life worlds, meaning making, values, beliefs

Narrative research, phenomenological research, phenomenography...

Verilisimilityde (believable), description of process, researcher’s positioning, resonance, trustworthness…

If the purpose is to understand society, cultural phenomena

Discourse analysis, ethnography, document analysis, historical analysis…

Description of the process, logical, trustworthy…

If the purpose is to emancipate

Postcolonial research, feminist research, critical research

Resarcher’s positioning, resonance…

METHODOLOGY: THE BACK BONE

SPECIFIC METHODS

SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTS

In this course, student work is assessed based on

how well it expresses understanding the back bone:

the basics of qualitative research methodology in

academic research.

Practical issues

http://qrmet.wordpress.com/coursework/

The hard part of this course is almost over! Congratulations!

• As mentioned in the beginning, this is often a course that requires the most persistence and effort from students

• coursework deadline: 12.12.2013 (no extensions, as mentioned earlier)

• Coursework will be read and posted by the beginning of next week, your credits will be in the office next week.