NATURALISTIC INQUIRY: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

OVERVIEW

CLASS 2

Judith Anne Shaw, Ph.D., R.N.September 23, 2009

DEFINE

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

A way to:

GAIN INSIGHTS THROUGH DISCOVERING MEANINGS

SPECIFIC PHILOSOPHICAL ORIENTATIONS

UNIQUE TERMS & METHODS OF REASONING

LOGIC OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Holistic world viewnot a single realityreality is different for each personreality is based on perceptionsreality changes over timewhat we know is situation & context

bound

REASONING PROCESS

PERCEPTION:

PIECES TOGETHER TO MAKE WHOLES

MEANING IS PRODUCED MANY DIFFERENT MEANINGS

ARE POSSIBLE

PURPOSEQUALITATIVE RESEARCH

The formation of new gestalts and sometimes to generate new theories.

GESTALT

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT A PARTICULAR PHENOMENON

ORGANIZED INTO A CLUSTER OF LINKED IDEAS.

WHY FORM A NEW GESTALT

To see the phenomenon from a new perspective, thus gain new meaning.

GESTALT

A person has an initial way of perceiving (or ‘seeing’)

• naïve and inflexible

• one and only way of seeing(Ihde, 1977)

An Initial Gestalt

‘Seeing’ occurs

- within a specific context of beliefs

An Initial Gestalt

SEDIMENTED VIEW (natural view)

SEEING THINGS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A SPECIFIC FRAME OF REFERENCE, THEORY OR WORLD VIEW.

EXPERIENCING GESTALT CHANGE

DECONSTRUCT

INITIAL SEDIMENTED VIEW

SUSPEND OR LAY ASIDE WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE

EXPERIENCING GESTALT CHANGE

RECONSTRUCT ANOTHER VIEW

RECONSTRUCT ANOTHER VIEW

CHANGE YOUR FOCUSUSE INTUITIONNEW GESTALT ATTAINS STABILITY

OVER TIMEYOUR PERCEPTION IS NO LONGER

NAÏVE, CAN SEE IN MORE THAN ONE WAY

EXPERIENCING GESTALT CHANGE

SECOND-ORDER DECONSTRUCTION

ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN OPENNESS

SECOND-ORDER DECONSTRUCTION

VIEWING DEEPER LAYERS OF A PHENOMENON

SEE MORE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITYMULTISTABILITY, GREATER CONTROL“ASCENDANCE TO THE OPEN

CONTEXT” (Ihde,

1977)

Experiencing Gestalt Change

Experiencing Gestalt Change

CHANGING GESTALTS IN NURSING

STRONG TRADITION QUESTION IDEAS SEEK NEW

PERSPECTIVES ABLE TO VIEW

PATIENT FROM SEVERAL PERSPECTIVES

SEDIMENTED VIEW

DECONSTRUCT RECONSTRUCT

SECOND-ORDER

DECONSTRUCTION“ASCENDANCE TO THE OPEN CONTEXT”

PHILOSOPHY & QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

EACH QUALITATIVE APPROACH IS GUIDED BY A PARTICULAR PHILOSOPHY STANCE OR PARADIGM

PARADIGM

ORGANIZING FRAMEWORK

A SET OF ASSUMPTIONS OR VALUES THAT UNDERLIE HOW SCIENTISTS VIEW REALITY, TRUTH, AND RESEARCH

PHILOSOPHY & QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

PHILOSOPHY DIRECTS:

• THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS ASKED

• OBSERVATIONS MADE

• INTERPRETATION OF DATA

RIGOR (TRUSTWORTHINESS)

OPENNESS SCRUPULOUS

ADHERENCE TO A SPECIFIC PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

THOROUGHNESS IN COLLECTING DATA DURING THEORY DEVELOPMENT

DECONSTRUCTION

RIGOR (TRUSTWORTHINESS)

Logic of emerging theory

Clarity with which it sheds light on the studied phenomenon

Reconstruction

Ascendance to the open context-see more depth and complexity within the phenomenon

MAINTAINING OPENNESS

REQUIRES DISCIPLINE

MAINTAINING OPENNESS

• EXAMINE MANY DIMENSIONS OF AREA BEING STUDIED

• FORM NEW IDEAS (RECONSTRUCTION)

• RECOGNIZING NEW RECONSTRUCTION AS ONLY ONE OF MANY VIEWS/WAYS OF ORGANIZING DATA

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT

APPROACHES TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

PURPOSE: to examine meaning

PURPOSE

to examine meaning

Philosophy

directs the selected

research approach

UNIT OF ANALYSIS

the basic unit or focus of a researcher’s analysis.

UNIT OF ANALYSIS

Individuals/Aggregates:

WORDSOBSERVATIONS

ARTIFACTS

SELECTED QUALITATIVE APPROACHES

Phenomenology Ethnography Grounded Theory Historical

Phenomenology

Philosophical Orientation

• not a single reality-each individual has his/her own reality

• reality is subjective; the experience is unique to the individual

Phenomenology

PURPOSE: TO DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCES AS LIVED

• TO CAPTURE THE “LIVED EXPERIENCE” OF STUDY PARTICIPANTS.

Phenomenology

HOW TO:• Identify the phenomenon of interest

and explore with the participant the meaning of the phenomenon.

Phenomenology

Sampling: purposive

Data Collection: varies; observation, interactive interviews, narratives, video-tapes and written description by participants

Phenomenology

Data Collection: varies

(observation, interactiveinterviews, narratives, video-tapes and written descriptions)

Phenomenology

Data Collection:

Collect data until meet saturation

Phenomenology

Data Analysis

Themes related to the phenomenon are identified

Phenomenology

Data Analysis

•begins when the first data are collected

•goodness (rigor) of the data can be demonstrated by examples of the data; often direct quotations

Phenomenology

RESULTS: • theoretical statements responding to

the research question

• identification of themes which describe the phenomenon

Phenomenology

Nursing Faculty who have used this research method include:

• Patti Hansen-Ketchum• Angela Gillis • Judith Shaw• Judith Cormier• Patricia Hawley

ETHNOGRAPHY

PHILOSOPHICAL ORIENTATION:

•the major concept, CULTURE (and subcultures) is explored

• rather than an adequate theoretical description

•‘roots’ are in social anthropology

PURPOSE

to discover the meaning that actions and events have for the individuals of a culture (subculture)

to develop a “thick description”

THICK DESCRIPTION

To make explicit the detailedpatterns of culture and socialrelationships within the context

ETHNOGRAPHY

HOW TO:

• study human behaviour in the context of a culture

• start by asking broad, open-ended questions

ETHNOGRAPHY

Sampling: purposive; work with ‘key informants’ representative of the group under study

ETHNOGRAPHY

Data Collection:

Participative observation; interviews, life histories, films, photographs

Collect data until meet saturationsaturated data are rich, full &

complete

ETHNOGRAPHY

DATA ANALYSIS: coding, transform data into

recognizable patterns, themes and link ideas….like putting together a

jigsaw puzzle

ETHNOGRAPHY

DATA ANALYSIS

culture specific

identify patterns and rules of the informant’s culture

ETHNOGRAPHY

DATA ANALYSIS : “Emic perspective” - informant’s

perspective of reality“Etic perspective” - researcher’s

perspective of the studied setting/actions

Compare “emic”and “etic” perspectives and explore differences

ETHNOGRAPHY

RESULTS:

present (describe and explain) the culture as experienced by its members

ETHNOGRAPHY

NURSING FACULTY who have used this research approach include:

Judith Shaw

GROUNDED THEORY

Philosophical Orientation:

Symbolic Interaction TheoryProcess of interaction between people

exploring human behaviour and social roles

How people’s beliefs are related to their actions

GROUNDED THEORY

PURPOSE:

generate, modify and/or extend theory

GROUNDED THEORY

HOW TO:

Start with an area of interestBased on data, allow relevant ideas to

developMost structured form of qualitative

research

GROUNDED THEORY

Sampling:

Theoretical sampling

Theoretical Sampling

sampling for participants who are able to add depth to the process under study-continue throughout the study and is not planned before the study

GROUNDED THEORY

DATA COLLECTION/ANALYSIS:

begins after the first data are collected

GROUNDED THEORY

constant comparison-

the researcher compares each section of the data with every other section throughout the study

GROUNDED THEORY

constant coding-

core variable, concepts, and/or themes are identified and named

GROUNDED THEORY

RESULTS:

emerging ideas are grounded in the data

development of a substantive theory

GROUNDED THEORY

NURSING FACULTY who have used this research approach include:

• Marian MacLellan• Judy Cormier• Judith Shaw

HISTORICAL

PHILOSOPHICAL ORIENTATION:

initial philosophy developed by Voltaire, to look at general lines of development versus indiscriminate presentations of details

HISTORICAL

PURPOSE:

to better understand the process of change

HISTORICAL

HOW TO:To give meaning to each fact within

an ensemble of other meanings

• formulate an idea

• develop a research question

HISTORICAL

SAMPLING:

documents, journals, personal papers, and person(s) who can provide oral

histories

HISTORICAL DATA COLLECTION:

helpful to review materials from one organization at a time

interview individuals who will provide oral histories

often an excess of information; establish data collection and analysis plan(s)

HISTORICAL

DATA ANALYSIS:

systematically screen for relevant material

seek to gain insights from individuals providing oral histories

HISTORICAL

RESULTS:• may compare the past with the

present

• apply insights gained from the past to present situations

• to better understand the process of change

CRITICAL SOCIAL THEORY

Philosophy

1920-30 German scholars,Frankfurt School

influenced by Karl Marx 1971 Habermas

CRITICAL SOCIAL THEORY PURPOSE

how people communicate and develop symbolic meanings

sociopolitical critique

transforming society versus mainstreaming the status quo

Possible Critical Themes to Explore

#1

Social institutions – transformation through interpreting the meanings of social life

Possible Critical Themes to Explore

#2

Historical problems of domination, alienation, and social struggles

Possible Critical Themes to Explore

#3

Critique of society and envisioning of new possibilities

Quantitative & QualitativeResearch Characteristics

Quantitative Research• Hard Science• Focus: Concise &

Narrow• Reductionistic• Objective• Reasoning: Logistic,

Deductive• Basis of Knowing:

Cause & Effect, Relationships

Qualitative Research• Soft Science• Focus: Complex &

Broad• Holistic• Subjective• Reasoning: Dialectic,

Inductive• Basis of Knowing:

Meaning, Discovery

Quantitative QualitativeResearch Research

• Tests Theory• Control

• Instruments

• Basic Element of Analysis: Numbers

• Statistical Analysis

• Generalization

• Develop Theory• Shared

Interpretation• Communication &

Observation• Basic Element of

Analysis: Words

• Individual Interpretation

• Uniqueness

REMEMBER

• YOU• ARE

•UNIQUELY IMPORTANT