Qualitative Research Q & A by Lena Jaspersen

Qualitative Research Q & A by Lena Jaspersen https://padlet.com/lena_j_jaspersen/pen0iw5k4xl9 This is a space for students at LUBS to ask questions about qualitative research methods. Just click on the plus sign in the bottom right corner and post your questions. I will respond to you within a week. en-us 2018-10-04 12:07:47 UTC 2024-10-14 16:02:48 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Brightnessdown.png Why would one combine qualitative and quantitative methods? lena_j_jaspersen https://padlet.com/lena_j_jaspersen/pen0iw5k4xl9/wish/289074272 In order to answer this question, I provide you with a response I received when interviewing a mixed-methods scholar José F. Molina-Azorin (Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management, at the University of Alicante, Spain) earlier this year:

The central premise of mixed methods is that an appropriate and explicit integration of quantitative and qualitative approaches can provide a better understanding of research problems than either approach alone (Creswell and Plano Clark, 2011, Fetters and Freshwater, 2015). This better understanding can be achieved through triangulating one set of results with another with the aim of enhancing the validity of inferences. Other purposes, advantages and rationales for integrating qualitative and quantitative methods are: complementarity, for example when the results obtained from using one method elaborate or clarify findings derived from the other; development, when the researcher uses the results from one method to help develop the use of the other method; and expansion, when using different methods extend the breadth and depth of an enquiry. …

However, mixed methods research is not a panacea. Different methods (quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods) are appropriate for different situations. Specifically, the research question(s) and contexts should dictate the choice of the appropriate research method. In our research group, we use mixed methods when this methodological approach is appropriate taking into account the research question(s) and the context. Secondly, when a mixed methods approach is adequate, then we try to determine a specific mixed methods design taking into account two main dimensions: sequencing of methods (qualitative first, or quantitative first, or both at the same time) and priority/dominance of methods (predominantly qualitative, or predominantly quantitative, or balanced). The choice will depend on our objectives, research question(s) and context.

Suggested further reading:

· Creswell, J.W., & Plano Clark, V.L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

· Molina-Azorin, J.F., Bergh, D.D., Corley, K.G., & Ketchen, D.J. (2017). Mixed methods in the organizational sciences: Taking stock and moving forward. Organizational Research Methods, 20, 179-192.

]]> 2018-10-04 12:07:47 UTC https://padlet.com/lena_j_jaspersen/pen0iw5k4xl9/wish/289074272 Coding lena_j_jaspersen https://padlet.com/lena_j_jaspersen/pen0iw5k4xl9/wish/289074275 Does all qualitative data analysis involve coding?

It is indeed true that most methods for qualitative data analysis involve the coding of sections of texts (or videos, audio files, pictures…) in one way or another, including Grounded Theory, Template Analysis, Thematic Analysis, Discourse Analysis etc. However the way the coding is conducted (highlighting sections, cutting them out, copy-pasting in a pre-structured spreadsheet) can vary a lot. Coding facilitates a process of constant comparison – but it also involves the fragmentation of your data in much smaller entities (quotes/quotations). Such fragmentation can also be a problem when one is interested in a more holistic approach for example when investigating sequences of events. Some ethnographers rely on extensive ‘memoing’ more than on coding.