Qualitative Methods Overview of the tasks

 

We are looking at different approaches to collecting and analysing qualitative data.

 

 

1.      Dr Sally Wiggins Video 

Questions 

·         What is discourse analysis?  -  Discourse analysis is a research method for studying written or spoken language in relation to its social context. It aims to understand how language is used in real life situations

·         Can you give some examples? We would describe friends differently to our family as opposed to describing them when advocating them for a job interview – the same scene with different descriptions. 

·         What are the benefits of the wide lens of analysis? wide angle lenses are critical discourse analysis and Foucauldian discourse, so they take a much broader perspective.

·         What are the benefits of a narrow lens of analysis? Zoom in on an interaction and explore it intricately.

 

2.      Case Study

·         What are the main strengths of a case study? Provides detailed info, provides insight for future study and helps us generate new ideas. 

·         What are the limitations of a case study? May be researcher bias, time consuming, difficult to replicate and can’t generalise to the wider population.

·         What is a content analysis?  A way of turning qualitative data into qualitative data

·         How could we use numbers in a content analysis? 

Select the content you will analyse. Based on the research question, choose the texts to analyse.

Define the units and categories of analysis.

Develop a set of rules for coding.

Code the text according to the rules.

Analyse the results and draw conclusions.

 

·         What’s the strength of the content analysis? Most material is in the public domain and it can produce qualitative and quantitative data.

·         What are some of the drawbacks of content analysis? Maintaining confidentiality and lack of objectivity.

3.      Dr Braun and Prof Clarke video 

·         This video is fairly in depth and they are leaders in the field, so our aim is to orientate ourselves to a framework for doing an analysis. 

·         So I’m setting simpler questions for this part. 

·         Why do they think it’s important to be reflective? – to help identify patterns of meaning across data.

·         Why is there a potential issue with codes and themes?  Unprofessional view may compromise the validity, as well as bias, which could cause issues in identifying themes and coding. 

 

 

Ok so with your answers to these points, post them on the PADLET in week 9.   

 

 

 

Qualitative Methods Overview of the tasks

 

We are looking at different approaches to collecting and analysing qualitative data.

 

 

1.      Dr Sally Wiggins Video 

Questions 

·       What is discourse analysis?  Analysing written or spoken language within its social context.

·       Can you give some examples? Foucauldian discourse analysis, conversation analysis, discursive psychology, critical discursive psychology, critical discourse analysis

·       What are the benefits of the wide lens of analysis? Can see things in a broader social context

·       What are the benefits of a narrow lens of analysis? Can examine the smaller details of the language used

 

2.      Case Study

·       What are the main strengths of a case study? In-depth, real life insight, no need to manipulate a variable, lots of methods can be used to gather data, can generate new ideas and theories

·       What are the limitations of a case study? Can’t generalise to population, not replicable, ethical concerns, takes a lot of time, researcher bias

·       What is a content analysis?  Coding texts or media and turning these codes/themes into numbers

·       How could we use numbers in a content analysis? To represent themes or ideas within text 

·       What’s the strength of the content analysis? Can carry out statistical analysis

·       What are some of the drawbacks of content analysis? The meaning in the data is lost, confidentiality concerns

3.      Dr Braun and Prof Clarke video 

·       This video is fairly in depth and they are leaders in the field, so our aim is to orientate ourselves to a framework for doing an analysis. 

·       So I’m setting simpler questions for this part. 

·       Why do they think it’s important to be reflective? Ideas and themes may change the more the content is analysed. It’s important that the themes are somehow related to a central idea. 

·       Why is there a potential issue with codes and themes?  Codes may be mistaken for themes and there will end up being too many themes. Themes should be much broader.

 

Discourse analysis is the analysis of written or spoken language in relation to its

social context.

 Can you give some examples?

Five key examples of discourse analysis are: Conversation analysis, Foucauldian discourse analysis, Critical discourse analysis, Discursive psychology and Critical discursive analysis

  What are the benefits of the wide lens of analysis? 

A wide lens allows for the researcher to see thing on a broader social context.

  What are the benefits of a narrow lens of analysis?

Narrow lens allows for the examination of smaller details.

 

 What are the main strengths of a case study? 

Case studies provide very detailed information which allows for the insight for further research as well as allowing for the generation of new ideas.

Case studies are very time consuming, difficult to replicate and the results cannot be used to generalise for the wider population. Researcher bias can also be prominent in case studies.

  What is a content analysis?  

Content analysis is a way of analysing data such as text using coding units such as themes to allow for qualitative data to be turned into quantitative data.

  How could we use numbers in a content analysis?

Can be used to represent themes within the selected text.

 What’s the strength of the content analysis?

Produces both quantitative and qualitative data, most of the material that can be analysed already exists in the public domain which means there’s no issues in regards to permission.

 What are some of the drawbacks of content analysis?

There is a lack of objectivity, it is difficult to maintain confidentiality and there are difficulties when it comes to deciding on what categories to include.

Dr Braun and Prof Clarke video 

It is important to be reflective as the researcher has their own ideas, and make the choices concerning the research based off of the assumptions that they have. This also means that other people reading the paper may have different opinions or view what the research says in a different light due to their own assumptions. Which is why it is important to be reflective to show what perspective they are coming from.

Issues relating to codes and themes include mistaking codes for themes which can result in having too many themes. Researcher bias may also cause issues in the identification of themes and coding.

 

 

Questions 

·         What is discourse analysis?  

Analysing written or spoken language in a social context 

·         Can you give some examples? 

Foucauldian discourse analysis, conversation analysis, discursive psychology, critical discursive psychology, critical discourse analysis

·         What are the benefits of the wide lens of analysis? 

·         Can look at the wider picture – breadth 

·         What are the benefits of a narrow lens of analysis? 

·         Can focus on smaller details – depth 

 

2.      Case Study

·         What are the main strengths of a case study? In depth, real life insight , uses a range of different tools

·         What are the limitations of a case study? 

Not replicable, lacks reliability, cant generalise to population 

·         What is a content analysis?  

A way of analysing data such as text, using coding units such as themes.

·         How could we use numbers in a content analysis? 

We can create codes and then add up the amount of times these are mentioned

·         What’s the strength of the content analysis?

Gets around ethical issues, produces both qual and quan data which can then be compared, reliable as can be compared between researcher.

·         What are some of the drawbacks of content analysis?

Difficult to organise categories (may be an overlap), Maintaining confidentiality, Lacks objectivity, reduces rich qual data 

3.      Dr Braun and Prof Clarke video 

·         This video is fairly in depth and they are leaders in the field, so our aim is to orientate ourselves to a framework for doing an analysis. 

·         So I’m setting simpler questions for this part. 

·         Why do they think it’s important to be reflective? 

The researcher should be able to reflect and adapt throughout the process. The process is not linear and themes and codes may change, therefore flexibility is needed.

·         Why is there a potential issue with codes and themes?  

Codes and themes may get mixed up or overlap. Themes do not just emerge – they come from the researcher. People may struggle to work out how many themes to have. 

·       What is discourse analysis?  

Discourse analysis is a term for a set of techniques used to analyse talk and text. 

Language constructs rather than reflects reality. Discourse analysis treats talk as a social action in itself.

·       Can you give some examples?

Zoom: conversation analysis and discursive psychology

Between: critical discursive psychology

Wide: critical discourse analysis and Foucauldian discourse

 

·       What are the benefits of the wide lens of analysis? 

It looks at how language and its content can explain themes and practices within society.

 

·       What are the benefits of a narrow lens of analysis?

Looking at the themes which appear in language which reveal emotions, perceptions, attitudes etc of the participant.

 

2.     Case Study

·       What are the main strengths of a case study? 

An in-depth study revealing detailed information on participant’s life, thoughts, attitudes, behaviour etc. Can give real insight into the particular experiences of one person or a small group of people.

 

·       What are the limitations of a case study?

Cannot be generalised to the wider population, very specific to that individual. Time consuming process and potentially resource heavy.

·       What is a content analysis?  

The analysis of the content of documents, audio, text or video. 

 

·       How could we use numbers in a content analysis?

Coding units could be applied, such as counting morphemes or the occurrences of behaviour. This is usually done in agreed standardised measures so they can be consistently applied and compared to other data and replicated.

 

·       What’s the strength of the content analysis?

It’s a non-invasive method of data collection. Qualitative data can be collected in a quantitative form to be measured or compared. Relatively low strain on resources/time. 

 

·       What are some of the drawbacks of content analysis?

As it merely describes and doesn’t manipulate data like in an experiment, no causality can be drawn. Cannot explain deeper meaning between the data being drawn.