The Practice of Qualitative Research- Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber

Breaking off

This research technique is borrowed form a phenomenological approach said to occur when a researcher aims to hold ideas and biases in check-through a process known as "bracketing"- while conducting the research project. This strategy, however, may not always be possible. Researcher values and attitudes enter into one's research in a multitude of ways that cannot be bracketed.

Co-creation of meaning

This occurs when the research and research participant create meaning or knowledge collaboratively. The interview is often seen as a site for the co-creation of meaning. The researcher's job is to listen intently to what the researched has to say and be prepared to drop his or her agenda in response to what takes place during the interview.

In-depth interview

A qualitative interview where the researcher seeks knowledge from the participants POV. The interview questions are primarily open-ended. The degree of structure to the interview depends on the extent to which the interviewer has a specific agenda- a set of particular questions he or she would like answers to. A less structured interview does not contain a specific interview protocol, but rather the object of the interview is to listen to what thew participant feels is important to talk about with the interviewer coming prepared with some sensitizing or initial questions to get the process moving around the general topic of the question.

Insider status

This is developed from a trait, characteristic, or experience the researcher has in common with his or her research participants. One strategy researchers have used to overcome the impact of the difference in the interview process is to match some of their important status characteristics (race, age, gender, sexual preference) so they can use that to their advantage in gaining access to an interview and obtaining cooperation and rapport within the situation in order to expedite understanding their participants.

Interview guide

A list of topics and/or questions constructed prior to the interview to be used at the discretion of the researcher.

Knowledge-producing conversation

The qualitative interview is a special kind of knowledge producing conversation that occurs between two parties. The relationship between the interviewer and participant is critical to the process of constructing meaning.

Line of Inquiry

Also known as the domain of inquiry, each topic listed on the interview guide is known as a line of inquiry that you want to pursue during the interview session.

Low-structure interview

see open ended interviews

Markers

Markers are important pieces of information that participants may offer as they talk about something else. It is important to remember and return to markers as appropriate.

Open ended interviews

In this type of Interview, the researcher has a particular topic for the study, but he or she allows the conversation to go wherever the research participant takes it, and each interview becomes highly individual. This is also referred to as a low-structure interview.

Outsider status

This refers to major differences between the researcher and research participants, such as differences in age, sex, race, social class, sexual orientation, educational level, and so on. The standard thinking on difference in the interview situation suggests that is the interviewer is an outsider this might make it more difficult for him or her to gain access to and understand the situation of "the other"

Probe

The researcher's way of getting a participant to continue with what he or she is talking about, to go further or to explain more, perhaps by virtue of an illustrative example. Sometimes a problem is a simply a sign of understanding and interest that the researcher puts forward to the interviewee.

Rapport

Researchers help participants share their stories by building rapport. Participants must feel safe. comfortable, and as though what they are saying is valued. In order to accomplish this, researchers need to take the role of active listener while the interviewee is speaking. Showing genuine interest is critical to the establishment of rapport.

Reciprocal interviewing

An interviewing style that breaks down the hierarchical relationship between interviewer and interviewee by having research participants interview each other.

Semistructured interviews

Semistructured interviews rely on a certain set of questions and try to guide the conversation to remain, more loosely, on those questions.

Structured interviews

A structured interview means the researcher asks each participant the same series of questions. If the participant says too much from the topic at hand, or says some interesting things that aren't directly relevant to the study, the interviewer guides the conversation back to the interview questions.

Comparative dimension

A major appeal of segmentation is that it produces another level of knowledge by comparing groups that are similar in every way except the areas of difference that are relevant.

Denaturalization

The process of understanding normative ideas and customs by challenging taken for-granted assumptions that are difficult to discern

Exploratory data

Preliminary data used during the research design phase.

Grounded theory approach

Allows themes to emerge directly from the data, in this case the subjects, drawing directly on their ideas, language, and ways of understanding their own behaviours and attitudes.

Group effect

The dynamic produced within the group that impacts individuals and their response

Group level of analysis

The analysis is focused on the group narrative that emerges, which is larger than the sum of its parts.

Heterogeneous

A group consisting of dissimilar participants

Homogeneous

A group consisting of similar participants

Individual level of analysis

The analytical focus is on what each individual group member has said

Moderator

The researcher must take on the role of the moderator in the focus group; she or he greatly influences the flow of the conversation and thus the group dynamic and manner of the group narrative. The main concerns of the moderator are structure and control

Open ended approach

Under this frame the moderator imposes less structure on the interview situation

Segmentation

A design feature that maximizes the benefits of homogeneity while allowing for comparison among populations; this is when each group consists fo similar members but the different groups within the study as a whole are different from each other. Segmentation is a way of stratifying groups based on the particular traits where you want to examine difference (such as race or gender).

Standardization

Every research participant answers the same set of questions so the conversation will not stray off topic.

Audit trail

A strategy the researcher uses in order to gain trustworthiness regarding research findings. The researcher trail of the analytical steps taken to come up with research findings such that the reader can easily follow these steps and connect and make sense of their overall research conclusions. The more transparent the researcher is about these issues, the higher the probability that those reading the study will find its findings trustworthy and credible.

Case study

The detailed and in-depth study of a bounded entity or phenomenon. In a qualitatively driven case study approach the goal is to provide in depth insights and understanding the overall case with the goal of generating theoretical insights

Descriptive case study

The goal is to provide a rich and detailed description of the case to promote an in-depth understating and theoretical insight

Instrumental case study

A case is studied to generalize or provide insight into a larger topic

Multiple case studies

When multiple cases are investigated in one case study project

Naturalistic

A term coined by Stake that denotes non positivist generalizations formed through the analysis of thick descriptions. This requires two simultaneous forms of analysis: analyzing particulars and aggregating the particulars or instances so that something can be said about them as a group.

Analysis and interpretation

Data analysis is how you go about fully summarizing and representing the data you collected. Interpretation asks the question asks the question of what it means. It's how you make meaning of what you have analyzed. These two terms are intricately connected in that the process of meaning making is an iterative process that involves an ongoing analysis and interpretation of the data along the way. It means subjecting your interpretation and comparing and contrasting it to what you find.

Analytical categories

Analytical categories are developed in order to classify the more focused analytical codes. They take into account the meaning of concepts from the participant's perspective.

Analytical codes

Analytical codes, developed from literal codes, are not tied as tightly to the text itself but begin to rely on the researcher's insights for drawing out interpretations.

Analytical dimensions

As more and more interviews are analyzed, you may come up with several analytical dimensions, which can be viewed as subsides of analytical categories.

Categorical codes

This is where you begin to group codes into more general category of meaning that goes beyond being just a descriptor. So, for example, descriptive codes such as "Weight is my priority" or "I am dieting every day" would be grouped into a more analytical category such as "values thinness"

Coding

Coding generally consists of identifying chances or segments in your textual data and giving each of these a label (code). Coding is the analytical strategy many qualitative researchers employ in order to help them locate key themes, patterns, ideas, and concepts that may exist within their data

Descriptive codes

Descriptive codes within one's data, discovered during the analysis process, eventually can be used to generate a set of key concepts (Categories) that are much more analytical

Focused coding

A focused coding procedure allows for the building and clarifying of concepts. In focused coding a researcher examines all the data in a category, compares each piece of data with every other piece and finally builds a clear working definition of each concept, which is then named

Internal self assessment

A code that is interpretive and not tied as tightly to the text itself but begins to rely on the researchers insights for drawing out interpretation

Literal codes

Literal codes are codes consisting of words that appear within the text itself. They are usually descriptive codes.

Memoing

Memoing, or memo writing, is the writing of documents that track any ideas the researcher comes up with when reading notes, interviews, and so on. Memoing should be done at all points in the analysis process.