Metode del 1

What is epistemology?

Assumptions about valid knowledge and how it can be obtained.

What are Orlikowski and Baroudi's three paradigms?

Positivist, interpretive, and critical.

What characterises positivist research?

An objective reality, measurable variables, and often hypothesis testing.

What is a typical goal of positivist research?

To test theory and explain or predict observable relationships.

What characterises interpretive research?

Understanding how people construct meaning in social contexts.

What characterises critical research?

Examining domination and power, with an interest in transformation.

How does epistemology affect research design?

It shapes what counts as evidence and which methodologies make sense.

Methodology vs methods: what is the difference?

Methodology is the research approach; methods are data-collection or analysis techniques.

Which paradigm best fits studying users' meanings?

Interpretive: it focuses on participants' understandings and experiences.

Which paradigm focuses on challenging unequal power?

Critical: it examines domination and possibilities for change.

What defines case study research?

Studying a phenomenon within its real-life context.

What is a phenomenon in case study research?

The broader process or issue the researcher wants to understand.

What is the case?

The specific, situated instance through which a phenomenon is studied.

Why define case boundaries?

To clarify which setting, actors, activities, and period are studied.

Which data sources can a case study combine?

Interviews, observations, documents, and other contextual material.

What can theory do in a case study?

Guide data collection, support interpretation, and inform theoretical contributions.

What does Walsham (2006) emphasise?

Interpretive case research, contextual understanding, theory, and researcher involvement.

What is a key strength of case studies?

Rich understanding of complex processes in their real-world context.

What is a common case study limitation?

Context-specific findings need careful interpretation beyond the case.

Case study vs ethnography: main difference?

A bounded case versus sustained immersion in everyday practices and meanings.

What is action research?

Research that creates knowledge while collaboratively addressing a practical problem.

What are the two aims of action research?

Practical improvement and a contribution to scientific knowledge.

What are the main phases of an AR cycle?

Diagnose, plan action, take action, evaluate, and specify learning.

Why can action produce understanding?

Intervention reveals processes and responses difficult to observe from outside.

What is a network of action (Braa et al., 2004)?

Connected local interventions that share learning and support sustainability.

Why go beyond one action research site?

To spread learning, strengthen sustainability, and connect local efforts.

What is HISP/DHIS2 an example of?

Long-term collaborative action research on information systems across settings.

Why can action research resemble consultancy?

Practical demands can overshadow the production of research knowledge.

What is dual participation in action research?

Researchers join practice; practitioners participate in research.

Why is an exit strategy difficult in action research?

Participants may depend on the researcher's ongoing practical involvement.

What is ethnography?

Immersive, contextual study of people's everyday practices and meanings.

What is a classic feature of ethnography?

Sustained field immersion and attention to everyday social life.

Which early scholar is associated with field immersion?

Bronislaw Malinowski.

What is participant observation?

Observing practices while also participating in the field setting.

Why are fieldnotes important in ethnography?

They document situated actions, context, interactions, and researcher reflections.

What is the focus of ethnographic interpretation?

What practices mean to participants in their social context.

Ethnography vs interviews alone: key advantage?

Direct observation can reveal what people do, not just what they say.

What are Pink et al.'s five digital ethnography principles?

Multiplicity, non-digital-centric-ness, openness, reflexivity, unorthodox.

What does non-digital-centric-ness mean?

Study technology as part of wider social and material life.

What is a key challenge for ethnographers?

Balancing access, involvement, reflexivity, ethics, and data overload.

What is grounded theory?

A methodology for generating theory from systematically analysed data.

Theory-building vs theory-testing: which is grounded theory?

Theory-building: concepts and relationships are developed from data.

What is coding in grounded theory?

Organising qualitative data into codes and increasingly abstract categories.

What are the three coding levels taught in IN4340?

First-order codes, aggregate categories, and abstract categories.

What are first-order codes?

Labels grouping raw data with a shared characteristic or theme.

What are aggregate categories?

Broader categories grouping related first-order codes.

What are abstract categories used for?

Building theoretical concepts and relationships from the data.

Why is grounded theory sometimes seen as positivist?

Its structured coding and categorisation can resemble systematic measurement.

Can grounded theory also be interpretive?

Yes. Codes can emerge from participants' meanings and interpretations.

What is one limitation of grounded theory coding?

Reducing rich data to categories may lose contextual nuance.

What does the do-no-harm principle require?

Anticipating and minimising risks to participants and other stakeholders.

Why does informed consent matter?

Participants should understand and voluntarily agree to research involvement.

What does confidentiality protect?

Information that could identify or harm research participants.

What is researcher positionality?

How the researcher's position and power shape field relationships and knowledge.

What is reflexivity?

Critically examining how your assumptions and actions affect the research.

What is epistemic violence?

Suppressing or imposing knowledge systems that silence participants' perspectives.

How can researchers reduce epistemic violence?

Respect local knowledge, question outsider assumptions, and avoid extractive practices.

What does reciprocity mean in engaged research?

A relationship where research also respects and benefits participants.

What ethical issues arise when collecting field data?

Consent, privacy, ownership, security, interpretation, and possible harm.

What do Dearden and Kleine (2018) emphasise?

Do no harm, integrity, fairness, respect, contextuality, and reflexivity.

What is engaged research (Mathiassen, 2017)?

Participatory research on real-world problems with key stakeholders.

What does P stand for in Mathiassen's framework?

The practical, real-world problem being investigated.

What does A stand for in Mathiassen's framework?

Area of concern: the relevant stream of academic literature.

What does F stand for in Mathiassen's framework?

Framing: the theoretical perspective guiding the study.

What does M stand for in Mathiassen's framework?

Method: the approach used to investigate the research question.

What does C stand for in Mathiassen's framework?

Contributions: practical and academic knowledge produced by the research.

What is the aim of engaged scholarship?

Advance academic knowledge while addressing a real-world problem.

What is a major trade-off in engaged research?

Deep access and relevance versus bias, role conflicts, and practical deman