Week 5 Qualitative Data Collection Methods

Collecting Qualitative Data, The Interpretation of Text, and Focus Group Interviews

Course: COS 355
Instructor: Nick Carcioppolo, Ph.D.

Today’s Preview

• Methods of Qualitative Data Collection

  • Observation and note taking

  • Field Interviews

  • Focus Groups

  • Text as Data

Observation and Note-taking

• When conducting ethnographies or participant-observation strategies, it is imperative for researchers to utilize systematic observation strategies.

Key Systematic Observation Strategies

1. Be aware of interdependence among observed people: Recognize how individuals influence each other within a social context.

2. Consider social and power structures: Understand the hierarchies and relationships that govern interactions.

3. Understand interaction context: Acknowledge the situational factors that affect how interactions unfold.

4. Recognize how your participation influences events: Be aware of the researcher's impact on the observed setting.

• Notes taken based on observations can be transformed into research questions for future observations and organized into thematic codes.

Field Interviews

• Field interviews are defined as semi-directed conversations designed to better comprehend another’s point of view.

  • Characteristics of Field Interviews:

    • More than casual conversations yet require intimacy, familiarity, and trust between the interviewer and interviewee.

    • Minimally structured to create a conversational rather than formal interview atmosphere.

Objectives of Field Interviews

Field interviews should aim to achieve at least one of the following objectives:

1. Gather information about events or processes that are not observable.

2. Encourage participants to communicate their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives of the world.

3. Provide explanations or justifications for their beliefs or behaviors.

4. Explore participants' explanations regarding ongoing, past, or anticipated events or processes.

5. Uncover motives and insights regarding the narratives shared by participants.

6. Identify specific cultural or subcultural language used by participants.

7. Validate information obtained from alternative sources.

Focus Groups

Importance of Group Discussions

• Focus groups offer advantages over individual interviews, primarily when group discussions and interpretations help participants process their realities more meaningfully.

Roles in Focus Group Interviews

• Moderator:

  • Four key roles of a moderator include:

    1. Ask thoughtful probing questions to uncover the meaning behind responses (requires good listening skills).

    2. Prevent any one participant from dominating the conversation.

    3. Encourage quieter members to actively participate.

    4. Balance between steering the conversation and moderating discussions effectively.

• Note-taker(s): Responsible for recording critical points and insights during the discussion.

• Recorder: Captures the audio or video of the entire discussion for later review.

Conducting Focus Groups

1. Begin by introducing team members and participants.

2. Consider providing snacks and drinks for a relaxed atmosphere.

3. Confirm that all participants agree to have the session recorded; use individual interviews for sensitive topics.

4. Start with general questions before progressing to more specific inquiries.

5. Ensure that every participant has the chance to share their views.

6. Pay attention to opportunities for follow-up questions.

7. Ask a final summary question before concluding the session.

8. Thank participants for their time and contributions.

Number of Participants

• Data collection continues until saturation is reached.

• For practical class purposes, engage in the conduction of four focus groups, each comprising 6-8 participants, with a total of 1 focus group per group.

Difficulties and Limitations of the Focus Group Method

• Challenges may include:

  • Groupthink phenomena may hinder individual expression.

  • Dominant participants can skew discussions, leading to imbalances.

  • Complexity in moderation can complicate the conversation flow.

Comparing Different Types of Qualitative Data Collection

Note: Some methods not discussed today are still crucial to understand.

Texts as Data

• Qualitative research centers on comprehending social realities through the interpretation of texts.

• Definitions of Texts in this Context:

  1. Texts serve as the essential data foundation for research findings.

  2. Texts underpin interpretations of data.

  3. Texts act as the primary medium for presenting and communicating findings.

• It is critical that the data collected is robust and representative, acknowledging that the relationship between text and reality cannot simply be reduced to factual recordings.

Social Construction of Knowledge

• Everyday perceptions and knowledge form the basis for social scientists to construct a more formalized and generalized 'version of the world.'

• Multiple realities exist; the scientific view is only one aspect, organized by principles from both everyday experience and different foundational principles.

First and Second Degree Constructions

Multiple Realities

• When we state that multiple realities exist, we mean that as researchers, our goal in text interpretation (such as from interviews and focus groups) is to closely approach the lived experiences of participants.

  • This understanding is shaped by their capacity for self-reflection and expression and the interviewer's proficiency in asking profound, probing questions.

Qualitative Data Interpretation

• Qualitative data interpretation is an active process of meaning-making that uncovers how communication constructs our shared social reality.

• Social Constructionism:

  • This philosophical stance posits that individuals create meaning through social interaction and language; thus, reality is seen as a collaboratively built construct rather than an objective truth.

• The researcher’s role is to interpret texts as insights into the communicative process through which reality is constructed:

  • Analyze these texts to understand how participants use language to justify, explain, challenge, and negotiate their identities, relationships, and societal norms.