Methods of Research Chapter 7 Qualitative Research Methodologies

8/16/2019 Methods of Research Chapter 7 Qualitative Research Methodologies

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Prof. ir . Panchito M. Labay

FORD Fellow


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Participant-Observation

Approach (POA)

--most common approach isimmersion or fieldwork in acommunity and lives with the people

--remaining an insider despite of

being an outsider --usually done covertly, theresearcher is an ‘alien’ in thecommunity

--if the researcher has very limited

knowledge about the community, thenhe or she needs to be a ‘convert’

Ethnography Fieldwor --each person is a reflection of theirculture that all their gestures, displays,symbols, songs, sayings andeverything else has some folk, implicit,tacit meaning for others in that culture

--data collection methods includeinterviews, field of observations,diaries and letters

Fieldwork is so important in

ethnography to understanddeeper the lives of other


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!oles to be followed by the

researcher"

#o$plete participation -- researcher

participates in a certain activity andgoes on to actively influence the

direction of the group

Participant as observer -- the

researcher participates in a certainactivity but does not try to influence the

direction of the group

Observer as participant -- the

researcher participates in a one-time

activity but then takes a back seat toany further activities

#o$plete observation -- the

researcher is a member of the group but

does not participate in any activity

A researcher may join inshing with the localshermen in order tounderstand more theirlifeworld through POA.


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Other $ethods %sed"

Photography or fil$$aing is

ethnography with recording equipment. It

can give multiple interpretations and

reaching a wider audience. Ethnographicfilm reports or documentary done by robe,

!!!, etc.

Oral history is the recording of people

speaking in their own words, about their life

e"periences, both public and private, in

ways that are unavailable in writing.

Ethno$ethodology is the study of

commonsense knowledge that can be

understood more if the researcher do or act

something awkward, weird or silly, maybe

breaking some norms and observe how thepeople react to him or her actions. E". #$

shows like %ust for laugh & other gag shows

&ra$at%rgy is like ethnomethodology but

generally applied in psychiatric study,

acting like a psychiatric patient while

interviewing mental patients.

There are times that as

researcher you have to act like a weird person to understand howthe people around you reactabout your actions.


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#here is no precise rules and procedures in doing fieldwork. 'hat you do

depends on the situation, the purpose of the study, the nature of the

setting and the skills, interests, needs and point of view of the observer.

(ome important steps for fieldwork)*. +ake a on how to do the fieldwork. side from tape recorder, always ready

with a field log and field diary for making field notes and field %ottings

/. field log is a running of how you plan to spend your time, how you actually

spend your time and how much money you spend. field log should be kept in

bound books of blank, lined pages. 0on’t use a skimpy little notebook, use a si"-

by-eight-inch book, or even larger. Each day you are in the field should berepresented by a double page of the log. #he pages on the left should list what

you plan to do on any given day. #he facing pages will recount what you actually

do each day.

1. 2eep a note pad with you at all times for field %ottings where you can write down

anything you see or think is important. #he research population usually not

offended when you are writing your notes in front of them. #he researcher shoulduse his own discretion about this, because there are many situations where it

would be insensitive to do so or it would alter the interaction between the

researcher and his informant. 'henever you get the opportunity, %ot down a few

key words, which you can use to help your recall when you write up your notes.

#he filed %ottings should help you to recall what happened during the day3 but you

should work out other ways to %og your memory.


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4. field diary is about your personal e"periences, feelings, loneliness and

reflections about the fieldwork you did. #his can help also in conte"tualising the

results of the fieldwork as well as in reflecting to your personal biases. 5esults of

this can be also helpful in coming up with better procedures in doing other related

research work. #hese personal reactions give colour to your research, regardless

of whether or not they are written down. 6y writing it down, you are confrontingyourself with your biases.

'o$e generic g%idelines for cond%cting fieldwor"

. e descriptive in taing field notes.

*. +ather a variety of infor$ation fro$ different perspectives.

,. #ross-validate and triang%late by gathering different inds of data. Ea$ple"

observations interviews progra$ doc%$entation recordings and photographs./. 0se 1%otations2 represent progra$ participants in their own ter$s. #apt%re

participants3 views of their own eperiences in their own words.

4. 'elect ey infor$ants wisely and %se the$ caref%lly. &raw on the wisdo$ of their

infor$ed perspectives b%t eep in $ind that their perspectives are li$ited.

5. e aware of and sensitive to the different stages of fieldwor.

6. &raw $aps or diagra$s of the location incl%ding yo%r $ove$ents and any reaction by

others

7. 8rite 1%icly and don3t worry abo%t spelling2 devise yo%r own syste$ of p%nct%ation

9. Avoid eval%ative :%dg$ents or s%$$arising2 don3t call so$ething ;dirty; for ea$ple

describe it


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#hings to be observed while doing the fieldwork

7 6uild trust and rapport at the entry stage. 5emember that the

researcher-observer is also being observed and evaluated.7 (tay alert and disciplined during the more routine middle-phase of

fieldwork.7 8ocus on pulling together a useful synthesis as fieldwork draws to

a close.7 6e disciplined and conscientious in taking detailed field notes at

all stages of fieldwork.7 6e as involved as possible in e"periencing the observed setting

as fully as possible while maintaining an analytical

perspective grounded in the purpose of the fieldwork) to conduct

research.

7 9learly separate description from interpretation and %udgment.7 rovide formative feedback as part of the verification process of

fieldwork. #ime that feedback carefully. :bserve its impact.7 Include in your field notes and observations reports of your own

e"periences, thoughts, and feelings. #hese are also field

data.


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>ypes of =nterviews

6ernard ;*1? make distinctions between four different types)

informal, unstructured, semi-structured and structured.

=nfor$al interviewing is represented by casual conversation3 but he@she

may try to steer it on topics that interest him. #his type of interviewing is

essential during the first part of research. ormally they are recorded in the

filed notes, along with observations.

0nstr%ct%red interviewing is not informal in that the interviewer and the

informant know that it is an interview. #herefore, notes are often written in

front of the informant. #he interviewer has a plan of topics in his or her

mind3 but he or she has minimum control over the informant’s responses.#hen, tries to get people to open up and e"press themselves in their own

pace. #hese first two types of interviews may be referred to as open-ended

or informal interviews in other parts of the te"t.


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'e$i-str%ct%red interviewing feels the same as unstructured interviewing

but an interview guide is used. #he interview guide is a written list of

questions and topics that need to be covered by each informant. It may also

include instructions on particular things to look out for. #he advantages of

this type of interviewing are fourfold) a? the informant can e"press himself inhis own terms3 b? the interviewer can follow up any leads that arise during

the interview3 c? the data from the interviews is comparable because the

same topics have been covered with each informant3 and d? the data can

be analysed statistically if those interviewed have been selected using the

principles of probability sampling. #he answers are written down in thepresence of the informant.

'tr%ct%red interviewing involves e"posing every informant in a sample to

the same stimuli Ae.g. the same questions asked in the same mannerB. #he

idea is to control the input that triggers each informant’s responses so that

the output can be reliably compared. #he most common form of structured

interviewing is the questionnaire ;6ernard, *


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Proced%re for =nterviewing

6efore you begin an interview, you should tell your

informant the following points)7

E"plain who you are. In some cases, you mayneed a letter of introduction or identification7 E"plain what the research is about in general

terms. 6e prepared to answer additional

questions and remember to be consistent in

your answers.

7 ssure informants of protecting their ideas.7 E"plain that you want to know what they think.7 E"plain why it is important that you have their

cooperation, e.g. because you want to maintain

representative ness or because they have

special knowledge.

7 sk all informants for permission to record theinterview with notes and@or a tape recorder.

7 Encourage them to interrupt you during the

interview if they do not understand the question

or if they have any additional information that

they think might be important for you to know.


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>han yo% beca%se we have :%st

finished so$e of the $ethodologies

in ?%alitative !esearch

Methods of Research Chapter 7 Qualitative Research Methodologies

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