Module B

Question 1

What are the uses of research design?

Answer 1

• Navigation (point A to B)
• Coordination (getting stakeholders on the same page)
• Reflection (analysing choices and threats)

Question 1

Why develop a research design?

Answer 1

To guide data collection, theory development, and manage threats to validity throughout the research process in a reflexive and iterative manner

Question 2

How should you approach research design?

Answer 2

Non-linearly; regularly revisit and adapt your plan. Reflect on your choices and relate study elements to maintain unity

Question 3

What are the four key elements in Maxwell’s model of qualitative research design?

Answer 3

1) Conceptual framework
2) Validity
3) Methods
4) Goals

Question 4

Maxwell: Conceptual Framework

Answer 4

Which theoretical elements are you going to incorporate in your study?

Question 5

Maxwell: Validity

Answer 5

What academic literature or information you find is valid to what research question?
Which threats of validity already exist?

Question 6

Maxwell: Methods

Answer 6

Which methods are you going to use to try to answer your question?

Question 7

Maxwell: Goals

Answer 7

Does your question align with the goals of the topic?

Question 8

What is the purpose of Maxwell´s model

Answer 8

To show how research design components are interconnected and must be balanced

Question 9

What is Grounded Theory?

Answer 9

A method for developing theory from participant data about actions, interactions, or processes.
- Interviews

Question 10

What is Ethnography?

Answer 10

Describing and interpreting a culture-sharing group through long-term fieldwork.
- Observations and Interviews

Question 11

What is Netnography?

Answer 11

An in-depth study of a unique case or a small number of cases using multiple sources of data.
- Interviews, Observations, Documents, Artefacts

Question 12

What are the three types of case study aims?

Answer 12

• Exploratory (try out questions)
• Revelatory (reveal the unseen)
• Multiple (compare cases)

Question 13

Sampling Methodology: Population

Answer 13

the largest set about which we want to make some claim

Question 14

Sampling Methodology: Sample

Answer 14

a subset in a specific context of inquiry

Question 15

Sampling Methodology: Sampling

Answer 15

your rationale for who/what individual “case” you select to study and collect information about within your target population

Question 16

Quantitative main goal

Answer 16

Representiveness:
- Large samples
- Empirical generalisation
- Random selection

Question 17

Qualitative main goal

Answer 17

Being information rich:
- Small samples
- In-depth understanding
- Non-random/purposeful selection

Question 18

What is saturation?

Answer 18

The point where no new information is obtained from additional data

Question 19

Sampling technique: Convenience Sampling

Answer 19

Cases are close at hand rather than being purposely selected

Question 20

Sampling technique: Snowball Sampling

Answer 20

Contact a few potential respondents, then ask if they know anyone with the same characteristics that you’re looking for

Question 21

Sampling technique: Typical Case

Answer 21

You are looking for what is normal/average

Question 22

Sampling technique: Extreme/Deviant Case

Answer 22

You are looking for highly unusual manifestations of the phenomenon of interest

Question 23

Sampling technique: Theoretical Sampling

Answer 23

You’re looking to make a theory about something that is not yet well known

Question 24

Sampling technique: Stratified Purposeful Sampling

Answer 24

You're trying to illustrate characteristics of particular subgroups of interest; facilitates comparison (e.g interviewing 1 person from each section of a company's hierarchy to get a different perspective of the phenomenon you're investigating)

Question 25

Validity Criteria: Transferability

Answer 25

Extent to which findings apply to other contexts; achieved through thick description

Question 26

Validity Criteria: Credibility

Answer 26

Believability of results from the participants view, supported be engagement and member checks

Question 27

Validity Criteria: Dependability

Answer 27

Researcher accountability for changes; ensured via coding schemes and reflexivity

Question 28

Validity Criteria: Conformability

Answer 28

Ability for findings to be corroborated by others; maintained through documentation and peer review

Question 29

How does qualitative research use academic literature?

Answer 29

For pre-understanding and throughout the study (before, during and in the write-up)

Question 30

What are the phases of incorporating literature in qualitative research?

Answer 30

1) Before: sensitising concepts, finding gaps, defining terms 2) During: enhancing sensitivity, coding, guiding sampling 3) Write-up: defining, supporting and relating findings