Research Framework and Design

Question 1

List the 4 elements of Crotty’s (1998) Framework (from broadest to most specific)

Answer 1

Epistemology, Theoretical framing/orientation, methodology & Methods

Question 2

Describe epistemology

Answer 2

A way of understanding and explaining how we know what we know’, (Crotty, 2003). Epistemology is also ‘concerned with providing a philosophical grounding for deciding what kinds of knowledge are possible and how we can ensure that they are both adequate and legitimate.

Question 3

Give 3 examples of epistemologies

Answer 3

Objectivism
Subjectivism
Constructivism

Question 4

Describe what objectivists believe

Answer 4

Objectivism - Assume that realities exist independent of our consciousness need to separate the person from the experience

Question 5

Describe what subjectivists believe

Answer 5

Subjectivism - Understanding that is developed is specific to the individual so researchers should emphasise the unique perspective of each person. Assume that knowledge is ambiguous, fragmented, and specific to particular events

Question 6

Describe what constructivists believe

Answer 6

Constructivism - Assume people construct their own understanding of the world. Researchers should clarify meanings with participants to ensure they have the same meaning to both parties.

Question 7

Define theoretical framework

Answer 7

The structure that can hold or support a theory of a research study

Question 8

Give examples of theoretical frameworks

Answer 8

Positivism
Critical inquiry
Interpretivism
Pragmatism
Feminism
Postmodernism

Question 9

Describe postivism

Answer 9

Positivism embraces objectivism and thus assumes that systematic, standardized procedures should be applied to observe and measure phenomenon to uncover the true reality.

Question 10

Describe critical inquiry

Answer 10

Assumes that political agendas have shaped and biased knowledge. To overcome this effect, researchers often consider marginalized or disadvantaged segments of society to address inequalities and offer a voice for these segments. Generally, adopts a constructionist epistemology

Question 11

Describe interpretivism

Answer 11

Embraces constructivism and tends to focus on how individuals interpret the world. Proponents want to understand the meanings that guide the choices of people. They do not believe that researchers can remain impartial and independent of their inquiry

Question 12

Describe pragmatism

Answer 12

Blends positivism and interpretivism: Researchers shift from objectivist to constructionist views to achieve their goals and to effect change. The aim is to solve a problem

Question 13

Describe feminism

Answer 13

focuses on the experiences of women in natural social settings, where the aim is to ‘make women visible, raise their consciousness and empower them’

Question 14

Describe post-modernism

Answer 14

Postmodernism rejects realism - thinks everything is influenced by something nothing is neutral. Instead, postmodernists believe that no one ideology or narrative can be considered appropriate—but conducts researcher to characterize the fragmentation, ambiguity, and ambivalence in the world.

Question 15

Describe methodology

Answer 15

“The strategy, plan of action, process or design lying behind the choice and use of particular methods and linking the choice and use of the methods to the desired outcomes.” (Crotty, 2003)

Question 16

Give some examples of methodologies

Answer 16

Grounded theory
Ethnography
Narrative research
Phenomenological research
Action research
Thematic analysis
Discourse analysis
Foucauldian discourse analysis

Question 17

Define the method

Answer 17

The techniques or procedures used to gather and analyse data

Question 18

Give some examples of methods

Answer 18

○ Spoken word
* Interviews
* Focus groups
○ Written word
* Surveys
* Documents and archival records—such as webpages accessed using the Wayback Machine
* Correspondence
* Diary methods
○ Visual methods
* Drawing
* Recording photos or videos
○ Artifacts
* Social media
* Official media
* Physical remnants
* Observations

Question 19

Describe grounded theory and the associated method

Answer 19

Willing to adjust the questions asked, and the methods used, as ideas develop. Do not need to finalize the methods before collecting data
Develop a theory that explains or characterizes a specific experience or change, such as changes in identity that people experience after their partner dies

Question 20

Describe ethnography and the associated method

Answer 20

Researchers immerse themselves in a particular setting or culture—such as a remote community
Observe and describe the values, beliefs, and practices of a particular setting or culture
Methods= observations

Question 21

Describe narrative research and the associated method

Answer 21

Analyse the stories people relate about some experience or event
Want to understand how some event or experience evolves across time—to understand the process or sequence of events.
Method= stories derived from interviews, letters, biographies, field note, or other sources

Question 22

Describe phenomenology and the associated method

Answer 22

Explore how people experience, conceptualize, and perceive a specific circumstance, primarily to characterize the essence of this circumstance
Report both the unique perspective of each person as well as commonalities
Method= Mainly use interviews to collect data—and interview fewer than 10 or so people in depth

Question 23

Describe action research and the associated method

Answer 23

Explore how the insights of past research could be applied to resolve a practical and ongoing problem—such as a problem in a school or community
I would like to examine the effects of changing some setting or community—such as a workplace
Improving practice. It involves action, evaluation, and critical reflection
Methods: Interview

Question 24

Describe thematic analysis and the associated methods

Answer 24

Reduce qualitative data to 2 to 8 broad categories—although each category could be divided into 2 to 8 specific themes
Not especially interested in the association between these categories or themes.
Method= interviews

Question 25

Describe discourse analysis and the associated methods

Answer 25

Explore how people use conversations and language to achieve social goals, such as convince or change another person
Analyse subtle patterns of behaviour during conversations, such as how people decide who should speak next, how people end a topic, what is the cause of silences, and so forth.
Method= interviews

Question 26

Describe Foucauldian Discourse Analysis

Answer 26

Form of discourse analysis with a particular focus on the relationship between power and language.
Grounded in constructivism and critical theory.
Critiques the power structures in society and aims to understand how language can construct societal knowledge and uphold existing power structures

Question 27

Describe the steps of Foucauldian discourse analysis

Answer 27

1. Discursive constructions - What is being discussed? How is it discussed?
2. Discourses - tie what is being discussed to a broader type of knowledge (e.g. romantic discourse, dieting discourse, religious discourse)
3. Action orientation - How is this language being used? What do these ways of speaking about the issue open up or close down? Who gains or loses from these ways of speaking
4. Positioning - How are people labelled or categorised as a result of what is being discussed? What is their social standing?
5. Practice - What does this labelling do to power relationships? Who has more or less control or privilege?
6. Subjectivity - subsequently, what are the consequences for how certain positioned people think, behave and feel? Psychologically, emotionally etc.

Question 28

Describe the steps of thematic analysis

Answer 28

1. Familiarisation - reading and re-reading data
2. Coding - methodically reviewing the data and searching for segments that appear interesting, relevant, provoking – in relation to the research question – and then writing brief descriptions (codes) next to them.
3. Generating initial themes - a theme captures the patterning of meaning across the dataset
4. Developing and reviewing themes - review, check and adjust the themes
5. Refining, defining and naming themes - A key aid in refining and defining your theme is to create an abstract for your theme. n the abstract of a theme, you should be able to explain the central organising principle, convey the uniqueness of the theme and how it will contribute to the overall analysis.
6. Writing up

Question 29

List and describe the 4 types of thematic analysis

Answer 29

Inductive - bottom up
Theoretical - top down
Semantic - Surface/explicit. SHOULD move toward interpretation of patterns in groupings, but often fails to progress beyond description
Latent - Interpretive. Deeper analytical, identifies underlying assumptions/ideologies

Question 30

How do the epistemology, theoretical framework, methodology and method interrelate and why is this important to know?

Answer 30

All interrelate - they all influence the research. Need to ensure that they don’t contradict each other as the research will not make sense e.g. using an objectivist phenomenological approach as phenomenological is about people’s experiences and objectivists believe that the person should be explored separately to the experience.

Question 31

Describe a reflexive thematic analysis

Answer 31

Reflexivity involves drawing upon your experiences, pre-existing knowledge, and social position and ‘critically interrogating’ how these aspects influence and contribute to the research process and potential insights into qualitative data.

Question 32

Describe the Foucauldian term “subject positioning”

Answer 32

How are people presented in the text; stereotypes, power, privilege, ‘other’