W2: Research Design

Question 1

How do you design a research design?

Answer 1

It is a reflective process operating though every stage of a project
Involved activities of: collecting and analyzing data, developing and modifying theory, elaborating or refocusing the research questions, and identifying and addressing validity threats are usually all going on more or less simultaneously each influencing all of the others
Does not have to be linear

Question 2

Why develop a research design?

Answer 2

To clearly get from A to B, as a guiding compass
Used as a boundary object in order to get approval from higher management or get everyone on the same page
Final use is for reflection purposes, reflect on the choices made and analyze any potential threats

Question 3

Constantly revisit your design and re-adjust through

Answer 3

Answering a series of questions that makes you reflect on and justify your research choices
Consider the elements of your study and how they relate to one another, make a provisional plan, and continuously adapt each element to create unity in the whole as tour research emerges

Question 4

Model for qualitative research design: diagram

Answer 4

Research questions
Goals
Conceptual framework
Validity
Methods

Question 5

Model for qualitative research design

Answer 5

Process isn’t linear, all steps are interconnected
You need to think of the relationship between all these elements, have a balance/union between them

Question 6

Model for qualitative research design: conceptual framework

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Model for qualitative research design: validity

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Model for qualitative research design: methods

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Model for qualitative research design: goals

Answer 9

Does your question align with the goals of this topic?

Question 10

Qualitative research approaches

Answer 10

Grounded theory
Ethnography
Netnography
Case study research

Question 11

Qualitative research approaches: grounded theory

Answer 11

Theory development is made from data of participants that experienced the process you are trying to investigate
Best for theories of actions, interactions, or processes

Question 12

Qualitative research approaches: grounded theory: unit of analysis, forms of data collection, strategies of data analysis

Answer 12

Unit of analysis: processes, actions, interactions involving many individuals
Forma of data collection: primarily interviews with 20-60 individuals
Strategies of data analysis: open, axial and selective coding

Question 13

Qualitative research approaches: ethnography

Answer 13

Trying to describe and interpret a culture-sharing group, they share the same practices (ex. Teachers)

Question 14

Qualitative research approaches: ethnography: unit of analysis, forms of data collection, strategies of data analysis, challenges

Answer 14

Unit of analysis: a group that shares the same culture
Forms of data collection: observations and interviews but also other sources during time in the field
Strategies of data analysis: description and themes of the culture-sharing group
Challenges: this process takes a very long time to complete, even years

Question 15

Qualitative research approaches: netnography

Answer 15

A new method where you can study communities that exist online, investigate online cultures and practices
Provides researchers with a window into naturally occurring behaviors of groups that can be difficult to access under temporary and virtual collaboration
A lot of participant observations, look at behavior, language, etc.

Question 16

Qualitative research approaches: netnography: challenges

Answer 16

Digital recordings tend to be incomplete
You can get extensive access to a setting where this cultural group operates in their “nature” setting and where you can observe and converse with them
You can maintain enough distance to tell stories that are relevant to outsider audiences

Question 17

Qualitative research approaches: case study research

Answer 17

Look at a very specific unique case, or a couple
Provides an in-depth understanding go a case or cases

Question 18

Qualitative research approaches: case study research: unit of analysis, forms of data collection, strategies of data analysis, challenges

Answer 18

Unit of analysis: an event, a program, an activity or more than one individual
Forms of data collection: multiple sources, interviews, observations documents, and artifacts
Strategies of data analysis: description of the case, themes, and cross-case themes
Challenges: hard to determine whether the case is appropriate for you research, finding the boundaries (ethics),

Question 19

Subsections of case studies

Answer 19

Exploratory
Revelatory
Multiple

Question 20

Case study research: exploratory

Answer 20

Aim: try out research questions and find out if the topic warrants further research
Caution: offers preliminary findings, not conclusions

Question 21

Case study research: revelatory

Answer 21

Aim: unusual setting or situation that helps see something new
Caution: can be exciting but does not necessarily tell us about other cases

Question 22

Case study research: multiple

Answer 22

Aim: several cases to find similarities and differences between them
Caution: context matters, so what is the point of comparing

Question 23

Sampling strategies

Answer 23

Population: the largest set about which we want to make some claim
Sample: a subset in a specific context of inquiry
Sampling: your rationale for who/what individual ‘case’ you select to study and collect information about within your target population

Question 24

Qualitative sampling

Answer 24

Main goal: being information-rich
Characteristics:
Small samples
In-depth understanding
Non-random/purposeful selection of participants
Match type and number of cases to the purpose of the study, within available resources
You can stop gathering new cases when you research “saturation”

Question 25

Quantitative sampling

Answer 25

Main goal: representativeness Characteristics: Large samples Empirical generalization Random selection of participants Sample size functions of population size and desired confidence level

Question 26

The X question: How many of “X is enough?

Answer 26

No hard rule about the sample size in qualitative research The X depends on the purpose of the study and what can be done with time and resources Rule of thumb: use redundancy or saturation as a criterion If the purpose is to maximize information, then sampling is terminated when no new information is being found: saturation

Question 27

Sampling techniques

Answer 27

Convenience sampling Snowball sampling Typical case Extreme or deviant case Theoretical sampling Stratified purposeful sampling

Question 28

Convenience sampling

Answer 28

Cases are close at hand rather than being purposely selected Theoretically a weak technique

Question 29

Snowball sampling

Answer 29

You initially contact a few potential respondents Ask them whiter they know of anybody with the same characteristics that you are looking for in your research

Question 30

Typical case

Answer 30

You are looking for something that is normal/average (company) Illustrates or highlights what is typical/normal The case is specifically selected because it is not in any way atypical, extreme, deviant, or intensely unusual

Question 31

Extreme or deviant case

Answer 31

Learning from highly unusual manifestations of the phenomenon of interest, such as outstanding success/notable failures, top of the class/dropouts, exotic events, crises

Question 32

Theoretical sampling

Answer 32

Process of data collection for generating theory whereby the analyst jointly collects, codes and analyses their data and devices, what to collect next and where to find them, in order to develop the theory as it emerges Looking to make a theory about something that is not yet well known, keep talking to people people to help bring ip your knowledge of theory

Question 33

Stratified purposeful sampling

Answer 33

Trying to illustrate characteristics of particular subgroups of interest, facilitates comparison This technique is “statistically non-representative stratified sampling” because is must not be seen as a strategy that allows statistical generalization to the larger population

Question 34

Strategies to ensure validity

Answer 34

Transferability Credibility Dependability Confirmability

Question 35

What does qualitative validity look at?

Answer 35

External/internal validity, reliability, and objectivity

Question 36

Validity: transferability

Answer 36

Results that can be transferred to other contexts (not generalizability) You can have values and understanding in other situations

Question 37

How to achieve transferability

Answer 37

Thoroughly describing the research context Verify with the extent of literature Discuss the limits of transferability in your research paper

Question 38

Validity: credibility

Answer 38

Make sure the results are believable from the participant’s perspective

Question 39

How to achieve credibility

Answer 39

Through prolonged engagement Member checks Display evidence and procedures so that the readers can judge the strength of your findings

Question 40

Validity: dependability

Answer 40

You as a researcher hold yourself accountable for changes in the context and how they affected the study

Question 41

How to achieve dependability

Answer 41

Through maintaining a clear coding scheme with precise definitions, keep notes and memos of your decisions and be reflexive

Question 42

Validity: confirmability

Answer 42

Results can be corroborated by others looking at your data

Question 43

How to achieve confirmability

Answer 43

Maintain a clear coding scheme with precise definitions Keep notes and memos of your decisions Engage in peer examination

Question 44

How do you use exiting literature in quantitative research?

Answer 44

Existing literature helps create your hypothesis and helps evaluate your hypothesis and understanding, thereby adding onto the exiting research

Question 45

How do you use exiting literature in qualitative research?

Answer 45

Use existing literature as pre understanding and sensitivity into the subject, use it throughout the analysis and then add new or refined concepts and theory

Question 46

How do you incorporate academic literature?

Answer 46

Use literature before your study starts Use literature during your analysis Use literature during your write-up

Question 47

How to use literature before you study starts

Answer 47

Look for sensitizing concepts → important features of social interaction, and suggest directions of what/where to look for phenomena Find inspiration and identify your ‘gap’ → ideas for what to ask interviews, help you find what is not yet known Define your key terms → acknowledge that there is not just 1 definition of your concept and explain how you are defining the term and why you went for that definition

Question 48

How to use literature during you analysis

Answer 48

Enhance your sensitivity to nuances in your data During secondary cycle data coding: help you make better sense of emergent findings Show paths for more purposeful sampling (in future)

Question 49

How to use literature during your write-up

Answer 49

Reference existing studies for: Definitions and concepts in the introduction and literature review Support the argument for your study (why it is important and needed) in the introduction and literature review To discuss your findings in relation to existing empirical/theoretical research in the discussion and conclusion