Research

• Qualitative research


  A systematic and scientific inquiry and investigation that deals with building a holistic understanding of behavioral and sociocultural phenomena
• Process of creating a systematic framework for understanding phenomena

  1. Involves finding patterns and relationships among categories

  2. Qualitative researchers observe and study different variables in their natural environment
• Research design


  The method or plan to analyze and resolve a research problem systematically and scientifically
• Types of qualitative research design

  • Case study
  • Phenomenology
  • Ethnography
  • Grounded theory
  • Historical
  • Narrative
• Case study


  • Involves in-depth examination of a case (individual, event, group, organization, activity, or process)
  • Uses one or more methods of data collection and analysis
  • Can be descriptive or exploratory
  • Cannot control variables, studies them in natural setting
  • Provides rich source of information on functional, behavioral, and sociocultural processes and relationships
• Phenomenology


  • Studies a "phenomenon" by describing and analyzing the events that lead to it
  • Describes how research participants feel about an event, activity, or matter of interest
  • Aims to understand how participants perceive or experience an event
  • Uses a wide range of data collection tools
• Ethnography


  • Deals with the study of the culture of a group of people
  • Identifies, observes, and records conversations, performances, rituals, ceremonies, artifacts, jokes, gestures, stories, and life experiences
  • Considers the time frame to learn firsthand
  • Aims to understand how the culture of certain practices has been passed down to new generations
• Grounded theory


  • Aims to develop a new theory or hypothesis based on evidence from data collected from a large sample size
  • Allows new theories to emerge from the data using varied means of data collection such as interviews and observations
  • Uses data interpretation and examination based on existing theories
• Historical research


  • Involves studying past events to understand present events, society, and anticipate the future
  • Examines deviations from the normal course of events
  • Requires reading texts, journals, photographs, paintings, and other artifacts related to the topic
• Narrative research


  • Involves the description and analysis of different sets of events within a particular person's life experiences, opportunities, and decisions for growth and development
  • Focuses on an individual and aims to understand their changing motivations and beliefs
• Considerations when choosing a research design:
• Characteristics of a sample

  Specific traits or attributes of a smaller group that represent a larger population, which help understand and draw conclusions about the whole population
• Population vs. Sample


  Population is the entire group of interest, while a sample is a smaller subset of that population that is observed or collected data from
• Differentiating between population and sample is important as it affects the accuracy and generalizability of research findings
• If I could discover the shared lived experiences of one quality or phenomenon in others, I would want to know about ________.

  
  

  PHENOMENOLOGY
• If I could experience a different culture by living/ observing it, I would choose to experience ______.

  
  

  ETHNOGRAPHY
• If I could discover what actually occurred and was experienced in a single lived event, that event would be _______.

  *

  
  

  GROUNDED THEORY
• . If I could discover a theory for a single phenomenon of living as shared by others, I would choose to discover the theory of____

  *

  PHENOMENOLOGY
• A probability sampling method where researchers select members of the population at a regular interval.

  systematic sampling
• A non-probability sampling method where new units are recruited by other units to form part of the sample.

  snowball
• Researchers divide subjects into subgroups called strata based on characteristics that they share.

  *

  stratified
• The most common sampling strategy; participants are selected based on pre-selected criteria on the research question.

  *

  Purposive
• Simple Random Sampling


  Randomly select 10 candies from a box of 100 candies, each with a unique number from 1 to 100, ensuring each candy has an equal chance of being chosen
• Stratified Sampling


  1. Divide the student population into three strata based on grade level (9th, 10th, 11th)

  2. Randomly select an equal number of students from each grade
• Cluster Sampling


  1. Randomly select 5 schools from a city with 10 schools

  2. Survey all students within those 5 schools
• Purposive Sampling


  Specifically select participants who are heavy users of social media platforms to study the impact of social media on teenagers' mental health
• Overt Observation


  • Researcher openly observes the participants, and the participants are aware that they are being observed
  • Participants are informed about the research objectives, the presence of the researcher, and the purpose of the observation
  • Overt observation is conducted with the consent of the participants
• Covert Observation


  • Researcher observes the participants without their knowledge or consent
  • Participants are unaware that they are being observed
  • Covert observation raises ethical concerns regarding privacy, autonomy, and informed consent
• Structured Interview


  • Researcher asks predetermined questions to all participants in a standardized manner
  • Questions are carefully designed in advance and are typically closed-ended, with fixed response options or specific answer choices
  • Allows for easy comparison of responses across participants and facilitates quantitative analysis
• Unstructured Interview


  • Researcher engages in a more open-ended and flexible conversation with participants
  • Interviewer may have a general topic or set of themes to explore but does not follow a fixed script or sequence of questions
  • Allows for greater spontaneity and exploration of participants' perspectives, experiences, and insights
• Controlled Observation


  • Researchers manipulate and control the research setting, often conducting observations in a laboratory or controlled environment
  • Variables are carefully controlled and manipulated by the researcher to study their effects on participants' behaviors
  • Researchers use standardized protocols, stimuli, or procedures to evoke specific behaviors or responses from participants
• Naturalistic Observation


  • Observations take place in participants' natural settings, such as homes, schools, or workplaces, without interference or manipulation from the researcher
  • Participants behave naturally and spontaneously in their everyday environments
  • Findings are ecologically valid, as they reflect how individuals behave in their natural context