Practical research

• Code


  Most often a word phrase which symbolically defines a summative, salient, essence-capturing
• Data


  Can compose of interview transcripts, participant observation field notes
• Theme


  Generated when similar issues and ideas expressed by participants
• Two strategies on how to infer data

  • Thematic analysis
  • Qualitative data analysis
• Thematic analysis - 6 steps

  1. Familiarization with the data

  2. Coding

  3. Searching for themes

  4. Reviewing themes

  5. Defining and naming themes

  6. Defining and naming themes
• Qualitative data analysis


  An ongoing and cyclical process which includes identification, examination, and interpretation of certain patterns and themes in the data
• Process of doing qualitative analysis

  1. Know your data

  2. Focus your analysis

  3. Do coding

  4. Clean your data

  5. Identify meaningful patterns and themes

  6. Interpret your data
• Strategies or tips to writing conclusions

  • Write in a manner that is comfortable to you and edit while writing
  • Write to be understood. Do not write to impress or to sound smart. Avoid highfalutin words to replace the common but clearer ones
  • Write from an objective distance. Remember that you are writing a formal academic paper
  • Write in a fresh new style. In concluding your qualitative research, you are supposed to present a new knowledge after all
  • Conclusions should be formulated concisely, that is, brief and short, yet they convey a meaningful and logical argument. It is important that conclusions have a conceptual significance and can imply, indicate, or chart future research directions
• Research design


  A set of procedures and methods that is used to collect and analyze measures of the variables given in the objectives
• Case study


  A program, person, or event in a defined time frame
• Quota sampling


  A list of names which shows the characteristics of the target population
• Ethnography


  Involves a study of a certain cultural group to get information about its characteristics and group activities
• Methodical


  Conducted in a step-by step process through systematic methods and procedures
• Research design - 5W's

  • What?
  • Why?
  • Who?
  • Where?
  • When?
• 4 approaches in research design

  • Ethnography
  • Case study
  • Phenomenology
  • Historical approach
• Ethnography


  From the word ethno = people and graphy = writing. Ethnography translates to writing about people. This type of approach to qualitative research aims to study a particular group of people in their natural settings. This particular study wants to describe and interpret the behavior of different kinds of people, culture or population
• Case study


  Gives a more in-depth analysis to a topic with a use of more data gathering procedures
• Phenomenology


  Focuses on lived-experiences, gives an idea on how individuals or a group of people react or experience a certain phenomenon
• Historical approach


  Systematic collection and evaluation of information which have occurred in the past. This can be in a form of documents, stories, artifacts, videos, etc.
• Population


  The complete group of people, animals or objects that have the same characteristics that the research needs
• Sample


  A group of individuals that represent the population. The process of choosing a sample is called sampling
• 5 steps in sampling


  1. Identify the population of interest

  2. Specify a sampling frame

  3. Specify a sampling method

  4. Determine your sample size

  5. Implement the plan
• Snowball sampling


  Asking relevant people if they know someone who will be willing to participate in your research. You can put criteria or other qualifications for your respondents
• Opportunistic sampling


  A type of sampling that takes sample or respondents that are readily available
• Convenience sampling


  Using this kind of sampling technique involves selecting people that are the most convenient for you as a researcher
• Data


  All the information that you will gather throughout your research
• Two classifications of data based on their use and source


  • Primary data
  • Secondary data
• Primary data


  Refers to first-hand information based on actual experiences or observations. This kind of data is more reliable to use because it is gathered by the actual researchers
• Secondary data


  Data that are gathered from secondary sources, meaning it is not you that have obtained the information but rather, it comes from previous research, audio recordings or books
• Data collection instruments


  • Interviews
  • Observations
  • Questionnaires
  • Focus group discussion
• Types of interviews


  • Structured interview
  • Unstructured interview
  • Semi-structured interview
• Types of observations


  • Naturalistic observation
  • Participative observation
  • Non-naturalistic observation
• Types of questionnaires


  • Closed-ended questionnaires
  • Open-ended questionnaires
  • Combination of both
• Focus group discussion


  This type of data gathering instrument focuses on groups of people being interviewed at the same time. This relies on the respondents to give a discussion amongst themselves on the questions that you, the researcher, give. You will serve as the moderator or facilitator
• Steps in the observation process

  1. Select where you want to conduct your observation

  2. Find the means to gather your observed data

  3. Take your time to write down the important details

  4. What kind of observation will you be using?

  5. Politely thank the participants