Qualitative

• What makes a method non-experimental?

  • No intentional change to someone's world
  • No control of environment
  • No random assignment to groups
  • Different analysis of findings
• Content Analysis


  Take and Analyzed existing documents/data for specific content
• Archival Research


  Analyzing previously complied information, often records from public or private institutions
• The Case Study: A special case


  Research with one participant, often a unique population
• Triangulation


  Use of different methods to understand same phenomenon, converging evidence
• Experimental method


  do allows us to determine causality, but requires control of the environment which often limits real-world validity and can measure unnatural behavior
• Qualitative methods


  Do not allow for causality, but can reveal richer and more nuanced information about an individual's personal experience
• Focus Group


  Small group of individuals that share common concern or experience, promote expression of shared concern, gain insights into shared experience, limited generalizability
• Assumptions of researchers often differ from those of community members

  Collaboration between researchers and citiziens merges experience to produce better ideas
• Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR)


  •Combines data/evidence with community members’ input and feedback to develop and implement a program to meet the unique needs of the community.
• Traditional researchers


  Maintain a neutral stance, distant from the program, making all of the choices about the evaluation research
• Participatory research


  Focuses on working with the program, helping to clarify program goals and initial planning, providing feedback on how it is implemented, and evaluating outcomes, then continuing to work with the program after evaluation