...measures what it is purported to measure. Bartlett, 1932 Reliability Did more than one person record and interpret the data, and do they agree? If you use the same methods again in the same situation, do you get the same results? No, when the experiment was replicated (better controlled) many of the errors in peoples recalling was not found even though the same kinds of errors remained. Validity: Methodological issues * Did not ask participants to be as accurate as possible * Didn’t care much about the environment in which the experiment was conducted Define qualitative and quantitative research, then compare and contrast them, strengths and limitations of qualitative research Quantitative: Explaining a phenomenon by collecting quantitative (numerical) data that are analysed using mathematically based methods such as statistics. Qualitative: Instead of testing, measuring, and experimenting, qualitative research aims at understanding the subject of study …the process of understanding a social or human phenomenon, based on methodological research traditions. Researchers aim at generating a complex, holistic view, at analysing and describing the standpoint of the subjects within a natural context. Quantitative; using numbers Qualitative; descriptions Strengths of Qualitative Research * Issues can be examined in detail and in depth. * Interviews are not restricted to specific questions and can be guided/redirected by the researcher in...
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...Beginning the research for the topic many different variables had to be established in order to facilitate the research process for the complex topic. In determining which approach would be appropriate for the method of research a qualitative approach was selected. The reason for the choice of qualitative is that of the social dynamic of the topic and the evaluation of the groups in terms of social relationships would only benefit from a qualitative approach. The dependent variable that was determined to be analyzed was relationship maintained between these two groups. The reason being is there are many similarities in their actions but their ideology and drivers are vastly different with the cartels being driven by financial gains and terror groups being driven by ideology. The independent variables that were found were ideology that was found in the groups and the business nature seen in the groups. The research that was conducted for the most part was determined by the topic and the question being asked. In the question being sought to explain, the determination between the two groups is being defined as well as the ability for the two to elicit a working relationship with one another. The case studies that were reviewed and information that was discovered in terms of the question...
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...Running head: QUALITATIVE 1 Qualitative Research and Methods Maria A. Kithcart LEAD 870 January 29, 2012 Dr. Heewon Chang Abstract The purpose of this paper is to describe in a reflective-analysis essay format about QL research methods and process that contains a discussion of the following four components. First, the author highlights how QL research orientation is different from QN research orientation. Next, the author explains methodological insights that have been gained through the interview and QL data analysis exercises. Considerations for designing a QL research dissertation based on the semester’s learning are discussed next. Last, the author shares what she needs to do or learn in depth to be able to design a sound QL dissertation. Introduction The world of academic research is one of constant change. With the advent of new technology and practices as well as emerging fields such as organizational leadership, researchers have more choices by which to capture data and analyze their findings. In addition, qualitative research (often designated as “QL” by researchers) is gaining momentum as an accepted methodology within the greater academic community. Whereas quantitative methods are essentially statistical measures used to describe phenomena as a means to bring about generalization, qualitative methods (including participant observation, intensive interviewing, and focus groups) are utilized to capture experiences...
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...Business Research Skills Qualitative Research Report Business Research Skills Qualitative Research Report Teresa Cooney B00251777 Teresa Cooney B00251777 Contents Introduction 2 1. Research Design 3 1.1 Qualitative Research Methods 3 1.2 Thematic Analysis 3 2. Findings and Analysis 6 References 8 Appendix 1 9 Appendix 2 13 Introduction This report has been commissioned by the University of the West of Scotland (Paisley campus) for the Business Research Skills course. All the information contained within the report has been collected through various sources, such as; text books, internet sites, case studies and relevant Journals. The aim of this report was to analyse the interview transcript from UWS Business School. The purpose was to evaluate the current trends and future thinking’s of an area of business and operational management. The report contains an analysis and explanation of research design and qualitative research methods. This includes the qualitative research method, Thematic research. It outlines the six phases of the Thematic Analysis process. Following on from this, included is a detailed Thematic analysis of the interview transcript provided by UWS Business School. 1. Research Design The term research design refers to the comprehensive strategy chosen to include different parts of study in a logical manner. This ensures the research problem is efficiently addressed. Research design represents the framework...
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...There are three main types of research methodology: qualitative, quantitative and the mixed method approach. Qualitative research is collecting, interpreting and analysing data based on observing what people do or say. On the other hand, qualitative research refers to the meanings, definitions, metaphors, characteristics and description of things (Thomas, 2003). While, mixed research uses both qualitative and quantitative methods and blends the resulting data in certain ways (Jick, 1979). The design for this research is the use of a descriptive and interpretive focus group analyses through a mix method approach. The focus and purpose of the research is to analyze the usage of renewable energies throughout the Caribbean as an alternative energy...
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...your work will also be penalized. I hereby confirm that I have read and understood the University’s regulations relating to plagiarism (as summarized in the MA in Human Resources and Consulting Participant Handbook) and that the work to which this declaration is attached is my own. Signature of Student: | | Qualitative Research Methods Review Taking “The Supportive expatriate spouse” as a case Introduction This Review is aimed at analyzing the qualitative research methods used in “The supportive expatriate spouse” by Jakob Lauring and Jan Selmer (2010).The specific research elements will be discussed in perspectives of suitability, benefits, limitations and ethical issues in context of the authors’ research. Research Methods The research question of the above article is to investigate the positive influence of accompanying spouses on their business expatriates. Samplings elected are sixteen Danish female accompanying women in a same Danish subsidiary in Saudi Arabian. The underlying ontological and epistemological thinking is respectively relativism and social constructionism. Accordingly, the authors choose ethnographic and single-case study methods as research methodology....
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...QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS PAPER Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods Paper Obbie Brown University: Course: Tutor: Date: Appropriate Academic Research An appropriate academic research can be defined as the research and the experimental developments which comprise creative works which are conducted on a systematic basis with an aim of increasing the pool of an individual’s or a group’s knowledge. The knowledge could include the in-depth knowledge of mankind, culture and the society. The stock of knowledge is then used to devise alternative solutions to the existing problems (Brew & Lucas, 2009). Quantitative Research Quantitative form of research is predetermined and involves a large number of respondents. It involves objective measurements which are both quantitative and are statistically valid. Quantitative research entails hard and objective data. Quantitative research seeks to quantify data and generalize the results from the predetermined sample to the target population. It also aims at measuring the incidence of various views and opinions in a given sample (Balnaves & Caputi, 2001). Qualitative Research Qualitative research involves the collection, analysis and interpretation of data through the application of the observatory techniques as well as listening to peoples’ opinions. While quantitative research entails the counts and measures of phenomena, the qualitative research focuses...
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...The Qualitative Report Volume 8 Number 3 September 2003 447-461 http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR8-3/mccaslin.pdf The Five-Question Method For Framing A Qualitative Research Study Mark L. McCaslin University of Idaho, Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA Karen Wilson Scott University of Idaho, Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA The Five-Question Method is an approach to framing Qualitative Research, focusing on the methodologies of five of the major traditions in qualitative research: biography, ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, and case study. Asking Five Questions, novice researchers select a methodology appropriate to the desired perspective on the selected topic. The Method facilitates identifying and writing a Problem Statement. Through taking a future perspective, the researcher discovers the importance and direction of the study and composes a Purpose Statement. The process develops an overarching research question integrating the purpose and the research problem. The role of the researcher and management of assumptions and biases is discussed. The Five-Question Method simplifies the framing process promoting quality in qualitative research design. A course outline is appended. Key words: Qualitative Research, Five-Question Method, Biography Research, Phenomenology Research, Grounded Theory Research, Case Study Research, and Ethnography Research Introduction Planning a qualitative study for the first time tends to be an intimidating venture for graduate students just entering...
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...1. Measurement is the assignment of numbers or other symbols to characteristics of objects according to certain specified rules. Measurement can be scalable, specific and can also include a description, an order, the distance or origin. Measurement can be a unique identifier, a preference of something over another or even a generalization or precise starting point. 2. The basic characteristic of a scale are description, order, distance, and origin, together they define the level of measurement of a scale. The description is the unique identifier that is used for each of the values being measured on the scale. Order can be the size or preference of what is preferred over another. Distance is the difference of what makes what is currently known about what is being scaled to what is being measured. Origin is having a set or known fix point to start what is being measured. 3. The primary scales of measurement are nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. Nominal scale is what is labeled to identify or have a description of what is being measured. Ordinal scale is ranking or the positioning of the unit being measured. Interval scale is the measuring of the equal values assigned to the units which allows for comparison between equal units. Ratio is the combination of nominal, ordinal and interval scales, with a starting point of zero that creates a statistical measurement of ranking, identifying and ordering. 4. The differences between a nominal scale and an ordinal...
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...How is it what you are learning in QMB 6357 about statistics and Excel relevant to your work? What has been the most valuable skill you've learned and why? in your answer, provide specific instances of when you think you might apply what you have learned in the work environment. If you are not currently working in a field where these skills might be applicable, consider how you might use them as you progress in your career. This course has helped me understand many things I didn’t understand before. I work in the banking industry but in the customer service side of it or, to be more specific, in Personal Banking. We have to use spreadsheets for many things since we have to deal with every department in the bank for issues with debit cards, wire transfers, checkbooks, and investments, among others. We share spreadsheets in order to keep ourselves organized and up to date on what each department is doing. I personally have never been an expert using Excell but I recently became part of a new institution and they are very Excell oriented. The good thing is that I started taking this course at the same time as I started the new job. I have learned from the course and have been able to apply it in my new job duties. I work for a Chilean bank and the Head Office in Chile as well as ourselves need to know how much monies are flowing between us. We use spreadsheets and Excell Functions to get averages and additions to give them the information we need to proper address any issues...
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...psychology was known as the science of the mind, then shifted focus to behaviour in the 1950s, and has since swung back to the mind, but, however chequered its history may have been, it has remained predominantly shaded by the science umbrella. As Searle (1999) points out “academic psychology has placed great importance on the use of scientific approaches”, which has resulted in an emphasis on quantitative research methods, centred on collection of numerical data and statistical analysis (the empirical approach). However, since the 1960s there has been increasing criticism of such reliance on the quantitative data-collection characteristics of the scientific method, which has developed over subsequent decades into a strong shift towards more qualitative approaches. This has led to the somewhat inevitable, yet ultimately unhelpful, divide between competing methods: quantitative versus qualitative. According to Bauer, et al (2000), quantitative research deals with numbers, makes use of statistical models to explain the data and is considered ‘hard’ research, whereas qualitative research avoids numbers, involves interpretation of social realities and is considered ‘soft research. Both approaches, however, have their strengths and weaknesses. The strengths of quantitative research, as outlined by Burns (2000), includes precision and control – precision is achieved through quantitative and reliable measurement, control through sampling and design. Further, “experimentation leads to statements...
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...Qualitative research is a different approach to problem solving than quantitative research. The primary difference is in how a problem is approached. In the qualitative realm the method is primarily exploratory in nature. The researcher gradually delves deeper into the subject until reaching a core of information that can be used to implement problem solving. Qualitative research often depends on in depth interviews with small groups of individuals where quantitative method can take vast amounts of information, sometimes from millions of people and quantify it into trends that can improve medical practices over the norm. The purpose of Qualitative research is to gain an understanding of underlying reasons and motivations as well as to provide insights into the setting of a problem, generating ideas and/or hypotheses for later quantitative research and to uncover prevalent trends in thought and opinion. The advantage includes testing and validating already constructed theories about how and why phenomena occur, testing hypotheses that are constructed before the data are collected. It is used to generalize research findings when the data are based on random samples of sufficient size and generalize a research finding when it has been replicated on many different populations and subpopulations. It is useful for obtaining data that allow quantitative predictions to be made. Data collection using some quantitative methods is relatively quick (e.g., telephone interviews). It...
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...Qualitative research is a different approach to problem solving than quantitative research. The primary difference is in how a problem is approached. In the qualitative realm the method is primarily exploratory in nature. The researcher gradually delves deeper into the subject until reaching a core of information that can be used to implement problem solving. Qualitative research often depends on in depth interviews with small groups of individuals where quantitative method can take vast amounts of information, sometimes from millions of people and quantify it into trends that can improve medical practices over the norm. The purpose of Qualitative research is to gain an understanding of underlying reasons and motivations as well as to provide insights into the setting of a problem, generating ideas and/or hypotheses for later quantitative research and to uncover prevalent trends in thought and opinion. The advantage includes testing and validating already constructed theories about how and why phenomena occur, testing hypotheses that are constructed before the data are collected. It is used to generalize research findings when the data are based on random samples of sufficient size and generalize a research finding when it has been replicated on many different populations and subpopulations. It is useful for obtaining data that allow quantitative predictions to be made. Data collection using some quantitative methods is relatively quick (e.g., telephone interviews). It...
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...SURGICAL NURSING Making patients better: a qualitative descriptive study of registered nurses’ reasons for working in surgical areas Carolyn Mackintosh BA, MSc, RGN, Pg Dip, PhD Senior Lecturer, Division of Nursing, University of Bradford, Unity Building, Trinity Road, Bradford, UK Submitted for publication: 13 May 2005 Accepted for publication: 16 December 2005 Correspondence: Carolyn Mackintosh Division of Nursing University of Bradford Unity Building Trinity Road Bradford BD5 0BB UK Telephone: þ44 1274 236546 E-mail: c.mackintosh@bradford.ac.uk M A C K I N T O S H C ( 2 0 0 7 ) Journal of Clinical Nursing 16, 1134–1140 Making patients better: a qualitative descriptive study of registered nurses’ reasons for working in surgical areas Aims. To explore the reasons and motivation identified by qualified nurses for working within the surgical area. Background. Little is known about the career decisions qualified nurses make, although it is clear that some areas of practice are more popular than others. This qualitative descriptive study considers one common area, surgery, and explores the motivation for decisions made by Registered Nurses (RNs) to work in this area. Method. A sample of 16 RNs working within surgical areas participated in semistructured interviews, using a thematic interview schedule. Findings were analysed using the framework suggested by Morse and Field. Results. Analysis of findings indicates that all participants actively...
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...rationale for qualitative research Qualitative strategies Types of qualitative methods 1 Qualitative sampling Quality control Week 3 2 Inductive view of relationship between theory and research o theories and concepts emerge from the data Emphasis on words/text rather than numbers Systematic exploration of social phenomenon Description and analysis of social situations A “holistic” understanding Flexible and iterative research method Exploring a problem Identifying perceptions of a problem Identifying relevant interventions Investigating feasibility, acceptability & appropriateness of solutions Developing suitable information, education & communication Complementing quantitative data by helping to interpret it Designing more valid survey instruments 3 4 Qualitative techniques not based on numbers Accrual of large amounts of information about a few cases (people, organisations, facilities, programmes, locations) Data used: when the focus of the research is on meaning and feelings (although these can also be studied quantitatively) when working inductively when the researcher accepts that the concepts, terms and issues must be defined by the subjects and not by the researcher in advance when interaction between members of a group is of interest. Research problem Concept Concept Concept 5 Inductively developed theory 6 1 4/02/2015 “Qualitative researchers...
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