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Full-Text Articles in Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies

The Institutional Review Board (Irb) And Faculty: Does The Irb Challenge Faculty Professionalism In The Social Sciences?, Glenda Droogsma Musoba, Stacy A. Jacob, Leslie J. Robinson Dec 2014

The Institutional Review Board (Irb) And Faculty: Does The Irb Challenge Faculty Professionalism In The Social Sciences?, Glenda Droogsma Musoba, Stacy A. Jacob, Leslie J. Robinson

The Qualitative Report

Institutional Review Boards (IRB) were instituted to protect the rights of research participants and due to past (and at times egregious) practices committed in the name of research. We question whether the IRB is currently overstepping its bounds into the domain of the researcher. We illustrate possible ways in which the IRB subtlety and not so subtlety challenge faculty professionalism and limit faculty research independence, highlighting some instances in which qualitative research topics bump up against boards that mistrust or misunderstand the nature of qualitative research. Using case study vignettes from five universities, our concerns focused on mission creep and …


A Sensitive Question: Asking About Race In A Research Interview, Laura O'Hare Nov 2014

A Sensitive Question: Asking About Race In A Research Interview, Laura O'Hare

The Qualitative Report

Conversations are significant, but often overlooked cultural sites where attitudes, beliefs, and values about race are both reified and challenged. As such, these sites deserve increased scholarly attention (Allen, 2007). We employed Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory as a framework to examine the discursive strategies used by 11 interviewers in a research context as they asked 115 patient participants (taking part in a larger study of patients at a community-based family medicine residency clinic) to identify their race, as well as to identify the discursive strategies used by patient participants who answered this question. Our analysis revealed that in their …


Enhancing The Experience: A Multiple Case Study Of Students' Experiences Using Arts-Based Techniques In Learning Qualitative Research, Sheryl L. Chatfield, Robin Cooper, Elizabeth Holden, Kelly Macias Oct 2014

Enhancing The Experience: A Multiple Case Study Of Students' Experiences Using Arts-Based Techniques In Learning Qualitative Research, Sheryl L. Chatfield, Robin Cooper, Elizabeth Holden, Kelly Macias

The Qualitative Report

This paper represents the third in a series of reports published in TQR in which authors explore students’ experiences learning to conduct qualitative research. Prior researchers have suggested that emotional and experiential elements of the learning experience are key for students learning to conduct qualitative research; the use of arts-based approaches may help address these priorities. We gave students in a conflict analysis and resolution degree program opportunities to conduct qualitative research using either an arts-based or traditional approach to analysis. We identified several ways that arts enhanced the learning experience for students, and discuss considerations for instructors or others …


Qualitative Case Study Guidelines, Saša Baškarada Oct 2014

Qualitative Case Study Guidelines, Saša Baškarada

The Qualitative Report

Although widely used, the qualitative case study method is not well understood. Due to conflicting epistemological presuppositions and the complexity inherent in qualitative case-based studies, scientific rigor can be difficult to demonstrate, and any resulting findings can be difficult tojustify. For that reason, this paper discusses methodological problems associated with qualitative case-based research and offers guidelines for overcoming them. Due to its nearly universal acceptance, Yin’s six-stage case study process is adopted and elaborated on. Moreover, additional principles from the wider methodological literature are integrated and explained. Finally, some modifications to the dependencies between the six case study stages are …


Bullying In Graduate School: Its Nature And Effects, Rachel H. Gentry, Bernard E. Whitley Jr. Sep 2014

Bullying In Graduate School: Its Nature And Effects, Rachel H. Gentry, Bernard E. Whitley Jr.

The Qualitative Report

Does bullying exist in graduate school? If so, what does it look like? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 graduate students from various departments at a medium-sized, Midwestern U.S. university. Grounded Theory methodology (Glaser, 1978) was utilized to gain insight into the terms and behaviors students used to define bullying in the graduate school context. Through constant comparative analysis (Stern, 1980), categories emerged that provided an understanding of the different perspectives inherent in a bully system, and the meanings attached to bullying behaviors. These findings can provide administrators and counselors with the information necessary to conduct preventative training to help …


Leaders And Recruiters From The Next Generation: A Phenomenological Study, Lautrice M. Nickson, Richard C. Henriksen Jr. Sep 2014

Leaders And Recruiters From The Next Generation: A Phenomenological Study, Lautrice M. Nickson, Richard C. Henriksen Jr.

The Qualitative Report

Studies involving student ambassadors have demonstrated their significance in recruiting prospective students to universities and colleges but they have not included the perceptions of the student ambassadors themselves. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions and experiences of students who served as student ambassadors for their educational institution. Fifteen student ambassadors provided individual descriptions of their perceptions of being an ambassador. Four themes provided a description of ambassadors’ perceptions: (a) belonging, (b) personal growth, (c) diversity, and (d) recruitment. A discussion of the benefits of student ambassadors as leaders are presented in terms of their ability …


Reducing Confusion About Grounded Theory And Qualitative Content Analysis: Similarities And Differences, Ji Young Cho, Eun-Hee Lee Aug 2014

Reducing Confusion About Grounded Theory And Qualitative Content Analysis: Similarities And Differences, Ji Young Cho, Eun-Hee Lee

The Qualitative Report

Although grounded theory and qualitative content analysis are similar in some respects, they differ as well; yet the differences between the two have rarely been made clear in the literature. The purpose of this article was to clarify ambiguities and reduce confusion about grounded theory and qualitative content analysis by identifying similarities and differences in the two based on a literature review and critical reflection on the authors’ own research. Six areas of difference emerged: (a) background and philosophical base, (b) unique characteristics of each method, (c) goals and rationale of each method, (d) data analysis process, (e) outcomes of …


Methodological Considerations For Qualitative Research With Immigrant Populations: Lessons From Two Studies, Yu Lu, Mary W. Gatua Jul 2014

Methodological Considerations For Qualitative Research With Immigrant Populations: Lessons From Two Studies, Yu Lu, Mary W. Gatua

The Qualitative Report

Often, research strategies are guided by principles developed based on mainstream U.S. cultural norms. Immigrants, however, may differ in their cultural backgrounds and previous exposure to research. Commonly adopted research procedures, such as the informed consent process, may be culturally inappropriate for research with culturally diverse populations, and hence require cultural adaptations. Based on two qualitative studies, this paper describes the methodological issues encountered in the field when working with Chinese and Kenyan immigrants, and explains how these issues were resolved. Comparing and synthesizing experiences from the two studies, recommendations for methodological adaptations when working with immigrant populations are provided. …


On The Inside Looking In: Methodological Insights And Challenges In Conducting Qualitative Insider Research, Melanie J. Greene Jul 2014

On The Inside Looking In: Methodological Insights And Challenges In Conducting Qualitative Insider Research, Melanie J. Greene

The Qualitative Report

As qualitative researchers, what stories we are told, how they are relayed to us, and the narratives that we form and share with others are inevitably influenced by our position and experiences as a researcher in relation to our participants. This is particularly true for insider research, which is concerned with the study of one’s own social group or society. This paper explores some of the possible methodological insights and challenges that may arise from insider research, and suggests several techniques and tools that may be utilized to aid in, rather than hinder, the process of the telling and sharing …


Recruitment And Retention Of Vulnerable Populations: Lessons Learned From A Longitudinal Qualitative Study, Evalina Van Wijk Jul 2014

Recruitment And Retention Of Vulnerable Populations: Lessons Learned From A Longitudinal Qualitative Study, Evalina Van Wijk

The Qualitative Report

The main focus of the researcher’s study was to examine the lived experiences of intimate partners of female rape victims within the first six months post rape. Yet, many publications describing longitudinal qualitative studies of sexual assault fail to provide a detailed report on the processes followed, the difficulties experienced, as well as the reasons for such difficulties. To fill theses gaps, in this paper, the researcher describes the strategies applied to recruit and retain the participants for the entire six-month period post rape. The lessons learned during recruitment and data collection are also described. The research question that guided …


Ethics In Fieldwork: Reflections On The Unexpected, Jane Palmer, Dena Fam, Tanzi Smith, Sarina Kilham Jul 2014

Ethics In Fieldwork: Reflections On The Unexpected, Jane Palmer, Dena Fam, Tanzi Smith, Sarina Kilham

The Qualitative Report

Research involving fieldwork can present the researcher with ethical dilemmas not anticipated in institutional ethics approval processes, and which offer profound personal and methodological challenges. The authors' experiences of conducting qualitative fieldwork in four distinctly different contexts are used to illustrate some of these unexpected consequences and ethical dilemmas. Issues encountered included: compromised relationships with informants which develop in unforeseen ways; engagement with traumatized informants which lead to unexpected roles for the researcher such as confidante, dealing with new information that is critical to informants' futures but could undermine the research project, and the implications of ethical decisions for research …


New Emerging Technologies In Qualitative Research, Dorit Redlich-Amirav, Gene Higginbottom Jun 2014

New Emerging Technologies In Qualitative Research, Dorit Redlich-Amirav, Gene Higginbottom

The Qualitative Report

According to Mayan (2009) being a qualitative researcher means to "enjoy living and learning with people to collectively make sense of our world. Qualitative research is not only done with people, it is also accomplished through people…" (p. 12). By virtue of its various definitions, qualitative research involves a great deal of human communication. Communication has a major role in all aspects of qualitative research from planning to execution. While many new qualitative research technologies have evolved over the past few decades, the most critical and influential ones are those related to communication technologies. As there is limited data about …


The Accordion And The Deep Bowl Of Spaghetti: Eight Researchers' Experiences Of Using Ipa As A Methodology, Chris Wagstaff, Hyeseung Jeong, Maeve Nolan, Tony Wilson, Julie Tweedlie, Elly Phillips, Halia Senu, Fiona Holland Jun 2014

The Accordion And The Deep Bowl Of Spaghetti: Eight Researchers' Experiences Of Using Ipa As A Methodology, Chris Wagstaff, Hyeseung Jeong, Maeve Nolan, Tony Wilson, Julie Tweedlie, Elly Phillips, Halia Senu, Fiona Holland

The Qualitative Report

Since 1996 Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) has grown rapidly and been applied in areas outside its initial “home” of health psychology. However, explorations of its application from a researcher's perspective are scarce. This paper provides reflections on the experiences of eight individual researchers using IPA in diverse disciplinary fields and cultures. The research studies were conducted in the USA, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the UK by researchers with backgrounds in business management, consumer behaviour, mental health nursing, nurse education, applied linguistics, clinical psychology, health and education. They variously explored media awareness, employee commitment, disengagement from mental health services, …


Advantages, Disadvantages, And Lessons Learned In Conducting Telephone Focus Groups To Discuss Biospecimen Research Concerns Of Individuals Genetically At Risk For Cancer, Alexis M. Koskan, Janique Rice, Clement K. Gwede, Cathy D. Meade, Ivana Sehovic, Gwendolyn P. Quinn Jun 2014

Advantages, Disadvantages, And Lessons Learned In Conducting Telephone Focus Groups To Discuss Biospecimen Research Concerns Of Individuals Genetically At Risk For Cancer, Alexis M. Koskan, Janique Rice, Clement K. Gwede, Cathy D. Meade, Ivana Sehovic, Gwendolyn P. Quinn

The Qualitative Report

Advances in telecommunication technology allow biomedical researchers to explore new, inexpensive opportunities for conducting focus group research. This article reports our experiences using such technology to engage individuals genetically at risk for cancer about biospecimen research. Telephone-based focus groups were conducted with a total of 40 individuals, and participants were asked about their experiences and perceived benefits and limitations of participating in a telephone focus group about biospecimen research. The lessons learned can effectively be applied to other areas of health research. In particular, this method may be most useful to engage individuals who are less apt to speak in …


A Qualitative Inquiry Into The Life Experiences Of Unaccompanied Korean Adolescents In The United States, Tae-Sik Kim May 2014

A Qualitative Inquiry Into The Life Experiences Of Unaccompanied Korean Adolescents In The United States, Tae-Sik Kim

The Qualitative Report

Recognizing the lack of comprehensive academic study concerning the life experiences of unaccompanied Korean adolescents overseas, this study inquired into many aspects of the daily life of the young sojourners. In order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of their living experiences, the present study set broad research questions: What do unaccompanied adolescents experience in host homes, schools, and communities in the United States? How do they build personal relationships with people in the United States? How do they deal with new experiences in different sociocultural environments? A total of 31 Korean students in Oklahoma City, Boston, and Dallas participated in …


A Conversation Between Kip Jones And Patricia Leavy: Arts-Based Research, Performative Social Science And Working On The Margins, Kip Jones, Patricia Leavy May 2014

A Conversation Between Kip Jones And Patricia Leavy: Arts-Based Research, Performative Social Science And Working On The Margins, Kip Jones, Patricia Leavy

The Qualitative Report

This paper reports a conversation between international pioneers in ArtsBased Research and Performative Social Science, Patricia Leavy and Kip Jones. They begin by delineating the differences between research and/or dissemination that use tools from the Arts in their production. Leavy turns to her fiction writing as an example, while Jones discusses the making of his research-based short film, Rufus Stone. The conversation then turns to how these novel approaches have changed the way in which they work and these efforts in relation to the academy. The concept of “audience” is raised. Both then give examples of taking alternative routes in …


From Quackery To Control: Perceptions Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine From Users With Mental Health Disorders, Rachael Welsh Allen May 2014

From Quackery To Control: Perceptions Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine From Users With Mental Health Disorders, Rachael Welsh Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an investigation into why people with depression and anxiety use complementary and alternative medicines at higher rates than the general population. The study examines perceptions of mental illness and meanings assigned to depression and anxiety, others’ perceptions of mental illness, and experiences with conventional medicine. All participants were using complementary and alternative medicine at the time of the study; their reasons for CAM use as well as how CAM affected perceptions of their illness were main research questions. I conducted three focus groups with individuals diagnosed with depression who were using complementary and alternative medicine as forms …


Qualitative Research By A Non-Hierarchical Team, José G. Rigau-Pérez, Silvia E. Rabionet, Annette B. Ramírez De Arellano, Wilfredo A. Géigel, Raúl Mayo-Santana, Alma Simounet Apr 2014

Qualitative Research By A Non-Hierarchical Team, José G. Rigau-Pérez, Silvia E. Rabionet, Annette B. Ramírez De Arellano, Wilfredo A. Géigel, Raúl Mayo-Santana, Alma Simounet

The Qualitative Report

In this and subsequent issues, The Qualitative Report will publish eight articles about a journal written by Edward B. Emerson (1805-1834), a younger brother of American philosopher and writer Ralph Waldo Emerson. This introduction will describe the origins of the project, the sources, the process and the outcomes of the collaboration. The authors hope to document and illustrate the richness and value of interdisciplinary qualitative inquiry, while providing specifics of how the Emerson Journal Project evolved. We provide examples to illustrate the characteristics of effective teamwork, but also present the challenges along the way and how they were surmounted. The …


Concept Mapping As A Data Collection And Analysis Tool In Historical Research, Nancy Baugh, Ann Mcnallen, Michelle Frazelle Mar 2014

Concept Mapping As A Data Collection And Analysis Tool In Historical Research, Nancy Baugh, Ann Mcnallen, Michelle Frazelle

The Qualitative Report

Nurse researchers explored the history of Mary Breckenridge’s Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) during the years 1925 to 1965, to elicit how her experience could inform present day concerns regarding universal access to healthcare. A historical biographical approach informed by critical theory was selected as the methodology. As historical research tends to generate large volumes of data, concept mapping was selected to collect, reduce, organize and interpret data. Additionally, concept mapping can assist researchers to agree on meaning as seen in interrelationships of the data. The final aggregate concept map is a graphic, visual representation of the outcome of this historical …


Revealing The Colour And Personality In Texts: Putting The "Person" Back Into Our Results, Rod Pitcher Mar 2014

Revealing The Colour And Personality In Texts: Putting The "Person" Back Into Our Results, Rod Pitcher

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this paper is to show how the colour and personality contained in texts can be derived and analysed. This colour and personality indicates something important about the respondents’ thinking which is lost using normal analytical techniques. The method used to extract the meaningful words was largely intuitive. That is, I selected the words which seemed to me to indicate something about the thoughts of the respondents and provide colour and personality to the text. These words show how the subject under discussion is seen by the respondent. I would suggest that the method described in this paper …


The Unremarkable Things Matter: A Book Review Of David Silverman's A Very Short, Fairly Interesting And Reasonably Cheap Book About Qualitative Research (2nd Ed.), Lun Li Mar 2014

The Unremarkable Things Matter: A Book Review Of David Silverman's A Very Short, Fairly Interesting And Reasonably Cheap Book About Qualitative Research (2nd Ed.), Lun Li

The Qualitative Report

In this review of the book, A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Qualitative Research by David Silverman, I write from the perspectives following Silverman’s arguments about “unremarkable things matter” in qualitative research. Based on his inspiring thoughts on modern qualitative research, I also express my reflective ideas as a doctoral student.


Empowerment And Sense Of Adequacy In Infertile Couples: A Fundamental Need In Treatment Process Of Infertility - A Qualitative Study, Ali Zargham-Boroujeni, Fatemeh Jafarzadeh-Kenarsari, Ataollah Ghahiri, Mojtaba Habibi Feb 2014

Empowerment And Sense Of Adequacy In Infertile Couples: A Fundamental Need In Treatment Process Of Infertility - A Qualitative Study, Ali Zargham-Boroujeni, Fatemeh Jafarzadeh-Kenarsari, Ataollah Ghahiri, Mojtaba Habibi

The Qualitative Report

Many Iranian couples are suffering from infertility, and their needs have remained unexplored thus far; therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the infertile couples’ needs and experiences during diagnosis and different stages of infertility treatment. Specific research question included: What are infertile couples’ viewpoints and perceptions about their needs in treatment process of infertility? Researchers used a qualitative design, based on a content analysis approach to analyze in-depth unstructured interviews conducted with seventeen infertile couples. The participants’ needs were categorized into five categories. All five categories had one theme in common which was identified as “empowerment and …


Linda Cabral And Judy Savageau On Improve Your Surveys By Conducting Cognitive Interviews, Linda M. Cabral, Judith A. Savageau Jan 2014

Linda Cabral And Judy Savageau On Improve Your Surveys By Conducting Cognitive Interviews, Linda M. Cabral, Judith A. Savageau

Judith A. Savageau

Blog post to AEA365, a blog sponsored by the American Evaluation Association (AEA) dedicated to highlighting Hot Tips, Cool Tricks, Rad Resources, and Lessons Learned for evaluators. The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association of evaluators devoted to the application and exploration of program evaluation, personnel evaluation, technology, and many other forms of evaluation. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products, and organizations to improve their effectiveness.


Living With Uncertainty: The Impact On Breast Cancer Survivors And Their Intimate Partners, Kimberley Dockery Jan 2014

Living With Uncertainty: The Impact On Breast Cancer Survivors And Their Intimate Partners, Kimberley Dockery

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

This study explored the lived experiences of breast cancer survivors and their intimate partners. The research was informed by a social constructionist framework and phenomenological method of inquiry. While the body of literature on the physical, psychological, and social health of breast cancer survivors is growing, only a few studies have focused solely on the lived experience of survivorship and the uncertainty of recurrence. This study sought to explore the construction of meaning in the couples' context and experiences of surviving breast cancer. The present study examined how breast cancer survivors make meaning of their survivorship in context of living …