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

A Review Of Critical Quality Inquiry: Foundations And Futures, Daniel Cade Allen Dec 2015

A Review Of Critical Quality Inquiry: Foundations And Futures, Daniel Cade Allen

The Qualitative Report

In an age of growing concern over issues of social justice, Gaile S. Canella, Michelle Salazar Perez, and Penny A. Pasque offer a refreshing examination of the process and purpose of conducting Critical Qualitative inquiry. A series of essays from noted scholars examine the researcher paradigm in a novel paradigm: globalization and social justice. The reviewer examined the collection of essays as someone who has had little experience with this form of academic inquiry.


Enhancing Students’ Understanding And Revision Of Narrative Writing Through Self-Assessment And Dialogue: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study, Stephanie Baxa Oct 2015

Enhancing Students’ Understanding And Revision Of Narrative Writing Through Self-Assessment And Dialogue: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study, Stephanie Baxa

The Qualitative Report

With students losing hope when faced with challenges in the classroom, daily student-involved formative assessment that contributes to a growth mindset is essential. Through self-assessment and dialogue, students can generate feedback used for improvement of their writing, and teachers can give feedback that fosters self-efficacy. The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to explore the growth of fifth-grade writers as they participated in self-assessment, writing conferences with their teacher, and story revision. Research questions focused on students’ ability to explain learning targets and strengths and weaknesses of their writing and their ability to revise their writing. The participants, two …


Midcourse Corrections And Life Satisfaction In A Sample Of Mid-Career Doctoral Students, Catherine E. Hiltz-Hymes, Susan Spicer, Elizabeth A. Hardy, Manuela Waddell, Sherry L. Hatcher Oct 2015

Midcourse Corrections And Life Satisfaction In A Sample Of Mid-Career Doctoral Students, Catherine E. Hiltz-Hymes, Susan Spicer, Elizabeth A. Hardy, Manuela Waddell, Sherry L. Hatcher

The Qualitative Report

The focus of this study was to examine motivations and reactions in context of a midlife decision to seek a doctoral degree. Participants were 116 non-traditional age, men and women graduate students and recent alumni from one of three geographically distributed and blended delivery model doctoral programs. Demographic information was collected, including career history and goals, age, gender, and ethnicity. The mean and median ages were between 41 and 50. The research questionnaire featured narrative questions regarding “midcourse corrections,” any experienced trauma, and life satisfactions. Autobiographical material was also analyzed thematically, providing further illustrative examples of the midlife experiences in …


Embedding Researcher’S Reflexive Accounts Within The Analysis Of A Semi-Structured Qualitative Interview, Nashwa Ibrahim, Alison Edgley Oct 2015

Embedding Researcher’S Reflexive Accounts Within The Analysis Of A Semi-Structured Qualitative Interview, Nashwa Ibrahim, Alison Edgley

The Qualitative Report

This manuscript aims to embed a researcher’s reflexive account within a qualitative interview in an iterative process whereby a self-analytic reflexive exercise was conducted prior to, during the interview, and within the analysis of the interview. This interview was conducted between an overseas PhD student as an interviewer and a native PhD student as interviewee. The researcher’s (interviewer) demonstration of learning about herself is of particular importance in this piece of work. Having the chance to conduct this interview between an overseas PhD student and a native student provided insights about the stereotypes implanted within the researcher which meant that …


Accommodations In The College Setting: The Perspectives Of Students Living With Disabilities, Lorna C. Timmerman, Thalia M. Mulvihill Oct 2015

Accommodations In The College Setting: The Perspectives Of Students Living With Disabilities, Lorna C. Timmerman, Thalia M. Mulvihill

The Qualitative Report

Using a critical interpretive framework, the authors utilized semi-structured interviews to understand the experiences and perceptions of two college students living with disability concerning their use of accommodations, modifications, and adaptations in program requirements, classroom instruction, and testing. The central research questions were: “Are accommodations perceived as effective in supporting students with disabilities in their academic and social pursuits? Do students perceive that accommodations allow them maximum engagement and participation in their educational experiences?” and “To what extent are accommodations perceived by the participants as leveling the playing field for students with disabilities?” And, finally, “What do the participants perceive …


Small Doses, Sabrina Cherry Oct 2015

Small Doses, Sabrina Cherry

The Qualitative Report

In Sweetwater (2013), Robin M. Boylorn presents an intricate look at the lives of rural, Black women. The author weaves in her own story as she details the day-to-day struggles, negotiations and realities of living in a small town while being Black, poor, and female. This review attempts to provide praise for Boylorn’s work, while also offering critiques and further considerations.


Situating Vulnerability In Research: Implications For Researcher Transformation And Methodological Innovation, Joyce A. Arditti Oct 2015

Situating Vulnerability In Research: Implications For Researcher Transformation And Methodological Innovation, Joyce A. Arditti

The Qualitative Report

In this paper, I broaden definitions pertaining to vulnerable participants and elaborate on issues in conducting research with justice-involved individuals and their families. I explore how special human subjects protections may inadvertently silence participants and further marginalize them, along with the social inequality that characterizes “at risk” research populations. Finally, I discuss how vulnerability can invite researcher transformation and methodological innovation and highlight the value of researcher reflexivity, community based participatory research and mixed methods approaches.


The Alternate Assessment Based On Alternate Achievement Standards Eligibility Decision-Making Process, Karren Streagle, Karen Wilson Scott Aug 2015

The Alternate Assessment Based On Alternate Achievement Standards Eligibility Decision-Making Process, Karren Streagle, Karen Wilson Scott

The Qualitative Report

Under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), students with significant intellectual disabilities (ID) are allowed to take alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) in lieu of the standardized assessments taken by their peers, however evidence suggests that IEP teams inconsistently and sometimes inaccurately apply established participation criteria in finding students eligible to participate in AA-AAS. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to describe the decision-making process used by Individual Education Program (IEP) teams to identify students eligible to participate in AA-AAS. Thirteen case managers of students taking the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) from central Virginia participated …


Understanding African American Males’ Schooling Experiences: A Qualitative Inquiry, Edward E. Bell Aug 2015

Understanding African American Males’ Schooling Experiences: A Qualitative Inquiry, Edward E. Bell

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how African American males feel about their schooling experiences. Eighteen participants were selected for this inquiry. This study took place in eastern North Carolina. Many African American males lack early learning experiences to adequately prepare for a positive schooling experience. The findings from this study might prove helpful for working with African American males in an educational setting.


Teaching Qualitative Research: Fostering Student Curiositythrough An Arts-Informed Pedagogy, Jennifer Lapum, Sarah Hume Aug 2015

Teaching Qualitative Research: Fostering Student Curiositythrough An Arts-Informed Pedagogy, Jennifer Lapum, Sarah Hume

The Qualitative Report

Creative pedagogical approaches in higher education can facilitate students’ journey in thinking like and becoming a qualitative researcher. Pedagogical approaches tend to focus on procedural steps of qualitative research neglecting students’ development of cognitive skills and reflective capacity. Arts-informed teaching methods for qualitative research show promise as an educational development in stimulating student interest and expanding their understanding of qualitative research through an experiential approach to learning. In this article, the use of an arts-informed pedagogy to structure a graduate level qualitative research course is discussed. This pedagogy, grounded in experiential teaching-learning theories, was developed to foster students’ curiosity as …


Assessing The Facts: A Mnemonic For Teaching And Learning The Rapid Assessment Of Rigor In Qualitative Research Studies, Mohamed El Hussein, Sonya L. Jakubec, Joseph Osuji Aug 2015

Assessing The Facts: A Mnemonic For Teaching And Learning The Rapid Assessment Of Rigor In Qualitative Research Studies, Mohamed El Hussein, Sonya L. Jakubec, Joseph Osuji

The Qualitative Report

Teaching and learning research appraisal strategies is a challenge in undergraduate education and for practitioners alike. The appraisal of rigor in qualitative research papers is particularly complex and sophisticated work for many undergraduate research students and practitioners who want to develop their critical reading skills. The mnemonic strategy (The FACTS) explained in this paper is one pedagogical strategy for establishing a simplified approach to teaching and learning the appraisal of rigor in qualitative research. While not a comprehensive tool, the FACTS are a useful introduction to the complex challenge of qualitative research appraisal.


Past, Present, And Future Of Assessment In Schools: A Thematic Narrative Analysis, Stephanie Green, Jessica Kearbey, Jennifer Wolgemuth, Vonzell Agosto, Jeanine Romano, Mike Riley, Aimee Frier Jul 2015

Past, Present, And Future Of Assessment In Schools: A Thematic Narrative Analysis, Stephanie Green, Jessica Kearbey, Jennifer Wolgemuth, Vonzell Agosto, Jeanine Romano, Mike Riley, Aimee Frier

The Qualitative Report

As a diverse group of educationalists, we worry about the role of assessment in K-12 schools and current neoliberal education policies. In this paper, we aim to highlight some of the unintended or often overlooked consequences of these policies by taking an arts-based approach to our research. We interviewed various educational stakeholders about their past and present experiences with assessment, as well as their imagined futures. By creating poetic representations to present the results, we aim to shed a new light on the otherwise familiar contexts of assessment in the schools. Many are afraid of a future where neoliberal policies …


Experiences Of Individuals Suffering From Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Qualitative Study, Anindita Bhattacharya, Amool Ranjan Singh Jul 2015

Experiences Of Individuals Suffering From Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Qualitative Study, Anindita Bhattacharya, Amool Ranjan Singh

The Qualitative Report

This study was aimed at giving voice to the experiences of four people suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Five in-depth interviews were conducted on each individual constructing themselves in the light of their own experiences. A “case study approach” was chosen as the suitable method to go in depth into the information and “thematic content analysis” was used as the method of analysis. The life stories of these individuals were reconstructed in terms of themes, and recurring themes were further explored and elucidated and linked with literature. This study helps in reaching the depths of life experiences of individuals …


The Challenge Of Involvement And Detachment In Participant Observation, Enock Takyi Jun 2015

The Challenge Of Involvement And Detachment In Participant Observation, Enock Takyi

The Qualitative Report

The technique of participant observation, and the roles involved, have been widely discussed in the literature across a range of settings and topics. However, researchers rarely argue for a particular role that a participant observer should adopt. In this paper, I attempt to argue for the participant-as-observer role. I do so by reviewing existing literature on the topic. I argue that the complete observer and the complete participant roles are not applicable in today's research environment because, aside from their practical problems, they violate the ethical requirement of informed consent. I argued further that the observer-as-participant role, with its limited …


Reducing Confusion About Grounded Theory And Qualitative Content Analysis: Similarities And Differences, Ji Cho, Eun-Hee Lee Jun 2015

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

Ji Young Cho

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 …


Efficacy Of Social Skills Training For The Persons With Chronic Schizophrenia, Binod Kumar, Amool Ranjan Singh May 2015

Efficacy Of Social Skills Training For The Persons With Chronic Schizophrenia, Binod Kumar, Amool Ranjan Singh

The Qualitative Report

There are various quantitative studies have been conducted both nationally as well as internationally that revealed the effectiveness of social skills training in schizophrenia. However, very few qualitative studies have been conducted to measure the relevance of social skills training in schizophrenia. The present study investigated the effectiveness of six months social skills training program with 5 inpatients chronic schizophrenia, conducted for one and half an hour in a week. Employing phenomenological approach, psychosocial assessment was done on the basis of interviews, observations, role-plays, and work assignments, which was analyzed using Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen Method of phenomenology. The social skills training resulted …


The Fifty-Year Ethnographer: A Review Of Harry Wolcott's Ethnography Lessons: A Primer, Denise Mifsud May 2015

The Fifty-Year Ethnographer: A Review Of Harry Wolcott's Ethnography Lessons: A Primer, Denise Mifsud

The Qualitative Report

“Harry Wolcott uses fifty years of experience to take the reader inside the process of constructing an ethnographic study, offering a wealth of lessons from one of the masters of the genre”. This is indeed a concise description by the publisher. The text is constructed around the author’s five major studies. Wolcott thus gives a unique contribution to the field of ethnography as he presents some critical components of ethnography in his desire to share with us readers the results of his career-long search for the essence of ethnography. The book is divided into eight chapters. I give a critical …


A Constructivist Study Of Graduate Assistants' Healthcare Experiences In A Research University, Uttam Gaulee, Brenda Lee, Douglas Whitaker, Natalie Khoury Ridgewell, Mirka Koro-Ljungberg, Dayna M. Watson, Colleen Butcher Apr 2015

A Constructivist Study Of Graduate Assistants' Healthcare Experiences In A Research University, Uttam Gaulee, Brenda Lee, Douglas Whitaker, Natalie Khoury Ridgewell, Mirka Koro-Ljungberg, Dayna M. Watson, Colleen Butcher

The Qualitative Report

This constructivist study explores 16 graduate assistants’ (GAs) healthcare experiences and uses grounded theory to create a model of graduate assistants’ experiences with university-provided healthcare in a large research university. The model is composed of four broad components: (a) systems; (b) access, care and coverage; (c) knowledge, quality and cost; and (d) self. Graduate assistants’ needs and expectations constantly negotiate various systems in the model. Expanding upon the limited research regarding graduate student healthcare, this study provides implications for higher education administrators and policy makers. Based on our study findings we argue that it is not sufficient for university administrations …


Through The Looking Glass Space To New Ways Of Knowing: A Personal Research Narrative, Gabrielle Brand Apr 2015

Through The Looking Glass Space To New Ways Of Knowing: A Personal Research Narrative, Gabrielle Brand

The Qualitative Report

This article describes how writing personal research narratives during my doctoral research journey challenged my role as a health professional and my personal beliefs and values in fundamental ways. In qualitative narrative inquiry, the reflexive account of the research experience is a key element in conducting ethical, rigorous, and meaningful forms of qualitative research. However, as a novice researcher, I was unprepared for the unlearning journey I experienced during the research process. This uncomfortable experience cut to the core of my identity by dismantling unexamined belief and value systems that lay dormant and hidden from my everyday consciousness as a …


Inconvenient Women, Audra Skukauskaite Apr 2015

Inconvenient Women, Audra Skukauskaite

The Qualitative Report

The poem developed from collective stories of women who have shared their experiences, challenges, and actions of being scholars, professors, graduate students, business owners, and/or parents, among a multitude of other roles that often inconvenienced those who had particular views of what women are supposed to be and do.


A Pattern-Generating Tool For Use In Semi-Structured Interviews, Greg Paine Apr 2015

A Pattern-Generating Tool For Use In Semi-Structured Interviews, Greg Paine

The Qualitative Report

This paper, the first in a pair, describes the development and use of a research tool designed to not only derive the “usual” research patterns from analysis and synthesis of data, but also to extend that research outcome into useful lessons and instructions for others to act on in the non-research world. Research is essentially about finding and explaining patterns to help us understand phenomena and to measure similarities and differences. Pattern also has other useful attributes – as tools, templates, and instructive advices – that tend not to be given as much attention in research. The tool discussed in …


Research, When You Know What You’Re Doing: A Review Of Essentials Of Qualitative Inquiry, Daniel C. Allen Apr 2015

Research, When You Know What You’Re Doing: A Review Of Essentials Of Qualitative Inquiry, Daniel C. Allen

The Qualitative Report

Maria J. Mayan’s publication of Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry (2009) provides a broad introduction to the scope and process of conducting qualitative research. The author used many of the same concepts in his dissertation and continues to conduct qualitative inquiry, often times using Mayan’s book as a useful resource in structuring his research. The book outlined qualitative philosophies, methodologies, and data analysis procedures used in qualitative research.


A Grounded Theory Of Persistence In A Limited-Residency Doctoral Program, Donna H. Kennedy, Steven R. Terrell, Michael Lohle Mar 2015

A Grounded Theory Of Persistence In A Limited-Residency Doctoral Program, Donna H. Kennedy, Steven R. Terrell, Michael Lohle

The Qualitative Report

Approximately 50% of doctoral students in social science, humanities, and educational doctoral programs fail to earn their Ph.D. This number is 10% to 15% higher for students enrolled in online or limited-residency programs. Using in-depth interviews and qualitative data analysis techniques, this grounded-theory study examined participants’ recollections of their experience as students in a limited-residency doctoral program and their reasons for withdrawal while working on their dissertation. The study was guided by the central question “What is the nature of the participants’ experiences of doctoral attrition in a limited-residency doctoral program?” The resultant theory clarified relationships between attrition and a …


Perceived Occupational Stressors And The Health Software Professionals In Bengaluru, India, Giridhara R. Babu, Sathyanarayana T. N., Asha Ketharam, Snehendu B. Kar, Roger Detels Mar 2015

Perceived Occupational Stressors And The Health Software Professionals In Bengaluru, India, Giridhara R. Babu, Sathyanarayana T. N., Asha Ketharam, Snehendu B. Kar, Roger Detels

The Qualitative Report

There is limited research on occupational stress and its relation to health from developing countries such as India. This study was done to evaluate work conditions of professionals in two highly productive sectors: the information technology (IT) sector, also known as software development, and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES), also known as call centers. The study employed thirty-two in-depth interviews. The results indicate the presence of nine stress domains: job control, autonomy, time pressure, length of experience in industry, night shifts, income, appreciation of work, physical environment, work-environment and affective or emotional factors. Global drivers of demand, and local supply …


Three Approaches To Case Study Methods In Education: Yin, Merriam, And Stake, Bedrettin Yazan Feb 2015

Three Approaches To Case Study Methods In Education: Yin, Merriam, And Stake, Bedrettin Yazan

The Qualitative Report

Case study methodology has long been a contested terrain in social sciences research which is characterized by varying, sometimes opposing, approaches espoused by many research methodologists. Despite being one of the most frequently used qualitative research methodologies in educational research, the methodologists do not have a full consensus on the design and implementation of case study, which hampers its full evolution. Focusing on the landmark works of three prominent methodologists, namely Robert Yin, Sharan Merriam, Robert Stake, I attempt to scrutinize the areas where their perspectives diverge, converge and complement one another in varying dimensions of case study research. I …


Undergraduates’ Statistics Anxiety: A Phenomenological Study, Soofia Malik Feb 2015

Undergraduates’ Statistics Anxiety: A Phenomenological Study, Soofia Malik

The Qualitative Report

In this phenomenological study, students’ perceptions of statistics anxiety were explored, as were the factors that they believe contribute to and reduce their statistics anxiety. The participants were undergraduates enrolled in an introductory statistics course at a Rocky Mountain region mid-sized university. Six students participated in this study. A modified version of the Mathematics Attitudes Scale was used to measure students’ statistics anxiety scores. Students with higher statistics anxiety scores on the surveys were interviewed. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results revealed that undergraduates from a non-mathematics background, having high statistics anxiety, feel challenged while in …


Generic Qualitative Research In Psychology, William H. Percy, Kim Kostere, Sandra Kostere Feb 2015

Generic Qualitative Research In Psychology, William H. Percy, Kim Kostere, Sandra Kostere

The Qualitative Report

Some topics for qualitative research in psychology are unsuitable for or cannot be adapted to the traditional qualitative designs such as case study, ethnography, grounded theory, or phenomenology. This paper explores reasons for this, and proposes that psychological researchers can use a generic qualitative design in such situations. After discussing the types of topics most suitable for a generic qualitative design, the paper differentiates generic qualitative designs from the more traditional qualitative designs, with particular attention to how generic qualitative inquiry differs from phenomenological psychological research. Finally, appropriate procedures for data collection and for thematic data analysis in a generic …


Succession Planning Activities At A Rural Public Health Department, Sandra L. Cole, Clifford P. Harbour Jan 2015

Succession Planning Activities At A Rural Public Health Department, Sandra L. Cole, Clifford P. Harbour

The Qualitative Report

This qualitative case study utilized interviews and evaluation of publicallyavailable documents to investigate the process of succession planning in a moderately-sized public health office located in a metropolitan community in a frontier-rural state. Following analysis of the data, the results were compared to literature findings. Four public health directors, the County Health Officer and the Board of Health chairperson participated in the private, face-to-face interviews. These individuals were asked to participate because they have the ability to direct staff leadership development activities. A formal succession planning program did not exist at this agency; however, on an informal basis, leadership development …


Conflict In Families And Nursing Home Placement: A Phenomenological Study, Stephen John Pidwysocky Jan 2015

Conflict In Families And Nursing Home Placement: A Phenomenological Study, Stephen John Pidwysocky

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

In the limited qualitative research about families who have placed a family member in a nursing home, conflict is identified as a significant problem (Lashewicz & Keating, 2009; Lashewicz et al., 2007). Whether it is related to absence of filial responsibility on the part of adult children, (Ganong & Coleman, 2005; Piercy, 1998), adult child ambivalence (Bengtson et al., 2002; Lüscher & Pillemer, 1998), female and male gender caregiving roles (Spitze & Trent, 2006; Dayton-Ingersoll, 2003; Aronson, 1992), differences in levels of commitment on the part of adult children to assist older parents (Silverstein et al., 2008), adult children being …


Experience Of Being An Insider And An Outsider During A Qualitative Study With Men Who Have Experienced Significant Weight Loss, Darren D. Moore Jan 2015

Experience Of Being An Insider And An Outsider During A Qualitative Study With Men Who Have Experienced Significant Weight Loss, Darren D. Moore

The Qualitative Report

The major question being answered in the study is, “What is the experience of being an insider/outsider in a study regarding men and significant weight loss?” The purpose of the paper is to explore the experience of being both an insider and an outsider, and specifically to discuss how researcher status and self-disclosure emerged and impacted the research process. The methodology used in the research study is narrative inquiry, specifically self-narrative. In the study, membership role status was found to be difficult to define, inherently complex, and arbitrary at times. Additional research on the topic of membership role status is …