Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons^™

The Social And Cultural Construction Of Singlehood Among Young, Single Mormons, Jana Darrington, Kathleen W. Piercy, Sylvia Niehuis

The Qualitative Report

Religious young adults interpret their single experiences based on an intricate system of influences that include personal beliefs, family, religious teachings, and friendships. This qualitative study of 24 never-married, young Mormon men and women examined the social and cultural construction of singlehood based on: (1) definitions of singlehood, (2) influences on the construction of singlehood, and (3) feelings about being single. A major theme of this research emerged in the way participants defined singlehood: by what they lacked and by seeking to end their temporary single state through marriage. Families and religious teachings interacted to form the strongest influences on …

Reflecting On The Strategic Use Of Caqdas To Manage And Report On The Qualitative Research Process, Mark Wickham, Megan Woods

The Qualitative Report

As an increasing number of researchers have been trained to u s e programs such as Atlas/ti, NUD*IST, Nvivo, and ETHNOGRAPH their value in analyzing qualitative data has gained greater recognition. Drawing on the experience of two PhD candidates at the University of Tasmania, this paper reflects upon some potential uses of a suite of computer software programs to make the research and analysis process more logical and transparent. In addition, this paper argues for the introduction of a Computer Aided Qualitative Data Analysis Protocol to give readers of the research report a better understanding of the analysis process undertaken …

Using The Delphi Technique To Search For Empirical Measures Of Local Planning Agency Power, Amal K. Ali

The Qualitative Report

This paper shows how the Delphi technique was used to conceptualize and operationalize local planning agency power. In the first of two Delphi studies, twelve scholars suggested four dimensions of agency power: legal authority, degree of control, relative autonomy, and capacity. In the second Delphi study, sixteen professional planners operationalized power dimensions proposed by the first Delphi study. The dimensions were operationalized in the context of Florida’s planning system. The proposed measures were tested empirically by reviewing Florida statutes, surveying municipal planning agencies, and conducting statistical analysis. This research presents important lessons learned for researchers interested in Delphi studies and …

Research Paradigms And Meaning Making: A Primer, Steven Eric Krauss

The Qualitative Report

An introduction and explanation of the epistemological differences of quantitative and qualitative research paradigms is first provided, followed by an overview of the realist philosophical paradigm, which attempts to accommodate the two. From this foundational discussion, the paper then introduces the concept of meaning ma king in research methods and looks at how meaning is generated from qualitative data analysis specifically. Finally, some examples from the literature of how meaning can be constructed and organized using a qualitative data analysis approach are provided. The paper aims to provide an introduction to research methodologies, coupled with a discussion on how meaning …

Do Research Thesis Examiners Need Training?: Practitioner Stories, Shankar Sankaran, Pam Swepson, Geof Hill

The Qualitative Report

We are thesis examiners within the Australian academic system who formed a “community of practice” to try to resolve some of the issues we were facing. Stories of examiners reflecting on and examining their own practice are a notable silence in the higher degree research literature. In this study we have adopted a storytelling inquiry method that involved telling our practitioner stories, firstly to each other and then to a wider audience through this paper. We then identified issues that we believe are relevant to other thesis examiners. We have also found that engaging in a “community of practice” is …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of Hearing And Hearing-Impaired Children’S Human Figure Drawings, Chia-Liang Timothy Hu

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to further the research of human figure drawings as useful assessment tools and add to the understanding of children’s human figure drawings from a cross-cultural perspective.

In this quantitative study, 147 human figure drawings made by 59 hearing and 64 hearing-impaired Taiwanese children and 24 hearing-impaired American children were collected. In addition, 50 drawings done by hearing American children were randomly chosen from the children’s drawing database of Eastern Virginia Medical School Graduate Art Therapy Program. Five Formal Elements Art Therapy Scales (FEATS) scales were modified for use with human figure drawings and were …

Pathways To Power: The Role Of Political Parties In Women’S National Political Representation, Sheri L. Kunovich, Pamela Paxton

Sociology Research

The authors extend previous research on women’s participation in politics by examining the role of female elites in political parties in selecting and supporting women as political candidates. They hypothesize that political parties, in their role as gatekeepers, mediate the relationship between country-level factors, such as women’s participation in the labor force, and political outcomes for women. The article focuses on three outcomes for women: the percentage of female political party leaders, the percentage of female candidates in a country, and the percentage of women elected. New cross-national measures of women’s inclusion in political parties are developed and analyzed in …

Applying Qualitative Methods In Organizations: A Note For Industrial/Organizational Psychologists, Benjamin Osayawe Ehigie, Rebecca Ibhaguelo Ehigie

The Qualitative Report

Early approach to research in industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology was oriented towards quantitative techniques as a result of influences from the social sciences. As the focus of I/O psychology expands from psychological test development to other personnel functions, there has been an inclusion of qualitative methods in I/O psychology practice. The present paper therefore examines how qualitative methods like observation, interviews, ethnography, focus group discussion, nominal group technique, Delphi method, and projective techniques can be used by I/O psychologists in organizational studies. It is believed that knowledge gained on the application s of these qualitative methods would enhance understanding …

Fantasy, Vision, And Metaphor - Three Tracks To Teachers Minds, Dorit Tubin

The Qualitative Report

This paper explores how the three concepts of vision, metaphor, and fantasy serve educational research for a better understanding of teachers’ minds regarding educational issues. Drawing upon data based on a review of the literature, the following has been found: a semantic comparison showed that the concepts were similar in their abilities to create visual images and function as communication media, but differed in origin, time orientation, reality reflection, activity orientation, and consensus creation. Empirical findings demonstrated the importance of question formulation, the researcher’s position, and the scope of the study. In conclusion, the paper proposes how the different concepts …

Amish Teacher Dialogues With Teacher Educators: Research, Culture, And Voices Of Critique, Henry Zehr, Glenda Moss, Joe Nichols

The Qualitative Report

This dialogical project is framed with in critical inquiry methods to bring an Amish teacher’s voice to the fore front. Henry, an Amish middle school teacher, and two university teacher educators in northeastern Indiana collaboratively critiqued educational literature written about the Amish culture from the past 15 years. Building on critical ethnography and narrative methods, the authors used dialogue as a medium for inquiry. The intersubjective, collaborative project democratized the university researchers’ research role and allowed an Amish voice to gain a place in the academic field of research.

A Qualitative Examination Of Mothers' Resolution Or Non-Resolution Of Their Childrens' Disability Of Down Syndrome Or Autism Using A Cognitive Intervention, Denise M. Orme

The Qualitative Report

Research has shown that the inability of some mothers to resolve their emotions when confronted with the birth of a child with a disability of cerebral palsy or epilepsy can put the child at greater risk for disruptions of attachment. This qualitative study examined mothers' emotional state of resolution or non-resolution of their children's disability of Down syndrome or autism, and mothers' perceptions of the use of a cognitive intervention. Grounded theory was used to analyze the interviews and the cognitive intervention. The results showed that in addition to the two major categories of resolution and non-resolution, a third major …

The Application Of Interrater Reliability As A Solidification Instrument In A Phenomenological Study, Joan F. Marques, Chester Mccall

The Qualitative Report

Interrater reliability has thus far not been a common application in phenomenological studies. However, once the suggestion w a s brought up by a team of supervising professors during the preliminary orals of a phenomenological study, the utilization of this verification tool turned out to be vital to the credibility level of this type of inquiry, where the researcher is perceived as the main instrument and where bias may, hence, be difficult to eliminate. With creativeness and the appropriate calculation approach the researcher of the here reviewed qualitative study managed to apply this verification tool and found that the establishment …

Phenomenologically Investigating Mediated Nature, Tony E. Adams

The Qualitative Report

During the summer of 2001 I worked as a bartender in Wyoming, two miles east of Yellowstone National Park. This opportunity provided me with unique experiences of “the wilderness” and as a result, allowed me to become aware of intricacies of living with in a primarily simulated and mass mediated culture, i.e., the United States. Following tenets of phenomenology, this paper investigates the simulated- and mass mediated-ness of society with specific focus on experiences with two nature environments: simulated-nature places (e.g., shopping malls, zoos ) and televised-nature representations (e.g., Crocodile Hunter, Jaws) .

Beyond Technique: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of How I Learned To Show Love Towards My Father, Sean D. Davis

The Qualitative Report

I offer an autoethnographic exploration of my experience with the culture of a marriage and family therapist (MFT) in training. As a beginning therapist I assumed that success would be determined primarily by how well I mastered different theoretical models. This belief shifted during an instance in which I was planning to begin differentiating myself from my family of origin using Bowenian techniques. I experienced a profound shift in the way I interacted with my father – and with others – as a result of an interaction completely void of therapeutic technique. I discuss the ways that this experience changed …

The Social Construction Of The Child Sex Offender Explored By Narrative, Helen Gavin

The Qualitative Report

The notion of "child sex offender" provokes aversion, but it may be that it is a social construction. We suggest that a Dominant narrative, in which child sex offenders are constructed as irredeemable, persists, despite the emergence of assumption challenging Alternative narratives. A story completion method was used to elicit themes of Dominant or Alternative narratives, theory-led thematic analysis was used to identify them. The use and analysis of narrative and free-form stories are well established in social research, but remain a novel concept in the study of offenders. The results support the persistence of the Dominant narrative with two …

Pathways To Attrition: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis Of Justifications For Police Designations Of Sexual Assault Complaints, Danielle M. Soulliere

The Qualitative Report

The present analysis is a reframing of an earlier study conducted by the author to compensate for perceived deficiencies in previous studies on police decisions in sexual assault complaints. Specifically, qualitative comparative analysis was employed at the micro-social level to reveal justification scenarios, employed by investigating officers, which resulted in attrition at the police level. It was found that police employed the legal model in justifying “unfounded” designations while police employed both legal and extralegal models in justifying designations of “departmental discretion.” Further rese arch, expanding the database through interview s and participant observation, is necessary to fully explore justification …

How Linguistic Frames Affect Motivational Profiles And The Roles Of Quantitative Versus Qualitative Research Strategies, Joseph Yeager, Linda Sommer

The Qualitative Report

The combined tools of psycholinguistics and systems analysis have produced advances in motivational profiling resulting in numerous applications to behavioral engineering. Knowing the way people frame their motive offers leverage in causing behavior change ranging from persuasive marketing campaigns, forensic profiling, individual psychotherapy, and executive performance. Professionals study motivation in applied or theoretical settings, often with strong implicit biases toward either quantitative or qualitative strategies. Many experts habitually frame behavioral research issues with ill-fitting quantitative and qualitative strategies. The third strategic choice offered here is state-of -the -art, psycholinguistic communications modeling. The role of these research strategies is explored.

Systematic Metaphor Analysis As A Method Of Qualitative Research, Rudolph Schmitt

The Qualitative Report

George Lakoff and Mark Johnsons theory of metaphor (1980, 1999) provides a basis for describing everyday cognitive structures using linguistic models and thus, making it possible to uncover both individual and collective patterns of thought and action. Lakoff and Johnson have not, however, developed a workable system for carrying out qualitative research. This paper outlines the fundamentals of this approach and proposes a procedure for the reconstruction of metaphorical concepts. As is normally the case in qualitative research, such guidelines can only ever represent the interplay between the ability of the researcher to understand the sense of things and the …

Preparing A Qualitative Research-Based Dissertation: Lessons Learned, Glenn A. Bowen

The Qualitative Report

In this article, a newly minted Ph.D. shares seven lessons learned during the process of preparing a dissertation based on qualitative research methods. While most of the lessons may be applicable to any kind of research, the writer focuses on the special challenges of employing a qualitative methodology. The lessons are: (1) Read, read, read; (2) Consult the experts; (3) Adhere to university regulations; (4) Pay attention to rigor and trustworthiness; (5) Give details of the methodology; (6) Don't be afraid to include numerical data; and (7) Prepare to publish.

Predictors Of Intention To Use Contraception, Given Alcohol Consumption, Among Women In Southeast Alaska, Donna Louise Hebbeler

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Fetal alcohol exposure is a serious public health problem and is 100% preventable. Traditionally, FASD prevention programs and research recommendations have targeted peri-conceptual or pregnant women. Another approach to the prevention of FASD involves preventing pregnancy in women who use alcohol. The purpose of this cross sectional study was to identify factors that predicted women’s intention to use contraception using the theory of planned behavior (TPB), to determine if predictors of the theoretical constructs varied in women depending on alcohol use, and to examine interactions between alcohol use and TPB constructs. Qualitative data was gathered to triangulate with the quantitative …

Implementation Of An Action Research Course Program For Science Teachers: A Case For Turkey, Mehmet Küçük, Salih Çepni

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study was to introduce an AR approach to a group of science teachers during an in-service AR course program and learn its contributions to their professional development. Data were gathered through an AR project by working with a group of eight science teachers throughout a four-week period. In the content of the course, knowledge on educational research was given to teachers and then the participants were encouraged to conduct small-scale AR projects. During this process, it was found that project teachers willingly participated in all the meetings, embracing the views of doing research based on their …

Through The Lens Of Postmodernism: Uniqueness Of The Anorectic Families, Zenobia C.Y. Chan, Joyce L.C. Ma

The Qualitative Report

This paper challenges the monolithic assumption of the anorectic families in Hong Kong by blindly adopting the western theoretical framework of family therapy. It is problematic that family therapy lacks indigenous culture-specific knowledge and ignores the voices of these multi-categories of families. It is inappropriate to conceptualize these families as being similar and to stereotype them as experiencing particular difficulties. In order to bridge the homogeneity and address the multiplicity of these families, the paper examines both the ideologies of postmodernism and the process of confession that can enrich the understanding of anorectic families and advance family practice. The paper …

Human Nature And Research Paradigms: Theory Meets Physical Therapy Practice, Margaret M. Plack

The Qualitative Report

Human nature is a very complex phenomenon. In physical therapy this complexity is enhanced by the need to understand the intersection between the art and science of human behavior and patient care. A paradigm is a set of basic beliefs that represent a worldview, defines the nature of the world and the individuals place in it, and helps to determine criteria used to select and define research inquiry. A paradigm guides scientific inquiry, not only in the manner in which an investigation is performed, but also in how the investigator defines truth and reality and how the investigator comes to …

Research As Improvisation: Dancing Among Perspectives, Glenda-Mae Greene, Shirley Freed

The Qualitative Report

This article captures the way research methods were intertwined with core identities to understand the success development of Caribbean-Canadian women. It highlights the importance of researchers experimenting with a blend of perspectives to fit their problem as well as their identity. Viewing the research process through the eyes of the researcher and her dissertation chair, issues of validity and collaboration emerge. Ultimately both authors listen to family voices as they dance among research perspectives.

Maps And Meaning: Reading The Map Of The Holy Land, Noga Collins-Kreiner

The Qualitative Report

The research methods of hermeneutics and semiotics were used to analyze maps of the Holy Land. The main conclusion of this study is how those methods could help us to read and understand maps. Other issues of concern are which religious elements actually appear and their form of representation in the range of maps. Narratives identified on the various maps were the holy Christian narrative- which proved the most dominant, the Jewish narrative and the Muslim narrative that was rarely found in the maps, even in those with a Palestinian narrative. A ubiquitous finding was disregarded for political issues, although …

An Evening Of Grounded Theory: Teaching Process Through Demonstration And Simulation, Frances Huels

The Qualitative Report

Grounded theory can be effectively introduced in a survey course through a combination of lecture/demonstration and simulation. The class session presented here illustrates a way to introduce graduate students to the process of grounded theory and gain hands-on experience through simulation. The lesson utilizes concepts that the students are familiar with, allowing them to focus on the research process, and encourages internalization of concepts through immediate application.

Transformation Of Rural Teachers Earning Graduate Degrees, Susan A. Santo

The Qualitative Report

This study tells the stories of four successful graduate students within a cohort of learners who were earning graduate degrees in technology for education and training by distance. The students were practicing teachers in the Dakota Interactive Academic Link (DIAL) consortium. Courses were offered by the University of South Dakota, using videoconferencing through the statewide Digital Distance Network (DDN) and WebCT asynchronous discussions. Mezirows 1991 theory of transformative learning suggests that adult learners may experience a transformational experience. Results showed that the four study participants experienced major changes in their way of thinking about learning and themselves. Conducting longitudinal studies …

Using Hermeneutics As A Qualitative Research Approach In Professional Practice, Margo Paterson, Joy Higgs

The Qualitative Report

This paper is targeted primarily at doctoral students and others considering hermeneutics as a research strategy. Research using hermeneutics was carried out with occupational therapy educators and clinicians in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK. A total of 53 participants engaged in focus groups and individual interviews over a one-year. The paper explores hermeneutics as a credible, rigorous and creative strategy to address aspects of professional practice that similarly need to be flexible, adaptable to particular needs, and justifiable in the contexts of evidence-based as well as client-centred practice. The hermeneutic study produced A Model of Professional Practice Judgment …

Social Class And Art Therapy, Heather B. Ring

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Research regarding social class and its effects is limited in mental health services, including art therapy. The purpose of this study was to increase awareness about social class differences and their effects on therapeutic services by exploring how social class impacts adolescents’ attitudes and approach toward artmaking as a form of expression and communication. Two artmaking workshops were conducted with two groups of adolescents from contrasting socioeconomic settings. A sample of 14 volunteers participated. It was hypothesized that adolescents from both groups would use art as an effective and desirable means of personal communication and expression.

Results are based on …

Developing A Valid Screening Tool For Assessing Nutritional Adequacy And Osteoporosis Risk Among Vegans In The United States, Patricia Adelle Dyett

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The vegetarian lifestyle in the United States has increased significantly over recent decades. With this growth trend, it has become necessary to assess the pros and cons of vegetarian diet patterns, particularly with respect to nutrition adequacy and chronic disease concerns.

The vegan diet engenders more concern than other common vegetarian lifestyles because it seeks to replace all nutrient-rich animal food products with only plant foods. Consequently, there are concerns of compromised protein, calcium. vitamin D, vitamin B₁₂, n-3 fatty acid, zinc, and iron status. Moreover, because of typical vegan diet phenomena such as low BMI, low protein …