A Winning Combination For Business Researchers: A Review Of Qualitative Methods In Business Research,
2010
Nova Southeastern University
A Winning Combination For Business Researchers: A Review Of Qualitative Methods In Business Research, Jane Whitney Gibson
The Qualitative Report
Qualitative Methods in Business Research by Paivi Eriksson and Anne Kovalainen is a comprehensive, current, and compelling text discussing both qualitative research in general and nine specific approaches in particular. These include: case studies, ethnography, grounded theory, focus group research, action research, narrative research, discursive research, critical research and feminist research. The reviewer identifies the considerable strengths of this book, which include its attention to the writing process that differentiates qualitative from quantitative research, and recommends the book as a solid resource for both students and practitioners.
Practicing Reflexivity In The Study Of Italian Migrants In London,
2010
London Metropolitan University
Practicing Reflexivity In The Study Of Italian Migrants In London, Francesca Romana Seganti
The Qualitative Report
This article discusses the centrality of reflexivity in qualitative research through examples from my study on the role new media play in the lives of Italians in London. My hypothesis was that Italians were "in transit" in London and they were using new media to build "temporary" communities. I conducted in-depth interviews with members of the Italianialondra.com online community. I found they settled in London and the online community, instead of supporting "nomadic" identities, was used for re-territorialization. Through reflexivity I was able to determine the reasons for a partially wrong hypothesis. I also identified biases that clouded my interpretations …
Situating Narrative Construction Within Social Dynamics And Context To Create Complex Meaning: A Review Of The Book Analyzing Narrative Reality,
2010
Andrews University
Situating Narrative Construction Within Social Dynamics And Context To Create Complex Meaning: A Review Of The Book Analyzing Narrative Reality, Becky De Oliveira
The Qualitative Report
Analyzing Narrative Reality (Gubrium & Holstein, 2009) examines how stories are constructed for different purposes in a variety of social situations and aims to provide a framework for analysis "oriented both to the internal and especially to the external organization of stories" (p. 2). The authors are keen to create an understanding of how stories emerge and why they are constructed, confident that these factors are vital to creating good stories-"continuously unfolding accounts, whose extensions move in many directions" (p. 228) and that go beyond the boundaries of text. The book covers narrative reality, narrative work, narrative environments and narrative …
Conducting A Focus Group,
2010
Nova Southeastern University
Conducting A Focus Group, Barbara Packer-Muti
The Qualitative Report
Conducting focus groups seems to be a process that is practically intuitive. However, this key practice in qualitative research requires that a novice facilitator must do his or her homework. This article describes the process by which I became more cognizant of the tools necessary to be successful in planning and running focus groups. The article provides information about books and articles that were useful in providing practical information. It also details the use of the "learning-by-doing" journey embarked upon at my institution, whereby we conducted 56 town hall meetings over a four month time period using a focus group …
Using Message Boards To Conduct Online Focus Groups,
2010
University of Arkansas
Using Message Boards To Conduct Online Focus Groups, David Deggs, Kenda Grover, Kit Kacirek
The Qualitative Report
Geographic dispersion of research subjects can make traditional face-to-face focus groups difficult if not impractical to conduct. Online focus groups have many advantages such as enabling researchers to save costs, allowing for more efficient collection of data, and allowing researchers to accommodate research subjects' schedules. However, online focus groups require greater skill on the part of the researcher and research subjects alike. This manuscript chronicles the process that we recently used to conduct an online focus group using a message board system with graduate students enrolled in an online degree program. We explain the processes that were followed in conducting …
The Ground They Walk On: Photography And Narrative Inquiry,
2010
Mills College
The Ground They Walk On: Photography And Narrative Inquiry, Diane Ketelle
The Qualitative Report
In this project, the author explores a novel variation on an established social science research method, photo-elicitation. The author photographed eight school principals during a two-year period and asked the principals to respond to the photographs by writing narratives below each. The author uses photography, reflections, and her own memories to construct descriptive narrative snapshots of the eight principals. Further, the author argues that this approach underscores how photographs are both technically and socially constructed and through the use of photo-elicitation new ways of understanding self and others in relation can be explored.
A Hockey Night In Canada: An Imagined Conversation Between Theorists,
2010
University of Guelph
A Hockey Night In Canada: An Imagined Conversation Between Theorists, Curtis Fogel
The Qualitative Report
In this paper, various methodological issues surrounding the sociological study of sport are explored. Through an imagined dialogue between two graduate students at a hockey game, this work brings together three divergent approaches to social enquiry: Positivist Grounded Theory, Constructivist Grounded Theory, and Actor-Network Theory. This paper challenges conventional writing on method in two ways: (a) assembling three divergent approaches within a single work, and (b) employing a scripted narrative as a means of exploring methodological issues. Through this innovative approach, many of the overlaps and tensions between these theories/methods are captured. In so doing, numerous methodological questions about the …
A Qualitative Research On Portfolio Keeping In English As A Foreign Language Writing,
2010
Balıkesir University
A Qualitative Research On Portfolio Keeping In English As A Foreign Language Writing, Selami Aydin
The Qualitative Report
Little attention has been paid to the problems about portfolio keeping in English as a foreign language (EFL) writing, while the existing literature mostly focuses on the effects of portfolios on writing skills of learners, rather than those of teachers or pre-service teachers. This study aims to investigate the problems encountered and contributions of portfolios to the language skills of EFL pre-service teachers. The sample group consists of 39 pre-service teachers; a background questionnaire, interviews, a survey, and essays were used for data collection. The results indicate that portfolios significantly contribute to the writing skills, and that there exist potential …
Legislative Decision Making On Education Issues: A Qualitative Study,
2010
University of Idaho
Legislative Decision Making On Education Issues: A Qualitative Study, Kathy Canfield-Davis, Sachin Jain
The Qualitative Report
The purpose of this descriptive, single case study was to provide knowledge and insight about state education policy-making, specifically, the process by which education-related bills pass through a legislature. This study was also designed to identify factors of influence shaping legislative decision-making as perceived by lawmakers and observers of the legislative process. Sources of evidence included interviews, direct observation, archival records, public records documentation, and tape recordings of committee meetings and Senate floor sessions. Results show that a bill's fate is subject to many planned and unplanned sequential steps, and to a collection of diverse personalities that drive the legislative …
Collage Life Story Elicitation Technique: A Representational Technique For Scaffolding Autobiographical Memories,
2010
University of Macau
Collage Life Story Elicitation Technique: A Representational Technique For Scaffolding Autobiographical Memories, Gertina J. Van Schalkwyk
The Qualitative Report
A basic premise in narrative therapy and inquiry is that life story telling is a mechanism by which experiences are rendered meaningful within some form of structure. However, narrative inquiry has to take cognisance of difficulties ensuing from discursive practices for different populations when eliciting their life stories. In this article I explicate a unique method, the Collage Life story Elicitation Technique (CLET), geared towards scaffolding life story remembering. Based on the theoretical underpinnings of social constructionism (Gergen, 2000), symbolic interactionism (Berg, 2009) and performative strategies in social science research the CLET provides a mode of expression and narrative performance …
Review Of Three Qualitative Studies Of Family Presence During Resuscitation,
2010
Nova Southeastern University
Review Of Three Qualitative Studies Of Family Presence During Resuscitation, Bonnie Schmidt
The Qualitative Report
Despite recommendations to allow family presence during resuscitation, mixed attitudes and practices persist in clinical practice today. The findings of three recent qualitative research studies are presented in this review. These phenomenological studies explore the lived experience of family presence from different perspectives. Miller and Stiles (2009) describe the experiences of hospital nurses, Maxton (2008) focuses on parental perceptions, and Mcmahon-Parkes, Moule, Benger, and Albarran (2009) study the attitudes and beliefs of patients themselves. This article presents an analysis of these study findings and overall conclusions related to family presence during resuscitation.
Art As Inquiry: A Book Review Of Being With A/R/Tography,
2010
Georgia State University
Art As Inquiry: A Book Review Of Being With A/R/Tography, Nicole Manry Pourchier
The Qualitative Report
In this essay, the edited anthology, Being with A/r/tography (Springgay, Irwin, Leggo, & Gouzouasis, 2008) is reviewed in regard to its relevance to visual arts research. Art is presented as a method of inquiry as theory, dialogue, and a/r/tographic works are shared within a community of practicing arts-based researchers. This text offers insight into the possibilities of the arts as active and perceptive modes of inquiry.
From "Clueless" To "Completed": A Review Of The Essential Guide To Doing Your Research Project,
2010
Nova Southeastern University
From "Clueless" To "Completed": A Review Of The Essential Guide To Doing Your Research Project, Angela Yehl
The Qualitative Report
O'Leary (2010) has written her book for the student; however, she delves beyond the "how to" of most introductory research texts. The author works to ground students in the theoretical and foundational aspects of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research, in addition to providing "real world" advice and common scenarios often encountered in the field. From determining an appropriate sample size to navigating political processes in evaluative research, O'Leary stays grounded in the practical, often re-emphasizing the importance of "doability" in planning and conducting any type of research.
A Meta-Summary Of Qualitative Findings About Professional Services For Survivors Of Sexual Violence,
2010
Kent State University
A Meta-Summary Of Qualitative Findings About Professional Services For Survivors Of Sexual Violence, Donna S. Martsolf, Claire B. Draucker, Christina B. Cook, Ratchneewan Ross, Andrea Warner Stidham, Prudencia Mweemba
The Qualitative Report
Sexual violence occurs at alarming rates in children and adults. Survivors experience myriad negative health outcomes and legal problems, which place them in need of professional services. A meta-summary was conducted of 31 published qualitative studies on adults' responses to sexual violence, with a focus on survivors' use of professional services. Combined samples included 46 men, 984 women, and six couples who had experienced sexual violence at any point in their lives. Findings indicated that qualities of professional service providers and outcomes of professional services were perceived either positively or negatively (rather than neutrally) by survivors, regardless of the provider's …
Protecting My Interests: Hrm And Target's Coping With Workplace Bullying,
2010
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
Protecting My Interests: Hrm And Target's Coping With Workplace Bullying, Premilla D'Cruz, Ernesto Noronha
The Qualitative Report
Based on a study rooted in van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenology, conducted with agents working in international facing call centers in Mumbai and Bangalore, India, this paper describes targets' coping with workplace bullying. Data were gathered through conversational interviews and were subject to sententious and selective thematic analyses. The core theme of "protecting my interests" displayed two prominent features: the presence of stages and the critical role of HRM in influencing multiple facets of the experience. Major themes, organized around these defining characteristics, include experiencing confusion, engaging organizational options, moving inwards and exiting the organization. The findings break new ground in …
Teaching Experiences Of African American Educators In The Rural South,
2010
Goals Complete Consulting
Teaching Experiences Of African American Educators In The Rural South, Ellene Polidore, Stacey L. Edmonson, John R. Slate
The Qualitative Report
A scarcity of research exists regarding the voices of African American teachers who taught in the rural South. In this study, we report the life experiences, perceptions, thoughts, and feelings of three female African American educators as they pertain to their experiences teaching before, during, and after desegregation. Three female African American educators who taught before, during, and after desegregation in the same school district in the rural South were interviewed extensively. Data analysis revealed themes that mirrored those themes found in resiliency research. By examining these resilience themes within the context of this study, a model of adult resilience …
Using Wordle As A Supplementary Research Tool,
2010
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Using Wordle As A Supplementary Research Tool, Carmel Mcnaught, Paul Lam
The Qualitative Report
A word cloud is a special visualization of text in which the more frequently used words are effectively highlighted by occupying more prominence in the representation. We have used Wordle to produce word-cloud analyses of the spoken and written responses of informants in two research projects. The product demonstrates a fast and visually rich way to enable researchers to have some basic understanding of the data at hand. Word clouds can be a useful tool for preliminary analysis and for validation of previous findings. However, Wordle is an adjunct tool and we do not recommend that this method be used …
Attributes Of Spirituality Described By Survivors Of Sexual Violence,
2010
University of Akron
Attributes Of Spirituality Described By Survivors Of Sexual Violence, Gregory P. Knapik, Donna S. Martsolf, Claire B. Draucker, Karen D. Strickland
The Qualitative Report
This study focuses on what aspects of attributes of spirituality as defined by Martsolf and Mickley (1998) are most salient for female and male survivors of sexual violence. Content analysis of secondary narrative data, provided by 50 participants in a study of women's and men's responses to sexual violence, was coded to the five attributes of spirituality as defined by Martsolf and Mickley. The attribute aspects of connecting with others in spiritual ways and with God/higher power were particularly significant. The attribute of transcendence was found less important, and the attributes of value, becoming, and meaning were not found important. …
Conducting An Online Focus Group,
2010
Sage Colleges
Conducting An Online Focus Group, Jeanine Stancanelli
The Qualitative Report
Traditionally, focus groups have been conducted in person using the face-to-face format. However, improvements in technology have resulted in the emergence of the online focus groups. Online focus groups are an extension of traditional focus groups, which have been utilized in qualitative research for decades and, for the most part, the principles are consistent with traditional focus groups. Learning to conduct online focus groups requires the researcher to delve into the literature on traditional focus groups, as having a thorough understanding of traditional focus groups is paramount. After gaining a sufficient understanding of traditional focus groups, the researcher can explore …
Innovative Data Collection Strategies In Qualitative Research,
2010
Sam Houston State University
Innovative Data Collection Strategies In Qualitative Research, Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie, Nancy L. Leech, Kathleen M.T. Collins
The Qualitative Report
This article provides an innovative meta-framework comprising strategies designed to guide qualitative data collection in the 21st century. We present a meta-framework comprising strategies for collecting data from interviews, focus groups, observations, and documents/material culture. We present a template for collecting nonverbal data during interviews and discuss the concept of debriefing the interviewer. We identify types of data that can be collected in focus groups in addition to the actual statements made by the participants and provide templates for categorizing these data. Also, we outline the role that social networking websites can play in focus group interviews. Further, we provide …
