International Journal of Qualitative Methods: ARCHIVE
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403 research outputs found
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Video Diary Data Collection in Research with Children: An Alternative Method
No full textThe study of children’s experiences in relation to various life situations is an essential task that imposes certain requirements on the researcher’s choice of method for data collection. In this paper the author describes the use of video diaries as a method in child research, discussing its opportunities and limitations. Although video diary studies are still not particularly widespread, their use is predicted to increase as children become increasingly familiar and comfortable with the technology. Video diaries offer a useful supplement to more conventional methods as they are capable of eliciting data that would not otherwise be obtained
Redefining Case Study
No full textIn this paper the authors propose a more precise and encompassing definition of case study than is usually found. They support their definition by clarifying that case study is neither a method nor a methodology nor a research design as suggested by others. They use a case study prototype of their own design to propose common properties of case study and demonstrate how these properties support their definition. Next, they present several living myths about case study and refute them in relation to their definition. Finally, they discuss the interplay between the terms case study and unit of analysis to further delineate their definition of case study. The target audiences for this paper include case study researchers, research design and methods instructors, and graduate students interested in case study research
Temporary Transience and Qualitative Research: Methodological Lessons from Fieldwork with Independent Travelers and Seasonal Workers
No full textFieldwork with independent travelers and seasonal workers raises specific methodological considerations that result from the temporary transience of both communities. In this paper the authors bring together their experiences of the ways in which this transience both enabled and challenged various aspects of data collection, including integrating themselves into the participant network, locating participants and arranging interviews, adhering to ethical standards, and withdrawing from their data collection, as well as participants’ perceptions of their research projects
As in the Composition of a Fugue: Capturing the Flow of Strategic Business Activities
No full textDrawing inspiration from classical music, the author introduces in this article a musical metaphor, the fugue, to capture a flow of strategic activities, highlighting the motion aspect. This particular metaphor connotes dynamism, constituted in themes that are repeated, expanded, and varied through human voices and their communication. By giving voice to people who share and participate in globalization, internationalization, and customization related to the efforts of a company to grow continuously, elevating movements inherent in these activities, a fugue is composed. As argued in the article, there is potential in “musicking” interpretation of human activity. The fugue metaphor could assist our efforts to methodologize strategy process as dynamic multidirection and multivoice construct. While directing more attention to a musical, arts-based form of communicating research, we could be able to listen more carefully to the moves inherent in a flow of human activity
I’m Okay, You’re Okay?: Reflections on the Well-Being and Ethical Requirements of Researchers and Research Participants in Conducting Qualitative Fieldwork Interviews
No full textIn this paper the authors present their reflections on a U.K. government–funded study exploring mental health and employment. Conducting research on a sensitive theme with a potentially vulnerable group gave renewed focus to some social research issues, including consent and control, rapport building, managing and responding to emotion, and offering appropriate longer term support. The researchers discuss their personal approaches and experiences (practical, methodological, ethical) during and after the fieldwork process. In the paper the authors highlight some of the challenges they faced and discuss how these were addressed and managed, sometimes differently, and not always resolved. They demonstrate the need for researchers to be aware of their “research footprint,” in particular the need to be reflexive and responsive to participants’ emotional well-being, and for funders and employers to also be sensitive to and mindful of the demands of social research, including impacts on researchers’ well-being
Co-producing Video Diaries: The Presence of the “Absent” Researcher
No full textVideo diaries are said to provide a more “direct” understanding of participants’ experiences than is afforded by data that are “controlled” by the researcher. In this article, the author problematizes this viewpoint and argues that personal video accounts are socially located constructions that are produced in response to a specific research context. Using examples from research that examines identity with young men who have severe physical impairments, she illustrates these effects and the role of the researcher in co-producing video accounts. Rather than viewing this as problematic, she suggests that examining how participants construct their video accounts as situated research participants provides a valuable source of analyzable data. The author outlines a method for interrogating video accounts that builds on these foundational assumptions
Intersubjectivity, Hermeneutics, and the Production of Knowledge in Qualitative Mennonite Scholarship
No full textIn this article, the author explores the nature of interpretation as it pertains to qualitative methods of inquiry. He elaborates on the epistemological problems that occur in discussions of the nature of human and social sciences as distinct from the theoretical foundations of the natural sciences. The examination of Mennonite scholarship provides an interesting case study as to the requirements of a hermeneutical social science because of the range of scholarly frameworks and varying locations of identity of the scholars in relation to the broader Mennonite community. The author argues that Mennonite scholarship is novel in the manner by which Mennonite scholars contribute to and participate within broad Mennonite intersubjective understandings. By extension, Mennonite scholars are able to deal with common epistemological problems and dichotomies that arise in the context of the researcher and the object of study
Virtual Focus Groups: New Frontiers in Research
No full textNew information and communication technologies in the form of learning management systems provide unique and inventive opportunities for qualitative researchers. Their intrinsic ability to record discursive data in text format accurately and to provide safe, secure, and anonymous environments for participants makes them amenable for use as advanced research tools. In this article, the authors report on a collaborative project that tested the potential of online discussion boards for use in virtual focus groups. What the researchers found was that not only was the method theoretically sound, it actually enhanced their ability to connect with difficult-to-access populations that were disparately spread
Mini-disc Recorders: A New Approach for Qualitative Interviewing
No full textIn this article, the author discusses the benefits of digital audio recording on mini-disc for qualitative interviews. Some of these benefits include increased fidelity, longer recording time, and the ability to index recordings. The author concludes that even though mini-disc recorders are more expensive than cassette recorders, the benefits make the cost outlay worthwhile