International Journal of Qualitative Methods: ARCHIVE
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Qualitative Health Research Conference 2014, Symposium Abstracts
No full textListed alphabetically by last name of presenting author
Facebook Ethnography: The Poststructural Ontology of Transnational (Im) migration Research
No full textThis theoretical article discusses the creative utility of Facebook as a new ethnographic tool in which to study transnational (im) migration. Facebook ethnography allows the (im) migration researcher to transcend the four structural dualities that constrain transnational ethnographic research: (a) geographic constraints, (b) travel funding constraints, (c) travel time constraints, and (d) the logistical constraints of entrée into new ethnographic contexts. Facebook ethnography also allows the qualitative researcher to temporarily transcend the ontological structuralist dualities of traditional research methods, producing a new poststructural epistemological and ontological methodology
Qualitative Research in an International Research Program: Maintaining Momentum while Building Capacity in Nurses
No full textNurses are knowledgeable about issues that affect quality and equity of care and are well qualified to inform policy, yet their expertise is seldom acknowledged and their input infrequently invited. In 2007, a large multidisciplinary team of researchers and decision-makers from Canada and five low- and middle-income countries (Barbados, Jamaica, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa) received funding to implement a participatory action research (PAR) program entitled “Strengthening Nurses’ Capacity for HIV Policy Development in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean.” The goal of the research program was to explore and promote nurses’ involvement in HIV policy development and to improve nursing practice in countries with a high HIV disease burden. A core element of the PAR program was the enhancement of the research capacity, and particularly qualitative capacity, of nurses through the use of mentorship, role-modeling, and the enhancement of institutional support. In this article we: (a) describe the PAR program and research team; (b) situate the research program by discussing attitudes to qualitative research in the study countries; (c) highlight the incremental formal and informal qualitative research capacity building initiatives undertaken as part of this PAR program; (d) describe the approaches used to maintain rigor while implementing a complex research program; and (e) identify strategies to ensure that capacity building was locally-owned. We conclude with a discussion of challenges and opportunities and provide an informal analysis of the research capacity that was developed within our international team using a PAR approach
“I Just Don’t Think There’s Any Other Image That Tells The Story Like [This] Picture Does”: Researcher and Participant Reflections on the Use of Participant-Employed Photography in Social Research
No full textThe incorporation of visual forms of expression has become common in qualitative research over the past two decades, with participant-employed photography being most prevalent. Visual methods such as photovoice have been used in community-based studies and with individuals to explore their lived experiences, particularly because of their participatory nature. Despite widespread support for visual approaches in existing research, there has been insufficient attention paid to how photography can enhance understanding of the phenomenon under study. Additionally, the existing literature is somewhat bereft of discussion of what individuals think about their participation in studies that incorporate participant-employed photography, or researchers’ perspectives of carrying out this type of research. In this article, we describe a photovoice study carried out with young adult women affected by serious illness and provide examples of participants’ photographs to illustrate how participant-employed photography can enhance the depth of research data. Specifically, the examples highlight how the photographs enriched participants’ verbal descriptions of their lived experiences, which generated a better understanding of their personal embodied realities. We also discuss the young adult women’s inclusion of previously taken photographs and reflections on their participation in the study. Finally, we examine the need to consider the intended audience of photographs, and specific ethical and methodological considerations for researchers contemplating the incorporation of participant-employed photography. In doing so, we provide insight into the advantages and challenges of photo-methods, which can inform other researchers contemplating the incorporation of participant-employed photography into social research
Photo-Elicitation with Autodriving in Research with Individuals with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease: Advantages and Challenges
No full textRecent research indicates that people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can meaningfully report on their life. As a result, there is an increasing interest in finding ways to involve persons with AD in qualitative research to ensure their perspectives and experiences are included. However, researchers have largely depended on interview or observation methods to inform their study, acknowledging concern regarding capacity for expressive language. This article reports on the use of photography, specifically photo-elicitation with autodriving, in a qualitative study of happiness in persons with mild to moderate AD, and it explores the opportunities and challenges of using this methodology in this population. Results demonstrate that while photo-elicitation can be an effective tool for the researcher to use to understand the world of the individual with AD, it also presents practical challenges. Thoughtful application of this methodology can overcome these challenges, providing a richer level of understanding than interview alone can generate
Qualitative Health Research Conference 2014, Oral Abstracts
No full textListed alphabetically by last name of presenting author
Advances in Qualitative Methods 2014, Poster Abstracts
No full textListed alphabetically by last name of presenting author
Generic Qualitative Approaches: Pitfalls and Benefits of Methodological Mixology
No full textGeneric qualitative research studies are those that refuse to claim allegiance to a single established methodology. There has been significant debate in the qualitative literature regarding the extent to which rigour can be preserved outside of the guidelines of an established methodology. This article offers a starting place for researchers interested in entering the literature on generic qualitative approaches and offers some guidance to help researchers appreciate the advantages of using a generic approach and navigate the potential pitfalls. Given that generic approaches are, by definition, less defined and established, this article begins by defining generic qualitative approaches, including the descriptive qualitative approach and interpretive description subcategories. It then outlines key critiques of generic studies present in the literature, describes the benefits of generic approaches, and suggests ways in which the issues raised in critiques might be mediated
Synergy Among Multiple Methodologies: Investigating Parents’ Distress After Preterm Birth
No full textInterpretive methodologies require a level of introspection and engagement that is different from that used in empirical and analytical methodologies. The use of multiple interpretive methodologies to explore a phenomenon, in the context of a single study, is a unique perspective for undertaking qualitative research. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the synergistic nature of combining interpretive methodologies to capture multiple facets of a phenomenon. We used two different philosophical orientations, Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology and Foucauldian discourse analysis not only to describe the differences in research questions, methods, and analyses, but also to illustrate the added insight gained from a multiple-methodological approach. The differences between interpretive methodologies, as well as the analytic value of this innovative approach, are nuanced and are best demonstrated through the analysis of an exemplar transcript using both methodologies. Although subtle methodological differences exist, the interpretations combined create a deepening understanding of the phenomenon. Awareness of how each interpretive tradition influences the language around the research question, the data collection and analysis, and overall integrity of the level of inquiry is crucial to maintaining a rigor in both traditions, yet recognition of multiple “truths” allows for a more holistic representation to be created
The Validity of Divergent Grounded Theory Method
No full textThe purpose of this article is to assess whether divergence of grounded theory method may be considered valid. A review of literature provides a basis for understanding and evaluating grounded theory. The principles and nature of grounded theory are synthesized along with theoretical and practical implications. It is deduced that for a theory to be truly grounded in empirical data, the method resulting in the theory should be the equivalent of pure induction. Therefore, detailed, specified, stepwise a priori procedures may be seen as unbidden or arbitrary. It is concluded that divergent grounded theory can be considered valid. The author argues that securing methodological transparency through the description of the actual principles and procedures employed, as well as tailoring them to the particular circumstances, is more important than adhering to predetermined stepwise procedures. A theoretical foundation is provided from which diverse theoretical developments and methodological procedures may be developed, judged, and refined based on their own merits