The Soft Cells:Qualitative approaches to research

HLG Conference: Parallel Session 4

20th July 2010

Dr.Janet Harrison, Loughborough University

Hannah Spring, York St. John University

The Research Paradigm

• Two overarching research paradigms• Qualitative• Quantitative

• The two paradigms take opposing views in terms of how the world around us should be explored through research

Research Paradigm

• How to make the right choice of paradigm?

• Difficult and complex decision

• Takes discussion, understanding and time to get it right

What will my research look like?

What will my research look like?

What will my research sound like?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSr32dY8ApA

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx8l5l1g0wA

Quantitative and Qualitative Research: differences

Some common contrasts between quantitative and qualitative research

Quantitative Qualitative

Numbers Words

Point of view of researcher Point of view of participants

Research distance Researcher close

Theory testing Theory emergent

Static Process

Structured Unstructured

Generalization Contextual understanding

Hard, reliable data Rich, deep data

Macro Micro

Behaviour Meaning

Artificial settings Natural settings

Table from: Bryman, A (2004) Social research methods (2nd ed) Oxford: OUP, p287

As applied to data collection first phase (focus group)

Some common contrasts between quantitative and qualitative research

Quantitative Qualitative

Numbers Words

Point of view of researcher Point of view of participants

Research distance Researcher close

Theory testing Theory emergent

Static Process

Structured Unstructured

Generalization Contextual understanding

Hard, reliable data Rich, deep data

Macro Micro

Behaviour Meaning

Artificial settings Natural settings

Table taken from: Bryman, A (2004) Social research methods (2nd ed) Oxford: OUP, p287

Some common contrasts between quantitative and qualitative research

Quantitative Qualitative

Numbers Words

Point of view of researcher Point of view of participants

Research distance Researcher close

Theory testing Theory emergent

Static Process

Structured Unstructured

Generalization Contextual understanding

Hard, reliable data (?) Rich, deep data

Macro Micro

Behaviour Meaning

Artificial settings Natural settings

Table taken from: Bryman, A (2004) Social research methods (2nd ed) Oxford: OUP, p287

As applied to data collection second phase (survey)

Focus Group: example from a live research project

• Sample group (7 areas of health librarianship)– Clinical librarians– Health library service managers and professionally

qualified librarians– Senior strategic health librarians/managers– Academic health librarians– Research librarians– Independent health librarians– Academics (added later at survey stage)

• Interested in exploring the issues from different perspectives

Phase 2: Focus Group

• Results

• Barriers– Time– Fragmentation– Research skills– Marketing– Prioritisation– Funding– Networking

Phase 2: Focus Group

• Results

• Priorities– Networking– Training of users– Marketing of services– Service delivery– Delivery of evidence– Identifying research questions– Research skills– Management of research– Research impact

Theme

CodesThematic Analysis

Summary

• Qualitative research is not a soft option

• Requires ability to want to explore the worlds and words of “ others”

• Values the non conformist and unusual

• Acceptance that an definitive answer may not exist

Questions ?

J.Harrison@lboro.ac.uk H.Spring@yorksj.ac.uk