Qualitative Research: A Theoretical Overview, Assignments of Research Methodology

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Qualitative research: a theoretical

overview

Gracia Gardens Workshop 23 - 27 September, 2019 Vincent Jumbe, MPH, MA(Bioethics), PhD

Learning objectives

• To understand philosophical grounding of research
• To understand core concepts in qualitative research

Philosophical traditions

Quantitative vs qualitative paradigms Positivist Experimental Naturalistic Interpretive

What is reality/the nature of existence? Ontologies

Realist

Critical

realist

Relativist

Reality is something out there – a law of nature waiting to be ‘discovered’ Things exist ‘out there’ but as humans our presence as researchers influences what we are trying to measure Knowledge is a social reality, value laden and only comes to light through individual interpretation

http://sfsuphil.blogspot.com/2010/11/philosophy-cartoons.html

Ontological positions

How do we know something?

Epistemology

• Are we part of the knowledge we are uncovering or are we external to it?
• Your perspective will influence how you frame your interaction with what you are researching and is based on your ontological view
• Knowledge as governed by laws of nature = objective
• Knowledge as something created by individuals through interpretation = subjective
• Can we be truly objective???

Translating paradigms to

methodology

Methodology refers to how you go about finding out knowledge and carrying out your research Positivism = quantitative Naturalistic = qualitative Structured surveys Semi- structured interviews Open-ended Biographical Translating paradigms^ narratives to interview design

Reflexive process

Reflexivity refers to circular relationships between cause and effect, especially as embedded in human belief structures

Positionality in qualitative

research

Positionality refers to the stance or positioning of the researcher in relation to the social and political context of the study —the community, the organization or the participant group

Some resources

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCOsY5rkRs 8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9wVgU9Pp k
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhdZOsBps o
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xvpxBVCo c
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b83ZfBoQ_K w