introducing communication research 2e © 2014 sage publications chapter eleven watching and...
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Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Chapter ElevenWatching And Listening: Qualitative Research For In-depth Understanding
Key Concepts
•Primary interest is in people’s subjectivity.
•Emphasis on capturing participant viewpoints.
•Reporting often uses participant’s language.
•Qualitative more than quantitative.
•Theories about human communication may emerge from research rather than being a starting point.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Observational Methods Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages DisadvantagesIn-depth exploration of attitudes and behavior.
May be difficult to access participants.
Validity. Reliability.
Access to participants’ views of phenomena.
Research outcomes affected by researcher-participant relationships.
Provide insight and explanation. May be time-consuming.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Qualitative & Quantitative Research
•Similarities▫Begin with qualitative observations▫Emphasis on precise reporting.
•Differences▫Qualitative: reporting in words,
understanding in depth, emphasis on participant perspectives, judgmental sampling.
▫Quantitative: reporting in numbers, understanding in breadth, statistical sampling, generalizing from samples.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Watching and Listening Methods
•Interviews
•Focus groups
•Ethnography
•Observational studies
•Unobtrusive measures
•Conversation analysis
•Case studies
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Observational Methods: Basic Assumptions
•Individuality and subjectivity of each participant is important.
•Participants are assumed to have insights and perspectives the researcher is unaware of.
•Interpretation and meaning are more important than information.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Ethnography: Key Ideas•Focus on meaning and interpretation.•Conduct research in participants’ own
settings.•Engage directly with participants.•Focus on local, individual, subjective
knowledge.•Record participants’ own language,
concepts and logic.•Report results as detailed description.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Basic Researcher-Participant Relationships
•Complete observer.
•Observer as participant.
•Participant as observer.
•Complete participant.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Terminology
•Participant▫volunteer in a research project.
•Informant▫can speak about others as well as themselves.
•Respondent▫speaks only for himself or herself.
•Interviewee▫anyone interviewed.
•Subject▫participant in experimental research.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
InterviewA series of questions designed to elicit information a researcher is interested in.
Questions may be –
•Predetermined and specific ▫for example, a survey questionnaire
or•Flexible and open-ended
▫for example, “Tell me about . . .?”
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Interview: Strategy & Decisions
Strategy:▫Generally a “master” question and then
specific questions to “check it out.”
Decisions:▫Setting
▫Sensitivities
▫Structure
▫Sequence
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Interview: Decisions - cont.
Setting▫Participants’ or researcher’s location.
Sensitivities▫Dress, language, gender, status.
Structure▫Fully, partially, or unstructured.
Sequence▫Funnel or inverted funnel.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Interview: Types of Questions
•Descriptive▫Ask participants to describe.
e.g. “What is a typical ____ like, for you?•Structural
▫Ask participants to explain relationships.e.g. Would you describe X as part of Y?
•Contrast▫Ask participants to describe similarities,
differences or relative importance.e.g. “What is the difference between X and Y?
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Focus Group: Assumptions
Group discussion can generate - More information than interviewing
individuals. Different information than interviewing
individuals A “2+2 = 5” effect Ideas the researcher may not have
considered.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Focus Group: Success • Members - recruited for similar knowledge but
divergent views of the topic.• Objectives - clear.• Atmosphere - relaxed.• Discussion - free-wheeling.
• Moderator:▫ listens▫maintains focus▫refrains from discussion▫ensures every member participates.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Analyzing Qualitative DataMost analyses use categorization.
•Fixed Coding ▫Assigns units of information to
theoretically-determined categories.•Flexible Coding
▫Allows additional categories to emerge during analysis.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Analyzing Qualitative Data – cont.
The Grounded Theory Approach –
•Assumes theory will emerge as data analysis proceeds.
•Uses the “constant comparative method.”
▫Test each new statement or idea against initial categories.
▫Rework categories as data analysis proceeds.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Unobtrusive MeasuresObserving people without them being aware of the observation.
•Why?▫To assess differences between what people tell
us and what they actually do.•Examples –
▫Observing crowd behavior at sports events.▫Observing social behavior at parties.▫Observing group problem solving.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Conversation Analysis•Studies the processes that enable
people to converse successfully.
•Analyzes transcripts of conversations to determine how people negotiate understanding.
•Focuses on social acts more than language.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Case StudyBrings all relevant information into a story
to help readers learn how organizations or individuals managed a project, problem or crisis.
Usually –
•uses multiple sources of evidence•focuses on a specific issue•provides in-depth understanding more
than generalization or prediction.
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Chapter Summary
Watching and Listening Methods –•General interest in people’s idiosyncratic,
subjective views.•Begin with theory, or allow theory to
emerge.•Preference for eliciting people’s views in
their own words. •Typically reported in participants’
language.•Observation provides a check on whether
people’s words match their behavior. Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Vocabulary Review
Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications
Web Resources
•Forum: Qualitative Social Research -http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs
•Qualitative Research Consultants Association
http://www.qrca.org
•University of Surrey, social research update -
http://sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/Introducing Communication Research 2e © 2014 SAGE Publications