PASSI CITY COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

Chapter Three consists of four parts, namely: (1) Methodological

Perspective, (2) Context of the Study, (3) Procedures, and (4) Ethical

Considerations.

Part One, Methodological Perspective, this part describes the research

methodology employed in the study.

Part Two, Context of the Study, discusses the setting or research locale of

the study.

Part Three, Procedures, describes the procedure employed in the conduct

of the study.

Part Four, Ethical Considerations, discusses the ethical standards and

protocols to be considered in the conduct of the study.

Methodological Perspective

This section presents the research methodology employed in this study.

Identifying the appropriate research methodology with the qualitative research

paradigm informed by the researchers. It shapes the choice and use of inquiry as

a method which provides facility to the researchers. The methodological

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framework of this study is guided by the methods and procedures of the

qualitative research tradition.

This study will use a qualitative research design using In- Depth Interview.

The interviewer allows the participants to sit together and to think about a series

of questions about a certain issue. The aim is to get the main of the necessary

views of the participants in a certain issue in a social context through the

responses of the participants to the questions.

In this study the researchers will interview the respondents and to better

understand the nature of their business operations, their challenges and

experiences and later formulate implications to the data that will be gathered.

During the interview and focus group discussion, the researchers will have

to establish camaraderie with the respondents and make them feel comfortable

with each other thus the research process will be achieved smoothly.

In narrative inquires, interviews are often conducted in an informal

conversational manner to encourage the participants to reveal their individual

stories.

“In an interview conversation, the researcher listens to what people

themselves tell about their lived world, hears them express their views

and opinions in their own worlds, learns about their views and their work

situation and family life, their dreams and hopes. The qualitative research

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interview attempts to understand the world from the subject’s point of

view, to unfold the meaning of people’s experiences, and to uncover their

lived world prior to scientific explanations. The qualitative research

interview is a construction site of knowledge. An interview is literally an

interview, an inter change of views between two persons conversing

about a theme of mutual interest. (Kvale in Panes, 2020)”

The interviews on the informants will be exploratory with open and

semi-structured questions. Following the recommendation of Kvale in Panes

(2020), regarding the interpersonal behaviors necessary to conduct a good

interview, the researcher will pose clear and concise questions, and will be gentle

and sensitive to the participants by permitting them to talk at their own pace and

listening carefully for subtle meanings.

Critical inquiry required that I could not take all responses at face value.

This study will require respondents to recall their past experiences and time may

had altered their memory. The researcher will use used field notes and follow-up

questions to probe for consistency in the response, and test or reexamine an

area in order to check for consistency.

When interviewing, it is important to take notes in order to recall

information that may not be part of the recorded conversation. In addition to

using two digital recorders, the researcher will take notes and refer to them

throughout the interview. The researcher will be able to clarify what the

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participants said and check with the participants for the accuracy of the

paraphrasing.

Thematic analysis will be used to analyze the data gathered to answer

the research questions. Braun and Clarke (2006) state that thematic analysis is a

foundational method of analysis that needed to be defined and described to

solidify its place in qualitative research.

Thematic analysis has several phases to follow to come up with a good

analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006).

Phase 1: Familiarizing yourself with your data. This phase involves

reading and re-reading the data, to become immersed and intimately familiar

with its content. Immersion usually involves “repeated reading‟ of the data, and

reading the data in an active way - searching for meanings, patterns and so on.

It is ideal to read through the entire data set at least once before you

begin your coding, as your ideas, identification of possible patterns will be

shaped as you read through. During this phase, it is a good idea to start taking

notes or marking ideas for coding that you will then go back to in subsequent

phases. Once you have done this, you are ready to begin the more formal coding

process. In essence, coding continues to be developed and defined throughout

the entire analysis.

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Transcription of verbal data

If you are working with verbal data such as interviews, television programs

or political speeches, the data will need to be transcribed into written form in

order to conduct a thematic analysis. The process of transcription, while it may

see time-consuming, frustrating, and at times boring, can be an excellent way to

start familiarizing yourself with the data (Riessman, 1993). Further, some

researchers even argue it should be seen as “a key phase of data analysis within

interpretative qualitative methodology” (Bird, 2005: 227), and recognized as an

interpretative act, where meanings are created, rather than simply a mechanical

one of putting spoken sounds on paper (Lapadat & Lindsay, 1999).

Phase 2: Generating Initial Codes. This phase involves generating

succinct labels (codes!) that identify important features of the data that might be

relevant to answering the research question. It involves coding the entire

dataset, and after that, collating all the codes and all relevant data extracts,

together for later stages of analysis. Coding will to some extent depend on

whether the themes are more „data-driven‟ or „theory-driven‟ – in the former,

the themes will depend on the data, but in the latter, you might approach the

data with specific questions in mind that you wish to code around. It will also

depend on whether you are aiming to code the content of the entire data set, or

whether you are coding to identify particular (and possibly limited) features of
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the data set. Coding can be done either manually or through a software

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program. Work systematically through the entire data set, giving full and equal

attention to each data item, and identify interesting aspects in the data items

that may form the basis of repeated patterns (themes) across the data set.

There are a number of ways of actually coding extracts. If coding manually, you

can code your data by writing notes on the texts you’re analyzing, by using

highlighters or colored pens to indicate potential patterns, or by using “post-it”

notes to identify segments of data. You may initially identify the codes, and then

match them up with data extracts that demonstrate that code, but it is important

in this phase to ensure that all actual data extracts are coded, and then collated

together within each code. This may involve copying extracts of data from

individual transcripts or photocopying extracts of printed data, and collating each

code together in separate computer files or using file cards. If using computer

software, you code by tagging and naming selections of text within each data

item.

Phase 3: Searching for Themes. This phase involves examining the

codes and collated data to identify significant broader patterns of meaning

(potential themes). It then involves collating data relevant to each candidate

theme, so that you can work with the data and review the viability of each

candidate theme. Essentially, you are starting to analyze your codes, and

consider how different codes may combine to form an overarching theme. It may

be helpful at this phase to use visual representations to help you sort the

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different codes into themes. You might use tables, mind-maps, or you might

write the name of each code (and a brief description) on a separate piece of

paper and play around with organizing them into theme-piles. This is when you

start thinking about the relationship between codes, between themes, and

between different levels of themes (e.g., main overarching themes and sub-

themes within them). Some initial codes may go on to form main themes,

whereas others may form sub-themes, and others still may be discarded. At this

stage you may also have a set of codes that do not seem to belong anywhere,

and it is perfectly acceptable to create a theme called miscellaneous to house the

codes – possibly temporarily - that do not seem to fit into your main themes.

You end this phase with a collection of candidate themes, and sub-themes,

and all extracts of data that have been coded in relation to them. At this point,

you will start to have a sense of the significance of individual themes. However,

do not abandon anything at this stage, as without looking at all the extracts in

detail (the next phase) it is uncertain whether the themes hold as they are, or

whether some need to be combined, refined and separated, or discarded.

Phase 4: Reviewing Themes. This phase involves checking the

candidate themes against the dataset, to determine that they tell a convincing

story of the data, and one that answers the research question. In this phase,

themes are typically refined, which sometimes involves them being split,

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combined, or discarded. In our TA approach, themes are defined as pattern of

shared meaning underpinned by a central concept or idea.

This phase involves two levels of reviewing and refining your themes. Level

one involves reviewing at the level of the coded data extracts. This means you

need to read all the collated extracts for each theme, and consider whether they

appear to form a coherent pattern. If your candidate themes appear to form a

coherent pattern, you then move on to the second level of this phase. If your

candidate themes do not fit, you will need to consider whether the theme itself is

problematic, or whether some of the data extracts within it simply do not fit

there – in which case, you would rework your theme, creating a new theme,

finding a home for those extracts that do not currently work in an already-

existing theme, or discarding them from the analysis. Once you are satisfied that

your candidate themes adequately capture the contours of the coded data –

once you have a candidate thematic map - you are ready to move on to level

two of this phase.

Level two involves a similar process, but in relation to the entire data set.

At this level, you consider the validity of individual themes in relation to the data

set, but also whether your candidate thematic map accurately reflects the

meanings evident in the data set as a whole. To some extent, what counts as

accurate representation depends on your theoretical and analytic approach.

However, in this phase you re-read your entire data set for two purposes. The

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first is, as discussed, to ascertain whether the themes work in relation to the

data set. The second is to code any additional data within themes that has been

missed in earlier coding stages. The need for recoding from the data set is to be

expected as coding is an ongoing organic process.

At the end of this phase, you should have a fairly good idea of what your

different themes are, how they fit together, and the overall story they tell about

the data.

Phase 5: Defining and Naming Themes. This phase involves

developing a detailed analysis of each theme, working out the scope and focus of

each theme, determining the ‘story’ of each. It also involves deciding on an

informative name for each theme. At this point, you then define and further

refine the themes that you will present for your analysis, and analyze the data

within them. By define and refine we mean identifying the essence of what each

theme is about (as well as the themes overall), and determining what aspect of

the data each theme captures. It is important not to try and get a theme to do

too much, or to be too diverse and complex. You do this by going back to

collated data extracts for each theme, and organizing them into a coherent and

internally consistent account, with accompanying narrative. It is vital that you do

not just paraphrase the content of the data extracts presented, but identify what

is interesting about them and why!

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For each individual theme, you need to conduct and write a detailed

analysis. As well as identifying the story that each theme tells, it is important to

consider how it fits into the broader overall story that you are telling about your

data, in relation to your research question or questions, to ensure there is not

too much overlap between themes. So you need to consider the themes

themselves, and each theme in relation to the others. As part of the refinement,

you will identify whether or not a theme contains any sub-themes. Sub-themes

are essentially themes-within-a theme. They can be useful for giving structure to

a particularly large and complex theme, and also for demonstrating the hierarchy

of meaning within the data.

It is important that by the end of this phase you can clearly define what

your themes are, and what they are not. One test for this is to see whether you

can describe the scope and content of each theme in a couple of sentences. If

you cannot do this, further refinement of that theme may be needed. Although

you will have already given your themes working titles, this is also the point to

start thinking about the names that you will give them in the final analysis.

Names need to be concise, punchy, and immediately give the reader a sense of

what the theme is about.

Phase 6: Producing the Report. This final phase involves weaving

together the analytic narrative and data extracts, and contextualizing the analysis

in relation to existing literature. The task of the write-up of a thematic analysis,

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whether it is for publication or for a research assignment or dissertation, is to tell

the complicated story of your data in a way which convinces the reader of the

merit and validity of your analysis. It is important that the analysis (the write-up

of it, including data extracts) provides a concise, coherent, logical, non-

repetitive, and interesting account of the story the data tell – within and across

themes. Your write-up must provide sufficient evidence of the themes within the

data – i.e., enough data extracts to demonstrate the prevalence of the theme.

Choose particularly vivid examples, or extracts which capture the essence of the

point you are demonstrating, without unnecessary complexity. The extract

should be easily identifiable as an example of the issue. However, your write-up

needs to do more than just provide data. Extracts need to be embedded within

an analytic narrative that compelling illustrates the story that you are telling

about your data, and your analytic narrative needs to go beyond description of

the data, and make an argument in relation to your research question.

Context of the Study

Research Locale

Passi, officially the City of Passi (Kinaray-a: Syudad kang Passi/Syudad ka

Passi; Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa sang Passi; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Passi), is a 4th

class component city in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the 2020

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census, it has a population of 88,873 people

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passi,_Iloilo, ret. 11/18/2021).

It has a total land area of 25,139 hectares (62,120 acres), making up

5.39% of the provincial land area of Iloilo. Its relatively flat land stretches

alongside the Jalaur and Lamunan Rivers. Mountainous areas are found along

the northern part of the city. Passi is a rice, pineapple, and sugar-rich area and

the only component city and the largest in the Province of Iloilo in terms of land

area and income and second in population after Oton. It is popularly known with

its slogan "The Sweet City at The Heart of Panay" due to its vast pineapple

plantations and annual output in fruit production

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passi,_Iloilo, ret. 11/18/2021).

Passi City has played an important role in reaching its peak of progress.

Centrally situated in the province, Passi City is locally important as the District

Agri-Industrial Center of Iloilo with three sugar centrals. It is rich with agriculture

resources that have long formed the backbone of its economy and agricultural

diversification produces crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, coconut, sugarcane

and pineapple. Passi City has been an important pineapple producer for years, it

has long been known for other industries including fruit processing, wallboard

production, metalworking production and cut-flower propagation. Its locally

produced pineapple wine, jam and fruit preserves have already established

captured market with its exposure to various local trade fairs and exhibits such
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as the annual Fiesta in the City celebration during May; TUMANDOK in

September; and WOW Philippines: the Best of the Region

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passi,_Iloilo, ret. 11/18/2021).

Industrial development is one of the priority concerns of the local unit

being one of the five Agro-Industrial district in the Province and the site for

People's Industrial Enterprise (PIE's) District Agro-Industrial Center (PAIC) in the

4th District. The PIE's / DAIC's provide intermediate processing of indigenous

raw materials produced in their respective influence area for final processing at

the DAIC. They also manufacture finished goods cooperative advantage for such

manufacturing activities would prove viable

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passi,_Iloilo, ret. 11/18/2021).

Famous attractions in the city are the wide pineapple plantations, the cock

farms, the Baroque Church of Saint William the Hermit, the old Muscovado

Chimney, the Chameleon Butterfly Garden, the Amorotic caves of Barangay

Magdungao, the breath-taking highway view with good sunset and the old

Railway Bridge which needs some preservation and attention spanning the Jalaur

River (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passi,_Iloilo, ret. 11/18/2021).

The unprecedented progress of the city led to the rise of industries and

businesses which helped the economy and the tourism industry prosper.

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Figure 2: Research Locale

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Data Source

The data gathering material to be used in this study is the researcher-

made interview guide questions that will be validated by the research adviser.

This interview questions contained items that gather information about the

respondents’ challenges in the course of their business operations.

This study will employ an informal and unstructured interview of

respondents of the study. The response of the respondents will be gathered

through video recording and taking down notes. In this process, the researchers

will be able to collect data through a one-on-one interview with the respondents

giving them the freedom to express fully themselves.

During the interview process, the researchers will strictly observe the

proper health protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force against COVID-19

Pandemic IATF). Social distancing will be strictly implemented and wearing of

face mask all throughout the interview session will also be observed.

Research Procedure

Phase One

The first phase of this research study is securing a letter request to the

person’s in authority to allow the researchers to conduct their study. This

includes the Dean of Passi City College, the City Tourism officer and the

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respondents. In this phase, it also includes the familiarization of the respondents

in the place by gathering the history and directions of the said place.

Phase Two

In this phase the researchers will gather the needed data to be used in

the study. During this phase, the researchers will gather answers to their

research questions by interviewing the respondents.

In this phase, safety health procedures set by the Inter-Agency Task

Force for COVID- 19 (IATF) will be strictly observed to ensure the health and

safety of everyone.

Phase Three

In this phase of the research process the researchers tabulated,

formulated and analyzed the data gathered needed for the study. The

respondents responses will be encoded, transcribed and analyzed using thematic

analysis.

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Research Illustration

Preparation of the needed materials

for the conduct of the study

Data Gathering/Interviews Thematic Analysis

Familiarizing yourself with your data

Generating Initial Codes

Searching for Themes

Reviewing Themes

Defining and Naming Themes

Producing the Report

Fig. 3 Research Illustration

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Ethical Considerations

In this study, the researchers will become aware of several issues and

considerations in analyzing data through thematic analysis. Thorne (2000)

characterized data analysis as the most complex phase of qualitative research,

and one that receives the least thoughtful discussion in the literature. Data

analysis conducted in a systematic approach can be transparently communicated

to others. Qualitative researchers often omit a detailed description of how

analysis is conducted within published research reports; however, many have

argued that researchers need to be clear about what they are doing, why they

are doing it, and include a clear description of analysis methods (Braun & Clarke,

2006; Malterud, 2001; Thorne, 2000). If readers are not clear about how

researchers analyzed their data or what assumptions informed their analysis,

evaluating the trustworthiness of the research process is difficult.

With the cooperation of key stakeholders, we aim to put the knowledge

created through our research into practice. Therefore, it is important that our

research is recognized as familiar and understood as legitimate by researchers,

practitioners, policy makers, and the public. Trustworthiness is one way

researchers can persuade themselves and readers that their research findings

are worthy of attention (Lincoln & Guba, 1985), as cited by (Nowell et al., 2017).

Lincoln and Guba (1985) in the study of Nowell et al. (2017) defined the

concept of trustworthiness by introducing the criteria of credibility,

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transferability, dependability, and confirmability to parallel the conventional

quantitative assessment criteria of validity and reliability. The procedures for

fulfilling the trustworthiness criteria are familiar to many, even those who have

differences in epistemology and ontology, as they rely on methodological

arguments and techniques (Green, 2000). While others have more recently

presented expansive and flexible markers of quality in qualitative research

(Tracy, 2010), we have chosen to use the original, widely accepted, and easily

recognized criteria introduced by Lincoln and Guba to demonstrate

trustworthiness in the study. They argue these trustworthiness criteria are

pragmatic choices for researchers concerned about the acceptability and

usefulness of their research for a variety of stakeholders. These trustworthiness

criteria will be briefly defined and then interwoven throughout a description of

how we attempted to conduct a trustworthy thematic analysis.

Credibility - Guba and Lincoln (1989) claimed that the credibility of a study

is determined when co-researchers or readers are confronted with the

experience, they can recognize it. Credibility addresses the “fit” between

respondents’ views and the researcher’s representation of them (Tobin & Begley,

2004). Lincoln and Guba (1985) suggested a number of techniques to address

credibility including activities such as prolonged engagement, persistent

observation, data collection triangulation, and researcher triangulation. They also

recommended peer debriefing to provide an external check on the research

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process, which may therefore increase credibility, as well as examining

referential adequacy as a means to check preliminary findings and interpretations

against the raw data. Credibility can also be operationalized through the process

of member checking to test the findings and interpretations with the respondents

(Lincoln & Guba, 1985).

Transferability - refers to the generalizability of inquiry. In qualitative

research, this concerns only to case-to-case transfer (Tobin & Begley, 2004). The

researcher cannot know the sites that may wish to transfer the findings;

however, the researcher is responsible for providing thick descriptions, so that

those who seek to transfer the findings to their own site can judge transferability

(Lincoln & Guba, 1985).

Dependability - achieve dependability, researchers can ensure the

research process is logical, traceable, and clearly documented (Tobin & Begley,

2004). When readers are able to examine the research process, they are better

able to judge the dependability of the research (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). One way

that a research study may demonstrate dependability is for its process to be

audited (Koch, 1994).

Confirmability - is concerned with establishing that the researchers’

interpretations and findings are clearly derived from the data, requiring the

researcher to demonstrate how conclusions and interpretations have been

reached (Tobin & Begley, 2004). According to Guba and Lincoln (1989),

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confirmability is established when credibility, transferability, and dependability

are all achieved. Koch (1994) recommended researchers include markers such as

the reasons for theoretical, methodological, and analytical choices throughout

the entire study, so that others can understand how and why decisions were

made.

Audit Trails - an audit trail provides readers with evidence of the decisions

and choices made by the researcher regarding theoretical and methodological

issues throughout the study, which requires a clear rationale for such decisions

(Koch, 1994). Sandelowski (1986) stated that a study and its findings are

auditable when another researcher can clearly follow the decision trail.

Furthermore, Koch (1994) argued that another researcher with the same data,

perspective, and situation could arrive at the same or comparable, but not

contradictory, conclusions. Keeping records of the raw data, field notes,

transcripts, and a reflexive journal can help researchers systemize, relate, and

cross reference data, as well as ease the reporting of the research process are all

means of creating a clear audit trail (Halpren, 1983).

In thematic analysis the researchers will identify, analyze and report

patterns (themes) within data. It is the end result of this study that the

researchers will discover themes that will be useful in putting into context the

challenges, coping mechanisms & innovations of these micro-tourism sites.

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