Qualitative Research

CS4050 Research Methodology

Qualitative Research
4.1 Design a Questionnaire;
4.2 Explain the need for pilot studies to refine questionnaires;
4.3 Undertake a pilot study;
4.4 Produce an interview strategy to assess implications;
4.5 Analyze results from a questionnaire survey;
4.6 Explain how Grounded Theory can be used to develop a hypothesis
The traditional research design process-
Review
 How to Decide Upon a Methodology
• Research Methodology is general principle which will guide your research
• Research Methodology includes Qualitative and Quantitative research.
• Qualitative research searches attitudes, behavior and experiences.
Typical qualitative methods are interviews or focus groups. Based on in-
depth opinion and longer contact with participants.
 How to Decide Upon a Methodology

• Quantitative research produces statistics through the use of large-scale

survey research.
• Typical methods are questionnaires or structured interviews. Based on
many more people participation, with the shorter contact time than in
qualitative research.

• Triangulation-combining both qualitative and quantitative research

Examples of Qualitative Research
• Action research: “The researcher does not ‘do’ research ‘on’ people,
but instead works with them, acting as a facilitator”.
• popular in education, community developments, management, etc.
• it incudes 4 stages: planning, acting, observation and research.
• works best with small dedicated group of people
• final result is a change which is the best solution for the given
process, organization, management etc.

• Example: Program review - material science courses

RACTICAL RESEARCH METHODS- Catherine Davson
Examples of Qualitative Research

Ethnography: based on describing and interpreting cultural behavior.

• The research methods includes fieldwork and participant observation.
• The researcher observes, interviews and write reflections and
immerse in the culture of the group being studied.
Examples of Qualitative Research –
Grounded Theory
• Methodology established in 1967 by two researchers named Glaser and Strauss
• Grounded Theory is grounded in the data which has been systematically
collected and analyzed
• Constant comparison between data and concepts
• The focus groups and interviews tend to be the preferred data collection method
• Data collected may be qualitative or quantitative or a combination of both
• A comprehensive literature review, with the data collection until ‘saturation’
point is reached, no new data lead to new refinement of the theory
• the number of people to be interviewed is not specified at the beginning of the
research, the number can change – flexible approach
• Research is based on emerging data and observation throughout the process
Grounded Theory versus Traditional Theory
• Traditional research relies on the formation of a conceived
hypothesis. Then one tests the hypothesis through experimentation in
the real world. Most scientific research begins with a theory that
leads to a hypothesis which can be tested.
• Grounded theory analyses the data with no preconceived ideas or
hypothesis. “Grounded theory turns the scientific method on its head
by starting with data and extracting a theory from the data. The result
is a theory that is grounded in data, a grounded theory.”
Grounded theory can be used to formulate a
new hypothesis
Though it can be used in different types of research, grounded theory is
often adopted to formulate hypotheses or theories based on existing
phenomena, or to discover the participants’ main concern and how they
continually try to resolve it (Glaser, 1992).

• Requires detailed and systematic procedures for data collection,

analysis and theorizing
• Focused on building NEW Theories!!!!!
• The resulting theory and hypotheses help generate future research
investigations
Conducting the Grounding Theory
Grounded Theory can be used to formulate a
new hypothesis
Example:
Student Activity

• https://www.coursera.org/lecture/qualitative-methods/5-5-grounded
-theory-7CnRp
How to Construct Questionnaires
Types of Questionnaires:
• Open- ended - respondents use their own words to answer a question
• Closed- ended questions - prewritten response categories are
provided
• Self- administrated
• Interviewer administered
How to Construct
Choose the method to reach the respondents
A Face to Face Interview
Question Design
• Questions should be kept short and simple
• Avoid negative questions
• Make sure that your questions don’t contain some type of prestige
bias. (questions about income)
• Some issues may be very sensitive and you might be better asking an
indirect question rather than a direct question. (questions about
academic dishonesty- relate answer to the other people)
Question Design
• Make sure people will be able to answer your questions.
• Don’t assume knowledge or make it seem that you expect a certain
level of knowledge by the way your questions are worded.
• Start with easy to answer questions. Keep complex questions for the
end.
• Ask for personal information at the end.
• Use a mix of question formats.
• Don’t cause offence, frustration, sadness or anger.
• Avoid double-barrelled questions.
• Avoid words with emotional connotations
Question Design

• Avoid jargon and technical words (general population)

• Avoid words with multiple meanings.
• Avoid leading questions.
• Avoid vague words such as ‘often’ and ‘sometimes’.
• Provide all possible responses in a closed question.
• Consider as many alternatives as possible.
• Use specific time frames when asking about behaviour.
• Use specific place frames, e.g. ‘In which country were you born?
Student Activities:
Read the following questions and decide what is wrong with them.
Think about how you might overcome the problems you have identified.
1.Do you go swimming?
What is wrong?
A. Never
Everybody has a different
B. Rarely idea as to what words such as
C. Frequently ‘sometimes’ and ‘frequently’
D. Sometimes mean. Instead, give specific time
frames such as ‘twice a year’ or ‘once
a month’.
 Student Activities:

Read the following questions and decide what is wrong with them. Think about how
you might overcome the problems you have identified.
How many books have you read in the last year?
A. None What is wrong?
B. 1 – 10 This question may contain prestige bias – would people
C. 10 – 20 be more likely to say they have read plenty of
D. 20 – 30 books when they might not have read any? Also,
E. Over 30 the categories for the answers need modification –
which box would you tick for someone who answered
‘20’?
 Student Activities:
Read the following questions and decide what is wrong with them. Think
about how you might overcome the problems you have identified.

“What is the profit of your company, to the nearest one hundred

pounds?”

What is wrong?
This question assumes knowledge and could only be asked of
someone who has the figures to hand. It also asks for what
could be confidential information which a respondent might
be reluctant to give.
What is wrong?
Has it happened to you that over along period
of time, when you neither practice studying,
nor doing your homework, you passed the
exam.
Yes No
Piloting The QUESTIONNAIRE
• Testing the Questionnaire to see if it is obtaining the required results
• People who did not make questionnaire should participate in the pilot
testing
• Ask participants to forward any comments they may have about the
length, structure and wording of the questionnaire.
• Go through each response very carefully and make changes if
necessary
• If you have had to undertake major alterations, you may need
to pilot the questionnaire again.
Piloting/ Pre-Testing the Questionnaires
Piloting/ Pre-Testing the Questionnaires-
Reliability
QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY
• Think about how you’re going to analyse your survey prior to
constructing your questionnaire.
• Decide whether you’re interested in behaviour, beliefs, attitudes or
characteristics or a combination of the above.
• Make sure you have made the right decisions concerning open-ended
questions, closed-ended questions or a combination of both.
• Decide whether your questionnaire is to be self-administered or
interviewer administered.
QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY

• Think about how you intend to distribute your questionnaire,

e.g. by hand, through the post or via the internet.
• Include a covering letter with information about who the research is for and
what will happen to the results.
• Include instructions on how to complete the questionnaire.
• Include details about how the questionnaire is to be returned
• Make sure you include a date by which time you would like the questionnaire
returned.
• Pilot the questionnaire and instructions to check that all can be understood.
How to analyze survey data?

• Take a look at your top research questions

• Cross-tabulate and filter your results
• Crunch the numbers
• Draw conclusions
Analyze the collected data example
Assignment 2
Design a Questionnaire for your Research Topic:
1. Choose the topic of your research
2. Design 10 questions (you can choose open-ended, closed-ended, multiple choice, ranges,
scaling, etc.)
3. Run the pilot Questionnaire
4. Explain how you intend to distribute your questionnaire
5. Collect the data (at least 15 min participants should be included- you can interview your
family, your classmates and other friends)
6. Analyze results from a questionnaire survey using Excel software (pivot table with charts)
7. Produce the Survey Results Report (attach the full Questionnaire, explain the design
questionnaire process, include the survey results, write the conclusion of the survey)
References:
• http://avantgarde-jing.blogspot.com/2010/03/grounded-theory.html#
:~:text=Grounded%20theory%20is%20a%20powerful,experimentatio
n%20in%20the%20real%20world
.
• Practical Research Methods- Catherine Davson
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/qualitative-data-analysis-using-grou
nded-theory-coaches-paul-klipp
• https://www.slideshare.net/SehribanBugday/grounded-theory-11487
784
• ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aOhcGf8EcY&t=883s
• https://www.slideshare.net/deepthisreenivas1/questionnaire-design-
in-research