MANG7001 Research Methods 2011-12

Collecting qualitative data

Sohail Yunis
e-mail : mmsy1o07@soton.ac.uk

MANG6129

Slide 1

You familiar with these terms??

MANG6129

Population

Sample

Probability and Non-probability sampling

Primary Data & Secondary Data

Slide 2

Qualitative data collection methods

MANG6129

Observation

Interviews & Focus Groups

Diaries (Reflexive & Photographic)

Life Histories

Narrative / story telling

Secondary qualitative data

Multiple Methods
Slide 3

What will be your data collection

method ?
Purpose of your research
How much time you have
Your personal characteristics
Organisational access

MANG6129

Slide 4

Who and how many?

MANG6129

Slide 5

Who and how many?

Non-probability sampling

MANG6129

Purposive sampling
Snowball sampling
Convenience sampling
Quota sampling

Saunders et al (2009)

Slide 6

Observation

MANG6129

Slide 7

Observation
Observational techniques are methods by which an
individual or individuals gather first hand data on
events, processes, or behaviours.
Observer can use senses and technology to recoded
events , process or behaviours.
Extended period of time

MANG6129

Slide 8

Observation
Can be
Non-participatory
Semi-participatory
Participatory
Can be
Structured and unstructured
Can be
Covert and overt

MANG6129

Slide 9

Advantages of observation
Explains what is going on here?
Heightens researcher awareness
Useful in researchers own organisation
Experience emotions for real
Lots of useful data

MANG6129

Slide 10

Disadvantages of observation
Observer effect
Very time consuming
Ethical dilemmas
Role conflict (researcher vs colleague)
Observer bias (going native)
Very demanding (physically and emotionally)
Access issues
Data recording difficulties

MANG6129

Slide 11

Interviews & Focus Groups

MANG6129

Slide 12

Interviews
Definition
A purposeful discussion between two or more people

Use in research:
Preliminary: helps to clarify issues when formulating
research proposals
Data gathering: provides rigorous data for subsequent
analysis
Validation: helps to explore whether research
conclusions are reasonable

MANG6129

Slide 13

Forms of interview

MANG6129

Saunders et al (2006)

Slide 14

Structured Interviews
All questions (and most responses) are pre-determined
Researcher is administering a questionnaire
Approaches - Face-to-face, telephone, webcam
Gathering structured data:
Higher response rate than postal questionnaires
Researcher has ability to clarify questions, not
possible with questionnaire
No unexpected issues can be explored

MANG6129

Slide 15

Semi-structured Interviews
Based on list of themes & issues
Used to focus discussion
No rigid list is adhered to
Approach - Face-to-face
List of themes may be advised to interviewee
Usually more emergent, less pre-defined, data
Flexibility to explore particular and/or unexpected issues
MANG6129

Slide 16

Unstructured Interviews
Based on ideas of issues, but no list of questions or
themes
Mostly face-to-face
Non-directive: researcher follows issues and themes as
they emerge
In-depth: research may concentrate on key emergent
issues without feeling need to cover pre-determined list
of questions/themes
MANG6129

Slide 17

Focus Groups
Also called Group Interview
Unstructured & Free flowing
Research = Facilitator
Raise questions, let the group discuss

MANG6129

Multiple views
Group evaluation
Identify key themes
Potential problem of group think

Slide 18

Types of questions
Closed vs. open
Where do you live?
What time is it?
Are you happy with your current supplier?
Would you like to find a better supplier?

MANG6129

http://changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/open_closed_questions.htm

Slide 19

Types of questions
Who, why, where, when, how and what
Closed vs. open

MANG6129

What did you do on you holidays?

How do you keep focused on your work?
Why is that so important to you?
How have you been after your operation?

http://changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/open_closed_questions.htm

Slide 20

Types of questions
To Do
Probing can you tell me more about that?
Active listening so what youre saying is
Avoid
Loaded/biased
Double barrelled

MANG6129

Saunders et al (2009)

Slide 21

Practical Issues
Location
Recording data
Tape/video recording
Gives accurate account
Can concentrate on questioning & listening;
BUT intrusive?

Note taking
Difficulty of writing, listening, and questioning
Taking notes after the interview may be dangerous, as relying
on accurate memory

Transcription
Feeding back results

MANG6129

Slide 22

How should you dress for data

collection?
1. Casual

2. Smart

MANG6129

Slide 25

Some other tips for interviews

Do a pilot study or interview a critical friend
Allow plenty of travel time
Take the respondents contact details with you
Remember notes, pens, tape recorder, spare batteries, etc,
etc.
Remember the interview doesnt finish until you leave the
premises
Agree post-interview actions
MANG6129

Slide 26

Reflexive diaries
Daily record of actions, events, thoughts
Quantitative (logs) or qualitative (diaries)
Alternative to direct observation
Issues of bias, motivation, misreporting
Use as a basis for subsequent in-depth interviews

MANG6129

Hussey & Hussey (1997, pp.153-155)

Slide 27

Photo/video diaries

Photo journal: Harvest in Caracas

Changing the way Venezuelan city dwellers
think about food through the creation of organic
urban gardens to promote self-sufficiency
MANG6129

Photos: Emma Lynch via http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/americas_harvest_in_caracas/html/1.stm.

Slide 28

MANG6129

Slide 29

Life Histories
Unstructured interviews combined with
personal documents (diaries, letters, photos)
Look back in detail over an entire life course
Try to make sense of their organisational
reality

MANG6129

Bryman and Bell (2003)

Slide 30

Narrative in Research
Originates in linguistics
Used as research method & tool in
various disciplines including:
Information Systems, Accounting,
Economics, Organisational Behaviour

At the extreme end of qualitative research

MANG6129

Slide 31

Aims of Narrative Research

Gain insight into participants experience of an event and how they
make sense of it (Organisational Sensemaking Weick, 1995)
Imposes order on experiences, events, actions, and the relationship
between them

Gather different perspectives about the same event

Understanding interdependency between numerous social factors
and the change that underpins the complexity
Telling and analysis of stories
Good for uncovering deep understanding of politics or culture
Very subjective, requires understanding of context
MANG6129

Slide 32

Online Narrative Resources

The Center for Narrative Studies
http://www.storywise.com/

Organizational Storytelling
http://www.organizational-storytelling.org.uk/

MANG6129

Slide 33

Secondary qualitative data

Data has already been collected
Large surveys
Commercial databases
Qualidata, UK Data Archive, Economic and Social
Data Service (www.qualidata.ac.uk)
http://www.esds.ac.uk/search/allSearch.asp?ct=x
mlAll&q1=&Submit1=GO&zoom_cat=-1&zoom_and=1

MANG6129

See Saunders et al (2009) Chapter 8, esp. pp.267-268.

http://www.soton.ac.uk/library/catalogues/index.shtml
Slide 34

Other secondary sources

Personal documents, letters, e-mails
Historical diaries
Autobiographies
In-house publications
Legal records
Minutes of meetings
Blogs / Social networking / Twitter... ???
MANG6129

Slide 35

Secondary qualitative data

Advantages
Fewer resource requirements
Allows for comparison over time &
geographical locations
Less effort/cost than primary data

MANG6129

Slide 36

Secondary qualitative data

Disadvantages
Purpose of original collection may not match research objective
context specific
Access to this data may be restricted
Type of data may not match research purpose exactly
Quality of data (check for authenticity and credibility)

MANG6129

Slide 37

Other considerations

mono method
Vs. multiple methods
(more than one data collection
(single data collection
and analysis procedure)
and analysis procedure)

Cross-sectional vs longitudinal studies

MANG6129

Saunders et al (2009, pp.151-156)

Slide 38

Remember!
Any one data collection methods not inherently
better than any other method.

MANG6129

Slide 39

MANG6129

Slide 40