Doing Qualitative Research
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Read – Chapters, Journal Articles, and Research Blogs: Find top research articles to cite and enrich your reading with your ready-made bibliography of qualitative research from SAGE books, journals, and other credible sources. Use the discussion questions online to practice thinking critically about research.
16.1 Contradictory data
How should you handle apparently ‘contradictory’ data in an interview? In this paper, Cate Watson discusses the solution she adopted to this problem.
Q. What does Watson mean by ‘unreliable narrators’?
16.2 Credible ethnography
In this paper, Raymond Gold shows how ethnographic work can become scientifically credible:
Gold, R. L. (1997). The Ethnographic Method in Sociology. Qualitative Inquiry, 3(4), 388–402.
Q. What are the various requirements that must be met to achieve reliability and validity of fieldwork data?
16.3 Making generalizations
Using examples from a number of studies, Payne and Williams show how we can make generalizations in qualitative research.
Payne, G., & Williams, M. (2005). Generalization in Qualitative Research. Sociology, 39(2), 295–314.
Q. What is meant by moderatum generalization?
16.4 Define validity
What exactly do we mean by ‘validity’? In this paper, Cho and Trent review various meanings and argue for a ‘process-oriented’ version.
Q. How would you summarise the various meanings of validity described in this article, and which approach to validity will you take for your own research?
16.5 Define triangulation
Alan Bryman explains triangulation at:
Lewis-Beck, M. S., Bryman, A., & Futing Liao, T. (2004). Triangulation. The SAGE encyclopedia of social science research methods (Vols. 1-0). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Q. What are the types of triangulation?
16.6 Define member validation
Alan Bryman explains member validation at:
Lewis-Beck, M. S., Bryman, A., & Futing Liao, T. (2004). Member Validation and Check. The SAGE encyclopedia of social science research methods (Vols. 1-0). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Q. What type of research is member validation associated with?
16.7 Define falsifiability
For a brief summary of Popper’s approach to falsifiability’, go to:
Salkind, N. J. (2010). Logic of Scientific Discovery, The. Encyclopedia of research design (Vols. 1-0). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
https://methods.sagepub.com/reference/encyc-of-research-design/n223.xml
Q. Is falsifiability a relevant concern for your research project?
Q. What are the limitations of falsifiability?
16.8 Define analytic induction
For further information on analytic induction, go to:
Given, L. M. (2008). Analytic Induction. The SAGE encyclopedia of qualitative research methods (Vols. 1-0). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Q. What are negative cases?