Rationale

A listing of the “tenets of good qualitative research” would be too massive an undertaking for a final project of 3000 words. Many topics posted to the discussions, read in our text chapters and absorbed in various research journals have peaked my interest. I have decided, for the purpose of this paper, to narrow my list to those that are of particular relevance to me. As a Learning Resource Teacher, embarked upon my first experience in formal research, these are the topics that I deemed important and worthwhile throughout this course in qualitative research.

Introduction

Quality research is that which is organized, thoughtful and thought provoking. One of the first aspects of qualitative research that struck me throughout the course was the idea of subjectivity on the part of researchers. As a novice researcher, the idea of bias provides pause for thought. How do we eliminate such bias when contemplating qualitative research?

Self-discovery is another aspect I feel is essential. Those articles written by researchers who reflected on their own experience within the research provided a more realistic overview of the process. Obtaining access to the research is another tenet of the qualitative method. My own experiences with qualitative research did not provide opportunities with this aspect of research since it occurred in my own workplace with my own students. This lack of exposure has heightened my curiosity and interest in how researchers incorporate themselves into the study, the ethical procedures and processes.

Data collection techniques such as observation and interviews are an integral part of the qualitative research progression. How a researcher chooses to collect data from the study is reflected in personal preference, research topic and experience. Once information has been gathered data analysis and writing qualitative research finish out the process for quality qualitative research.

Subjective Research

"While researcher bias and subjectivity are commonly understood as inevitable and important by most qualitative researchers, beginners in qualitative research are generally not very comfortable with the notion that meaningful knowledge can be constructed in a way that provides room for personal and subjective ways of looking at the world”. (Mehra, 2002). Mehra’s quote describes her experiences teaching a qualitative research course online. Many of her musing parallel the discussion postings for EDER 603.01 and do ring very true in my initial ideas in qualitative research. How does one remain unbiased especially when directly involved in the research or with subjects? Mehra states that this bias shows itself early in the process

"A researcher's personal beliefs and values are reflected not only in the choice of methodology and interpretation of findings, but also in the choice of a research topic. In other words, what we believe in determines what we want to study. Traditional positivist research paradigm has taught us to believe that what we are studying often has no personal significance. Or, that the only reason driving our research is intellectual curiosity (which is a valid reason on its own). But more often than not, we have our personal beliefs and views about a topic - either in support of one side of the argument, or on the social, cultural, political sub-texts that seem to guide the development of the argument." (Mehra, 2002)

I find this topic very interesting and relevant to a discussion of qualitative research. Given the nature of the method, a researcher’s subjectivity will enter into the research at some time. My initial struggle with this idea may have stemmed from being more familiar with the positivist traditions of knowledge construction where objectivity and value-neutrality are considered important criteria for evaluating research.

Self-discovery

My experience with “teacher as researcher” was undertaken to improve my own practice. I feel that this purpose has helped me become a reflective researcher. I’m sure that if I were intending to only study subjects for some other purpose I would not have had the opportunity to appreciate the possibility for researcher reflection in qualitative research.

As was discussed earlier, given that there are many subjective aspects of qualitative research, researchers must reflect upon their own beliefs and ideas, and how they are affecting their research. Truly reflective researchers will understand how their beliefs affect their topic choice, data collection methods and interpretation of that data.

Ian Bryant offers and interesting perspective in his chapter Action Research and Reflective Practice (Scott & Usher, 1996, pg 106). Although he mainly discusses action research and the reflective nature of that practice, he does address the need for researcher reflection within the situation. “Attempts to change and improve educational practice by groups of participants by means of their own practical actions and by means of their own reflection upon the effects of those actions” (pg. 114)

In the article, Qualitative Methods in the Study of Biographies, Interactions and Everyday Life Contexts: The Development of a Research Style, Franz Breuer addresses the need for reflective research and the development of research styles through reflection and self-discovery. “Qualitative interviews and field research, Grounded Theory method and self-reflection of researcher subjectivity are instruments for insight and discovery and are implemented in various thematic fields. The development of these methods is brought into connection with premises related to epistemological and methodological convictions and preferences.” (Breuer, 2000)

Access to Research

Where does a researcher begin to start the research process? “Obtaining access at a research site, gaining approval from the gatekeepers, and planning fieldwork are important lessons for the novice researcher to learn” (Breuer, 2000) Breuer raises an important question - where do social scientists position themselves in connection with their research? She emphasizes the responsibility that qualitative researchers have to science - and to the participants of their studies - to examine minutely their relationship with their research.

Data Collection

How researchers choose to collect data for qualitative research will reflective personal preferences. “All research is really about the researcher; but in order for the research to be of value it must move beyond the researcher and researcher's situation” (Breuer, 2000) Researchers can be from a scientific or a social background, have roots in qualitative or quantitative methods or been trained formally or practically. Regardless of orientation, researcher must collect their data using a method that preserves the integrity of the research.

Researchers push themselves to describe actions without evaluating (evaluating, generalizing, inferring can all occur in the other kinds of notes, but not the field notes section of notes). Novice researchers often strive to get details. If they begin to generalize too early they may be recording more bias then what actually occurs. Researchers need data from which to generalize, otherwise the results cannot be trusted any more than folk tales or generalized impressions. One important distinction between research and general experience is that research relies upon carefully documented data from which conclusions are formed.

Data Analysis

When considering how qualitative researchers analyze their data it is important to consider their approach. The goal of research is making universal statements that may need to be modified later if exceptions are discovered but ultimately can reflect fairly exhaustive knowledge of what is researched. Causation is a potential goal of such knowledge, although it is causation that can include numerous exceptions. Those exceptions, however, add to the base of knowledge as the generalizability of the construct is determined, and a new, more comprehensive law of behavior can be generated that accounts for the exception. Such laws are marked by comprehensiveness and parsimony that bring meaning to the various parts of the whole of a phenomenon. Yet no analysis can be considered final, since reality is "inexhaustible" and constantly changing.

For the purpose of my experience with qualitative research, I have found it useful to simply the data analysis process. The following diagram reflects my interpretation of the data analysis method.

Writing Qualitative Research

The final tenet of quality qualitative research is how it is written. As a novice researcher participating in a qualitative course, I appreciate those articles and chapters that are written in a reflective and practical way. Researchers who clearly describe their experiences within their study situation allow novice researchers to interpret those descriptions into their own understanding.

Conclusion

When writing of the tenets of qualitative research, it is important for me to consider how such research affects my daily practice. Given that I am a novice researcher, practicing in a primary classroom, those qualities that I deem important may not reflect those of my classmates or colleagues. It has been important that I study for my Masters program while making the topics and courses practical for my own experiences. With that in mind, I have developed a useable, realistic and effective guide for my own use of qualitative research.

Sources

Berg, Bruce L. (2001). Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. Toronto: Allyn and Bacon.

Breuer, Franz (2000, June). Qualitative Methods in the Study of Biographies, Interactions and Everyday Life Contexts: The Development of a Research Style [29 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research [On-line Journal], 1(2). Available at: http://qualitative-research.net/fqs/fqs-e/2-00inhalt-e.htm [May 30, 2002]

Mehra, B. (2002, March). Bias in qualitative research: Voices from an online classroom. The Qualitative Report, 7(1). Retrieved [June 1, 2002], fromhttp://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR7-1/mehra.html.

Scott, David; Usher, Robin (1996). Understanding Educational Research. New York: Routledge.