TEC 6550 - Applied Research Methods

Purpose:

These methods focus on the emancipation, collaboration and empowerment of the participants. This methodology is appropriate for collaborative research with groups, especially marginalised groups, where there is more flexibility in how the research is conducted and considers feedback from the participants. 

Definition:

Has three primary characteristics:  

1. Action oriented, participants are actively involved in the research.

2. Involvement by participants in the research, collaborative process between participant and researcher - empowerment of participants. The participants have more of a say in what is being researched and how they want the research to be conducted.

3. Cycle is iterative so that it is flexible and responsive to a changing situation. 

Methods:

• Surveys
• Questionnaires
• Interviews
• Oral recordings
• Workshops
• Focus groups,
• Photovoice (use of images or video to capture the local environment / community and to share with others)
• Informal conversations 

Excerpted from  Qualitative study design by Deakin University 2023 and licensed under a CC BY NC 4.0. See the entry for Action Research for additional details. 

Purpose:

In depth description of the experience of a single person, a family, a group, a community or an organisation.

Definition:

An example of a qualitative case study is a life history which is the story of one specific person.  A case study may be done to highlight a specific issue by telling a story of one person or one group.

Methods:

• Observation
• Interview
• Oral recording
• Documents

Excerpted from  Qualitative study design by Deakin University 2023 and licensed under a CC BY NC 4.0. See the entry for Case Studies for additional details. 

Purpose:

To describe the characteristics of a particular culture/ethnographic group. 

Definition:

• Ethnography is the study of culture (Taylor & Francis, 2013) it is in many ways similar to anthropology; this being the study of human societies and cultures. 
• Exploration and data collection can occur in either an emic or etic approach. Emic meaning that the observation happens from within the culture. Etic meaning the observation is external looking in (Taylor et al., 2006) 
• Used to explore questions relating to the understanding of a certain group's beliefs, values, practices and how they adapt to change. (Taylor & Francis, 2013) 
• Ethnographic studies can be about identifying inequalities. For example exploring racial and cultural aspects of how a cultural group functions and the rules that guide behaviours. (Taylor & Francis, 2013) 
• One form of ethnography is an auto-ethnography which involves exploration of the self as the topic being explored. 

Methods:

• The researcher places themselves as a ‘participant observer’ amidst the culture. 
• The setting is a very important consideration within ethnographic studies as the exploration of the people and their behaviours must be within the context of that cultural situation. 
• Methods used include, but are not limited to: observation, interviews, focus groups, review of documentary evidence and keeping field notes. (Taylor & Francis, 2013) 

Excerpted from  Qualitative study design by Deakin University 2023 and licensed under a CC BY NC 4.0. See the entry for Ethnography for additional details. 

Purpose:

Looking at the past to inform the future.

Definition:

Describing and examining past events to better understand the present and to anticipate potential effects on the future. To identify a need for knowledge that requires a historical investigation. Piecing together a history, particularly when there are no people living to tell their story.  

Methods:

• Primary source documents
• Interviews
• Oral Recordings

Excerpted from  Qualitative study design by Deakin University 2023 and licensed under a CC BY NC 4.0. See the entry for Historiography for additional details. 

Purpose: 
Narrative inquiry can reveal unique perspectives and deeper understanding of a situation. Often giving voice to marginalised populations whose perspective is not often sought. 

Definitions:

Narrative inquiry records the experiences of an individual or small group, revealing the lived experience or particular perspective of that individual, usually primarily through interview which is then recorded and ordered into a chronological narrative. Often recorded as biography, life history or in the case of older/ancient traditional story recording - oral history.  

Methods:

• Interview
• Qualitative survey 
• Recordings of oral history (documents can be used as support for correlation and triangulation of information mentioned in interview.) 
• Focus groups can be used where the focus is a small group or community. 

Excerpted from  Qualitative study design by Deakin University 2023 and licensed under a CC BY NC 4.0. See the entry for Narrative Inquiry for additional details. 

Purpose:

A phenomenological approach is used to describe the lived experience of individuals. 

Definition:

• Now called Descriptive Phenomenology, this study design is one of the most commonly used methodologies in qualitative research within the social and health sciences.
• Used to describe how human beings experience a certain phenomenon. The researcher asks, “What is this experience like?’, ‘What does this experience mean?’ or ‘How does this ‘lived experience’ present itself to the participant?’
• Attempts to set aside biases and preconceived assumptions about human experiences, feelings, and responses to a particular situation.
• Experience may involve perception, thought, memory, imagination, and emotion or feeling.
• Usually (but not always) involves a small sample of participants (approx. 10-15).
• Analysis includes an attempt to identify themes or, if possible, make generalizations in relation to how a particular phenomenon is perceived or experienced.

Methods used include:

• participant observation
• in-depth interviews with open-ended questions
• conversations and focus workshops. 

Researchers may also examine written records of experiences such as diaries, journals, art, poetry and music.

Excerpted from  Qualitative study design by Deakin University 2023 and licensed under a CC BY NC 4.0. See the entry for Phenomenology for additional details.