Transcript Qualitative research methods in information and library

Qualitative research methods in
information and library science
dr. Alenka Šauperl
Department of Library and
Information Science and Book
Studies, Faculty of Arts,
University of Ljubljana
[email protected]
Comparison of quantitative and
qualitative methods
QUANTITATIVE
QUALITATIVE
 Hypothesis testing
 Discovery and understanding of events
 Variables
 Themes, motives, categories
 Measuring instruments
 Measuring instruments develop during
developed before the actual
the project, considering setting and
project starts
researcher
 Numeric data, precise,
 Textual data, documents, observations,
exact measurement
descriptive
 Standardized procedures,
 Individualized procedures, repetitions
repetitions
are difficult and different
 Analysis: statistical
 Analysis: seeking patterns,
methods, charts and tables
generalizations from available data
 Results: charts, tables,
 Results: stories, narratives,
facts
descriptions
 Validity: statistical tests
 Validity: triangulation, peer review
Qualitative methods
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Researcher collects data in a real environment.
Researcher himself/herself is the key research tool.
Focus of research is a process or activity itself, not just
results of that process or activity.
Data collected is most often verbal (non-numerical).
Verbal data analysis (rarely numerical).
Results are facts with limited usability and new
research questions. Rarely verification of hypothesized
relationships are confirmed.
Why engage in qualitative
research?
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Different research methods supplement each other.
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Qualitative methods focus on social interactions and
the individual in that social situation – just like libraries
and information centres.
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We should use all means to aid our efforts in attracting
more users and fulfilling their information needs.
Most frequently used methods
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Observation
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Interview
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The researcher observes events and behavior in natural
setting
Diary – “self-observation”
Opinions and feelings of interviewed people
Formal and informal
Group discussion, focus group
Content analysis
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Artefacts, documents – not people
Also part of every other qualitative research
Observation
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We are intrigued by a problem in a library
We observe
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A certain space (reference desk)
An individual or a group of people (catalogers, OPAC users)
An activity (storytelling)
Observation has to be
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Systematic and open
Nonobtrusive but not covert
Observation: An example
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Cobus, L., Dent, V.F. & Ondusek, A. 2005. How
twenty-eight users helped redesign and
academic library Web site: a usability study.
Reference & User Services Quarterly, vol. 44,
no. 3, pp. 232-46.
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Does the organization of the library Web site help
users find the desired information?
Hunter College Library, City University of New York
Result: a user friendly Web site
Research design
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Quantitative part:
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Exercises for participants: counting moves,
measuring time
Qualitative part:
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Observing participants during their work on
exercises: what confuses them, how do they
understand terms
Quantitative part
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Example questions:
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Find a book by [author name]
Find the loan period for books
Research assistants were trained to administer the
questionnaire and manage the session
The sessions were audiotaped, the work on the
computer was captured
Analysis of results prompted redesign of the Web site
and redesign of research project
Qualitative part
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Participants were asked to talk more freely
about what features they found interesting,
what terms were familiar/unfamiliar to them,
what spots of the page were obviously links.
Recording of speach and computer moves
Observation with unstructured
interview 1/6
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Recording equipment
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Placing of the researcher
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shy participants
personality/attitude, dress, guidance
Interaction with the participant - observation
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Ask the person sitting next to you to show you what
do they carry in their purse or pockets.
Observation with unstructured
interview 2/6
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Interaction with the participant - observation
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Ask the person sitting next to you to show you what
do they carry in their purse or pockets.
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How do you as the researcher feel?
How do you as the participant feel?
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Observation with unstructured
interview 3/6
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Interaction with the participant - observation
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Ask the person sitting next to you to show you what do they
carry in their purse or pockets.
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How do you as the researcher feel?
How do you as the participant feel?
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What can you as the researcher do to make the participant feel
comfortable and willing to give the information you need?
In what circumstances would you as a participant be willing to
comply with the researcher honestly?
Observation with unstructured
interview 4/6
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Interaction with the participant - interview
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Ask the person sitting next to you: What do you
think of dr. Šauperl’s slides?
Observation with unstructured
interview 5/6
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Interaction with the participant
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Ask the person sitting next to you: What do you
think of dr. Šauperl’s slides?
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How did you as a researcher ask the question?
What did you as a participant hear as a question?
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Observation with unstructured
interview 6/6
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Interaction with the participant
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Ask the person sitting next to you: What do you
think of dr. Šauperl’s slides?
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How did you as a researcher ask the question?
What did you as a participant hear as a question?
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nonverbal clues, timing, place, social “pressure”
Interview
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Usually a series of interviews with individuals
Structured or unstructured
Usual questions: who, what, where, when, how, why
Only ask things that cannot be observed
New questions emerge during the interview
New issues emerge during and after the interview,
therefore we sometimes need to return to the same
interviewee
Content analysis
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Analysis of text
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Archival documents describe the library’s
development
Notes, that a researcher takes during an
observation session report on events during that
session
Content analysis: an example
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Wilson, T.D. 2004. Talking about the problem: a content
analysis of pre-search interviews. Information
Research, vol.10, no.1, paper 206. [Available at
http://InformationR.net/ir/10-1/paper206.html].
[Accessed 2005-09-25].
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How do researchers talk about their problems in the course of
pre-search interviews and what are the difficulties they
experience in carrying out their own searches?
Result: search results are better if the librarian (a professional
intermediary searcher) helps the researchers with searching
for relevant literature
Content analysis
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Transcriptions of recorded observations
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Categorization
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What to write and how
Illustration: Wilson, Appendix 2
What constitutes a category
Development of categories
Illustration: Wilson, Fig. 2
Search for patterns
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What is repetitive and what do we want to see repetitive
Illustration: Wilson, Fig. 3, Appendix 3
Ethical considerations
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Confidentiality
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Misuse
Erroneous interpretation
Successfull researchers establish a very
sincere personal relationship with their
participants. Sometimes they even become
friends. In any case this relationship is based
on MUTUAL RESPECT AND TRUST.
Informed consent
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Participants and institutions need to agree to
be studied
Formal documents:
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Letter asking for access
Permission from the institution
Informed consent letter from individuals
Trust and confidentiality
Combination of methods
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Rare use of one method only
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Methods supplement each other
Triangulation (validation)
What is the best combination depends on the
research question
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Learn strengths and weaknesses of each method
Reliability
Can study be repeated with the same results?
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Did participants tell the truth?
Does the event change with time?
Do we get the same results by gathering data with
different methods? (triangulation)
Validity
Do your results represent true picture of
events/processes?
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Is the event meaningful considering the observed
patterns?
Do we get the same results by gathering data with
different methods? (triangulation)
Is the emerging theory confirmed with new
observations?
Organization of the project
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Researcher’s role
Research plan
Preparing for the start
Pilot study
Changes to the original plan
Conducting “real” research
Analysis
Writing report
Researcher’s role
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Researcher is the research instrument
Obtrusive or covert
Outsider or participant
“Computer with two processors”
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Merging into the setting
Gathering data
Research plan 1/3
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Selection of the topic:
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Am I able to conduct such a research project?
May I gain access to people, organisations,
documents?
Is the participant or institution neutral?
Does my research make sense at all?
Research question:
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Describe the problem
Formulate the question
Research plan 2/3
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Literature review
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Extensive reading of published research and
methodology
Selective reading (relevant studies)
Criteria for reading and evaluating published
research
Learn from errors of other researchers, don’t
make your own mistakes.
Research plan 3/3
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Theoretical framework
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Which theories are relevant for my research?
Verification of an existing theory
Symbolic interactionist grounded theory,
postmodernist theory, hermeneutics
Selection of research/data gathering method
Many loops in the process
Pilot study
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Learning from mistakes
Testing
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researcher
research plan
method
setting
Improving results:
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re-formulate the research question
improve research plan
change or adjust the data gathering/analysis method
The real thing!
Conducting research
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How good am I as a research tool
Data storage or loss
Differences among participants
Data storage
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Video and sound recording
Notes
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Notes structure
Notes structure
Observed data
Place, date, time, participant, identification of the particular
observation
Description of
participants
What were they like? (sad, dressed in pink)
Description of the I was not in a good mood and I posed questions that
implied answers.
researcher
Description of the Very few users in the library.
setting
Topics
A detailed description of an interview or observation.
(verbal communication)
Events
A detailed description of events, gestures, movements
during an interview, observation (nonverbal
communication)
Types of notes
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Field notes – taken during observation,
interview
Reflexive notes, journal – taken after leaving
the setting
Getting ready for analysis
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Transcription
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Usually a computer file
Preparing audio and sound recordings for analysis
Textual form
Data analysis
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During data collection and after collection is completed
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During data collection: preliminary analysis, coding
After data collection: detailed analysis
Several cycles of analysis
Content analysis
Processes:
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Data reduction
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Data display (charts, flowcharts, maps, etc.)
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Separating useful from nonuseful
Making sense of huge quantity of data
Making and verifying findings
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Going back to original data
A little help from … a computer
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Software:
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Nud*Ist
The Ethnograph
and others
Garbage in– Garbage out!
Writing a report
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Special characteristics of research also imply
special characteristics of reports
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Rich descriptions, narratives
Important elements:
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Methodology: detailed description of research methods, with
explanation of triangulation
Weaknesses and limitations of selected methods and
research project as a whole:
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Weaknesses of the methods
– Researcher’s weaknesses
Sources
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Handouts on the Web:
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Selected annotated bibliography of resources in
English, available at the Jinonice library
A short list of sources not available at the Jinonice
library
My published work
Thank
you.
Grad Otočec
(1252)