1、1 Research MethodsResearch MethodsResearch MethodsResearch Methods Qualitative vs. Quantitative ApproachQualitative vs. Quantitative Approach WANG YanWANG Yan UIBEUIBE Definition:Definition: An inAn in- -depth study of a social depth study of a social phenomenon or an aspect of phenomenon or an aspe

2、ct of educational cational life. Goal:Goal: to find out an answer to the to find out an answer to the underlying nature of somethingunderlying nature of something What is qualitative researchWhat is qualitative researchWhat is qualitative researchWhat is qualitative research Research design

3、Fieldwork Collecting data Data analysis Data interpretation Procedures of a Procedures of a Procedures of a Procedures of a qualitative researchqualitative researchqualitative researchqualitative research 2 NaturalisticNaturalistic Actual situations as the direct source of data The researcher is the

4、 key instrument and goes to the particular setting under study Concerned with the context and process DescriptiveDescriptive Everything could be a clue to a more comprehensive understanding of what is under study InductiveInductive Start with no hypothesis (no presuppositions about the subject) Putt

5、ing the pieces together to find out the whole Let the understanding evolve through the process Bottom up Concerned with MeaningConcerned with Meaning Interested in the life as well as the understanding of people How do people negotiate meaning? Features of qualitative studyFeatures of qualitative st

6、udyFeatures of qualitative studyFeatures of qualitative study Generalizability: Qualitative research findings are generalizable to some extent Effecting changes is more important than generalizability Subjectivity: As a researcher, you should reduce your opinions, prejudices, and other biases as muc

7、h as possible. Get rid of the assumptions before you start Try to minimize and overcome your prejudice which may have effect on the data. Process is more important than prediction and verification Making adjustments if necessary Truthful to the findings Important Important Important Important issues

8、 about issues about issues about issues about qualitative researchqualitative researchqualitative researchqualitative research Relationship between the researcher and the researched Full respect for the participants Cooperation Going along with the research and the researched Presence of the researc

9、her: The researcher should try to make the subjects forget the existence of the camera, recorder, etc. Different researchers: They may not come up with exactly the same results, but they surely share some similarities. More about qualitative researchMore about qualitative researchMore about qualitat

10、ive researchMore about qualitative research 3 Definition: an inquiry into a social or human problem based on testing a theory composed of variables, measured with numbers, and analyzed with statistical procedures, in order to determine whether the predictive generalizations of the theory hold true I

11、t is a formal, objective, systematic process in which numerical data are utilized to obtain information about the world What is a quantitative researchWhat is a quantitative researchWhat is a quantitative researchWhat is a quantitative research 8 Features of Quantitative StudyFeatures of Quantitativ

12、e StudyFeatures of Quantitative StudyFeatures of Quantitative Study Quantitative research is about quantifying the relationships between variables. The researcher knows in advance what he or she is looking for. Goal: Prediction, control, confirmation, test hypotheses. All aspects of the study are ca

13、refully designed before data are collected. The researcher tends to remain objectively separated from the subject matter. Deductive -to test theory/hypothesis 1.Terms/phrases associated with the approach 2.Key concepts associated with the approach 3.Theoretical affiliation 4.Academic affiliation 5.G

14、oals 6.Design 7.Data 8.Sample 9.Techniques or methods 10.Relationship with subjects 11.Instruments and tools 12.Data analysis 13.Written research proposals Comparison between qualitative Comparison between qualitative Comparison between qualitative Comparison between qualitative and quantitative res

15、earchand quantitative researchand quantitative researchand quantitative research 4 Qualitative Naturalistic Fieldwork Soft data Inner perspective Ethnographic Participant observation Life history Case study Narrative Inductive Descriptive Interpretive 1. Terms/phrases associated with 1. Terms/phrase

16、s associated with 1. Terms/phrases associated with 1. Terms/phrases associated with the approachthe approachthe approachthe approach Quantitative Experimental Hard data Outer perspective Positivist Social facts Statistical Scientific method 2. Key concepts associated with 2. Key concepts associated

17、with 2. Key concepts associated with 2. Key concepts associated with the approachthe approachthe approachthe approach Qualitative Meaning Definition of situation Everyday life Negotiated order Understanding Process For all practical purposes Social construction Quantitative Viability Reliability Hyp

18、othesis Validity Statistically significant Replication Prediction 3. Theoretical affiliation3. Theoretical affiliation3. Theoretical affiliation3. Theoretical affiliation Qualitative Symbolic interaction Ethnomethodolgy Phenomenology Culture Idealism Quantitative Structural functionalism Realism, po

19、sitivism Behaviorism Logical empiricism Systems theory 5 4. Academic affiliation4. Academic affiliation4. Academic affiliation4. Academic affiliation Qualitative Sociology History Anthropology Quantitative Sociology Psychology Economics Political science 5. Goals5. Goals5. Goals5. Goals Qualitative

20、Develop sensitizing concepts Describe multiple realities Develop understanding Quantitative Theory testing Establishing facts Show relationship between variables Prediction 6. Design 6. Design 6. Design 6. Design Qualitative Evolving Flexible General hunch as to how you might proceed Quantitative St

21、ructured Predetermined Formal, specific Detailed plan of operation 6 7. Data 7. Data 7. Data 7. Data Qualitative Descriptive Personal documents Fieldnotes Photographs Peoples own words Official documents and other artifacts Quantitative Quantitative Quantifiable coding Counts, measures Operationaliz

22、ed variables Statistics 8. Sample 8. Sample 8. Sample 8. Sample Qualitative Small Non-representative Theoretical sampling Snow-ball sampling Purposeful Quantitative Large Stratified Control groups Precise Random selection Control of extraneous variables 9. Techniques or methods9. Techniques or metho

23、ds9. Techniques or methods9. Techniques or methods Qualitative Reviewing various documents, etc. Observation Open-ended interviewing First person accounts Quantitative Experiments Quasi experiments Structured observations Structured interviewing Survey research 7 10. Relationship with subjects10. Re

24、lationship with subjects10. Relationship with subjects10. Relationship with subjects Qualitative Empathy Emphasis on trust Egalitarian Subject as friend Intense contact Quantitative Detachment Short-term Distant Subject-researcher Circumscribed 11. Instruments and tools11. Instruments and tools11. I

25、nstruments and tools11. Instruments and tools Qualitative Tape recorder Transcriber Computer Quantitative Inventories Questionnaires Indexes Scales Test scores Computer 12. Data analysis12. Data analysis12. Data analysis12. Data analysis Qualitative Inductive Ongoing Procedures not standardized Diff

26、icult to study large populations Quantitative Deductive Occurs at conclusion of data collection Obtrusiveness Validity 8 13. Written research proposals13. Written research proposals13. Written research proposals13. Written research proposals Qualitative Brief Speculative Suggests areas research may

27、be relevant to Often written after some data have been collected Not extensive in substantive literature review General statement of approach Quantitative Extensive Detailed and specific in focus Detailed and specific in procedure Written prior to data collection Thorough review of substantive liter

28、ature Hypothesis Can qualitative and quantitative approaches be used together? Combination of both qualitative and quantitative research: More convincing How does qualitative research differ from quantitative research? Qualitative: What is the nature of a problem? Quantitative: To what extent the pr

29、oblem is existing? Which research approach is better, qualitative or quantitative? It depends on the purpose of your research, i.e., what you want to find out. Qualitative vs. QuantitativeQualitative vs. QuantitativeQualitative vs. QuantitativeQualitative vs. Quantitative Is it scientific? Quantitat

30、ive research is supported by statistics; Numbers can tell something, but not everything. Sometimes we need to know the nature of a phenomenon, and something that cannot be quantified. What is difficult to understand does not necessarily mean it is more scientific. What makes it scientific is: the co

31、nsistence in philosophical understanding and procedural methods open recognition of researchers perspective and subjectivity What makes a study scientific What makes a study scientific What makes a study scientific What makes a study scientific and convincing?and convincing?and convincing?and convin

32、cing? 9 Summary: Summary: Summary: Summary: Essentials Essentials Essentials Essentials of qualitative of qualitative of qualitative of qualitative and quantitative researchand quantitative researchand quantitative researchand quantitative research Qualitative Inductive: bottom-up In-depth Interpret

33、ive Meaning Interviews Generates theory Quantitative Deductive: top- down Large scale Validity Statistics Questionnaires Tests hypothesis Questionnaire A document containing a set of questions, which has been specially formulated as a means of collecting information and surveying opinions, etc. on a

34、 specified subject or theme, etc. Interview A talk through which the researcher asks the interviewee a series of questions to find out some information about the interviewee. Survey DesignSurvey DesignSurvey DesignSurvey Design Seven usual types of survey questionsSeven usual types of survey questio

35、nsSeven usual types of survey questionsSeven usual types of survey questions 1.Demographic questions 2.Yes-no questions 3.Multiple choice questions 4.List questions 5.Scale questions 6.List-rank questions 7.Open-ended questions 10 1.Demographic questions1.Demographic questions1.Demographic questions

36、1.Demographic questions Demographical information of target subjects, such as age, gender, nationality, educational background, occupation, etc. Be cautious when asking private and sensitive questions, such as marital status, income, religion, political affiliation, etc. 2. Yes2. Yes2. Yes2. Yes- -

37、- -No QuestionsNo QuestionsNo QuestionsNo Questions The formal term of Yes/No questions is “dichotomous questions” This type of questions offer the respondent a choice between two options, and instantly divide the opinions into two groups. Example: Do you have on-the-job training programs in your co

38、mpany? A. Yes. B. No. 3. Multiple Choice questions3. Multiple Choice questions3. Multiple Choice questions3. Multiple Choice questions Definition: Fixed alternative questions that allow the respondents to choose one answer from a pool of given replies. The most important quality: All the choices to

39、a certain question must be fully exclusive to each other. Only one can be chosen to answer the question from the options specified Example:Example: Your opinion on present English textbook: A. very pleased B. pleased C. neutral D. displeased E. very displeased 11 4. List questions4. List questions4.

40、 List questions4. List questions In your specified context or scenario, make a list of answers for the subjects to choose from, usually with no limit on the number of choices Put a bracket (for “other” choices) at the end of all choices Example:Example: Which of the following have you attended in th

41、e past six months? A. Art exhibitionB. balletC. cinema D. ConcertE. dramaF. Karaoke G. LectureH. musicalsI. opera J. Other performances_(please specify) 5. Scale questions5. Scale questions5. Scale questions5. Scale questions Likert scale questions are designed to measure otherwise immeasurable qual

42、ities such as approach, outlook, position, attitude, mind-set and ways of thinking Example:Example: Read the statement below, then circle the number that best indicates your agreement or disagreement with that statement “The course provided at this university are as good as Id expected.” StronglyStr

43、ongly agreedisagree 12345 6. List6. List6. List6. List- - - -Rank questionsRank questionsRank questionsRank questions List-rank questions is a combination of multiple- choice and scale questions. With this type, you first provide a list of questions, and each is followed by some fixed alternatives E

44、xample:Example: As you see it, making a phone call while driving a vehicle is: Risky12345Safe Cool12345Not cool Cute12345Not cute Expert12345Inexpert 12 Closed questions (Closed questions (Closed questions (Closed questions (封閉式問題封閉式問題封閉式問題封閉式問題) ) ) ) The previous 6 types of questions are more or l

45、ess “closed questions”, which provide several answers following each question and require the subjects to select one of the answers. You can put marks before answers, e g. 5 for A, 4 for B, 3 for C, 2 for D, and 1 for E. Then the results of the questionnaire can be quantified. Advantages and disadva

46、ntages of closed questions Advantages: easy for both the subjects and the designer Drawbacks: the subjects may have much more than we can hear. Open questions do not require a simple answer and can be answered freelyfreely by the subject e.g. Whats your opinion on the present English textbook? Howev

47、er, such kind of questions cannot be quantified. It can only be used in qualitative research. Advantages and disadvantages: Advantages: Respondents have much more space for their opinions. Meanwhile they are provided opportunities to express in their own words. Disadvantages: Respondents may digress

48、 from the topic, and the data obtained can be miscellaneous, which may make the subsequent analysis more difficult and time-consuming. 7. Open7. Open7. Open7. Open- - - -ended ended ended ended questionquestionquestionquestion ( ( ( (開放式問題開放式問題開放式問題開放式問題) ) ) ) The design of a questionnaire can be d

49、escribed in terms of a series of STEPSSTEPS that include: (1)Selecting the modes of administration (2)Specifying what kind of data you intend to collect (3)Determining the way you process the questionnaire data (4)Deciding on the content of individual items (5)Choosing question structure (6)Determin

50、ing the order of questions (7)Deciding the format of a questionnaire (8)Conducting a pilot study to test the questionnaire Questionnaire Design ProcessQuestionnaire Design ProcessQuestionnaire Design ProcessQuestionnaire Design Process 13 Questionnaires start with a cover letter It often starts by a

51、ddressing the target respondents with “Dear Sirs and madams” or “Dear Friends”, like a letter. It includes a short preface about you as the researcher and a problem statement explaining your research question and your purpose for this survey. The problem and its possible solutions are your central p

52、oints for which you want other people to contribute to, at least to voice their say. Cover letterCover letterCover letterCover letter (1)(1)Having high internal validityHaving high internal validity The items in the questionnaire must be the variables you really want to investigate (2)(2)Four cautio

53、ns in setting achievable questions:Four cautions in setting achievable questions: Reasonable, considerate, concrete, integration (3)(3)Taking a professional outlookTaking a professional outlook Contains a cover letter and a problem statement Avoid crowding questions together to make the questionnair

54、e look shorter. Do not print one question across two pages. Using the printing papers of high quality to make reading clear and easy. Criteria for a Good QuestionnaireCriteria for a Good QuestionnaireCriteria for a Good QuestionnaireCriteria for a Good Questionnaire What types of interview to adopt

55、depends on the goal of your research Personal interview or Group interview Telephone interview or Face-to-face interview There are three types of interviews depending on the degree of freedom on the part of the interviewer. (1) Unstructured interview (非結構化訪談) (2) Semi-structured interview (半結構化訪談) (

56、3) Structured interview (結構化訪談) Types of InterviewTypes of InterviewTypes of InterviewTypes of Interview 14 (1) Unstructured interview (1) Unstructured interview (open interviews) An informal, friendly conversation, providing interviewers with a lot of freedom, with questions generated spontaneously

57、 in the natural flow of the interaction. (2)Semi(2)Semi- -structured interviewstructured interview It is conducted according to an interview schedule prepared in advance, but the order and actual wording of the questions need not be determined before the interview. (3)Structured interview(3)Structur

58、ed interview It consists of a set of open-ended questions carefully worded and arranged with the intention of taking each interviewee through the same sequence and asking each interviewee the same questions with essentially the same words. Types of InterviewTypes of InterviewTypes of InterviewTypes

59、of Interview Process of an interviewProcess of an interviewProcess of an interviewProcess of an interview Before the interview Appointment: time and place Preparation: Facilities: recorder, video camera, batteries Background information Interview guidelines (questions) During the interview Start with some small talk Asking for permission to record Expl