Qualitative research may have no measure
of objectivity, but there is more to it than simply good story-telling. It has
deeper meaning to researchers, as it involves interviewing the participants, and it is deeply involved in
issues of gender, culture and marginalized groups. The research is centered on
human emotion, which is too complex to measure using statistics. Futhermore, ontological
and epistemological assumptions influence the validity around how the research
is conducted. Without qualitative
research, it would be difficult to gather in-depth data around the complexity
of human thought and emotion without simplifying them into simple statistics.
Qualitative research is influenced by ontological
and epistemological assumptions. Researchers must have a deep understanding of
the two in order to carry out valid research when using a qualitative approach.
In order to understand ontology and epistemology, a researcher has to try to
explain the truth in an objective detached manner and has to believe the truth
can only be understood by gaining insight into the meaning an individual gives
to his/her experiential world. The researcher should also believe there is
fixed reality or truth, since reality is changing all the time and therefore
their reality can only be known by those who experience it personally (Bogdan &
Biklen, S.k. (2003). Ontological assumption is the way the researcher believes
deep down how social reality should be viewed, and epistemological assumptions are
how the researcher thinks social phenomena should best be studied in order to
be able to represent the most truthful picture of it (Eriksson & Kovalainen,
2008).
Ontology is about what we assume things
to be constituted of or from. Hence, we might assume that leadership is
constituted of a particular personality trait or we might form the assumption
that it is a relational phenomenon which emerges in particular settings. “Ontology
concerns the ideas about the existence of and relationship between people, society,
and the world in general (Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2008, p. 13). As Bryman
and Bell ( 2003, p.19) point out, the central idea here is “…the question of
whether social entities can and should be considered objective entities that
have reality external to social actors, or whether they can and should be
considered social constructions built up from the perceptions and actions of
social actors.” It’s clear that an ontological position relates to a person’s
assumptions about how the world is made up and the nature of things. Ontology
deals with the categories and relationships inherent in different realms of
human research.
My ontological position can be viewed as
relativist because my research is influenced by my core values. As I research
the effects of physical activity among young people, I must keep in mind,
however, that there is not one absolute truth to the study. I am morally
committed in my own learning with others to improve my practice and my ability
to provide better quality research and community engagement. I acknowledge the
constant mutual influence that happens between myself and my research project.
In contrast to simple story-telling, qualitative research requires carefully
planned communication with the participants of the study, and analytical
thinking in order to organize data in the most objective way possible.
Similar to ontology, epistemological ideology
would require reflection on an understanding of science as it helps to explicate views and opinions on
things like truth, knowledge and reality. A researcher would use existing
literature as the framework for determining what is needed as he or she
attempts to remove all influence and bias from the research subject. He or she deploys
different epistemological assumptions from various psychological, social,
cultural, theoretical contexts to make sense of reality. My epistemological
position is influenced by the way I see the world, how I think knowledge is
created and shared and how I believe truth is defined. It deals with the
nature, methods, validity, limitations and scope of human knowledge and
understanding. It gives beliefs about how I might discover knowledge about the
world and how I come to know things. Epistemology is my everyday assumptions
about what is true and how I determine the truth. As I develop my research
around the health determinants in youth, I must keep this ideology in mind so
that the research is focused on the voices of the participants rather than my
own thoughts and emotions around the topic.
Qualitative research is not simply good
story-telling; it is not about numbers, but it is about the richness of the
information and insight a researcher can get access to by spending time with
participants and looking for patterns in their reactions and responses. “Qualitative
researchers have a responsibility to make their epistemological and ontological
positions as they conduct their research in a manner consistent with that
position, and present their findings in a way that allows them to be evaluated
properly” (Madill, 2000, p.17). There are important relations between
ontological and espistemological positions in qualitative research. According
to Hughes (1990, cited in Tylor and Edgar, 1999, p.28) “every tool or procedure
is inextricably embedded in commitments to particular versions of the world
(i.e. ontology) and to knowing that world (i.e. epistemology)”. It is obvious that
qualitative research brings together a variety of empirical materials (case
study, personal experience, life story, interview, participant observation,
historical, and visual texts) that make routine and problematic moments and
meanings in individuals’ lives (Sutton, 1997). When we limit data of human
experience and emotion to numbers or statistics, we miss the big picture or
deeper meaning behind it all.
Qualitative research is used to gain
insight around people’s attitudes, behaviours, value systems, concerns,
motivations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles (Schwandt, T.A. 2007). It is based
on assumptions of a worldview and the study of a theoretical lens. “Qualitative
research is a situated activity of a set of interpretive, material practices
that make the world visible. These practices transform the world. They turn the
world into a series of representations, including field notes, interviews,
conversations, photographs, recording, and memos to self. At this level,
qualitative research involves an interpretive, naturalistic approach to the
world. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural
settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the
meanings people bring to them” (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005, p.3). It is clear
that qualitative research is emphasized as flowing from ontological and
epistemological assumptions, through a theoretical lens and involves the
studying of human social problems. The complexity around this type of research
must be acknowledged to understand why the data is multifaceted compared to
simple statistics, and to highlight the importance of the interpretation of
data done by the researcher.
Qualitative research is conducted
because of the human social problems or issues that need to be explored. Researchers
explore these issues because they need to study a group of populations,
identify variables that can be measured or hear silent voices. We also conduct
qualitative research because we need to understand complexity (Creswell, 2007,
p.42). To understand it we interview our participants, empower them to share
their stories, hear their voices. We try to minimize the power relationship
that often exists between a researcher and the participants in the study. We
also try to collaborate directly with participants by having them review our
research questions and having them involved in the data analysis and
interpretation phases of research. Qualitative research in a good study should
be ethics, morality and politics in the research strategy and design (Creswell,
2007, p.42). Qualitative researchers are much more focused on plannning,
designing the research and have to be
aware of ethics to considers threats thoughout the process of the research
Qualitatvie research is used to convey
stories without the restrictions of formal academic structures of writing, in
which the participants address the issue. The qualitative researcher cannot
separate what people say from the context in which they say it, regardless even
if this context is their work or family (Creswell, 2007, p.42). We use
qualitative research to explain the linkage in casual theories. These theories
provide a general picture of relationships but they don’t explain to us about
why people respond as they did and the behaviours that influence their
responses. We use qualitative research because quantitative research measures statistics,
and we believe that statistic analyses do not fit the problem. We believe that
by interacting with people it would be difficult to level all individuals to a
statistic without overlooking the uniqueness of individuals in our studies (Creswell,
2007, p.42).
Qualitative research is sensitive to
issues such as gender, race, economic status, and individual differences. It is
simply a better fit for my research problem because statistics will not
illustrate the importance of human emotion. There is more to qualitative
research than just good story-telling; it requires a strong commitment to study
a problem and demands time and resources. It should not be viewed as a substitute
for a “statistical” or quantitative study. It is for researchers who are willing
to spend many hours in the field, collect extensive data and analyze data
though the ambitious task of sorting through large amounts of data and reducing
them to a few categories (Creswell, 2007, p.42). Qualitative research tasks are
challenging, especially because the database consists of complex texts and
images.
Researchers using qualitative methods
understand the importance of accurately measuring the participants’ voice. They
must carefully develop questions for their participants, as the participants
are ultimately going to drive the research.
These questions have to be designed in such a way that takes into
account the diversity and complexity of the subjects. The researcher has to be
willing to write long passages and needs to show multiple perspectives. We ask
open-ended research questions with interest in listening to our participants we
are studying and shaping our questions after we explore. We refrain from the
idea that our questions are the best, and our questions change during the
process of research to increase the understanding of the problem (Creswell,
2007, p.42). Qualitative research requires
asking questions that usually change during the process of research, allowing
the researcher to reflect on the problem more deeply.
In order to develop
appropriate research questions, qualitative research requires the researcher to
clearly understand what varieties of questions are likely to be constructed.
The researcher needs to plan and prepare to develop research questions
effectively. The better the researcher understand clearly the purposes of
research questions, he or she will accomplish good research questions. The
questions should be framed in ways to help the researcher achieve research
goals.
The information gathered from
participants must be carefully analyzed and described within a narrative in
such a way that makes clear the thoughts and feelings of the participants. Throughout
the collection of extensive data and data analysis, we shape our narrative with
many forms in qualitative research. We tell a story that unfolds over time and
present the study following the traditional approach to scientific research
(i.e., problem, question, method, findings). We talk about experiences in
conducting the study, and how they shape our interpretations of the results. We
let the voices of our participants speak and carry the story through dialogue (Creswell,
2007, p.42).
As a qualitative researcher my study
will be observing young people in their natural setting and analysing the
cultural symbols they use. My approach to qualitative research will be based on
a naturalistic view; my research is focused on promoting physical activity with
and among young people. I will be using young people’s life-stories interview to
explore how physical activities influence the life-style choices among young
people. I feel that it is important that I try to understand young person’s
experiences in life or their relations to others, to let their voices be heard,
to let them speak about themselves. If I want to know the unique perspective of
the individual, there is no better way to get this by being present to hear
that person’s own voice. I am also interested in having young individuals tell
his or her story from the vantage point that would allow me to see his or her
story as a whole. I will find a gatekeeper that will allow me to gain access to
young people and also help build a level of trust between myself and my
participants.
I disagree with the statement that
qualitative research is simply good story telling. According to (Sutton, 1997),
qualitative research is deeply involved in issues of gender, culture and
marginalized groups. The topics that qualitative researchers choose are
predominately focused on human emotion, which is too complex to measure using
statistics. As a qualitative researcher I am interested in understanding the
meaning that people have constructed. I want to know how people make sense of
the world they live in and experiences they have undergone. For example, when
you ask an athlete about his coach’s leadership style, he will probably tell
you how he feels based upon his experience working with the coach and how he
interprets his relationship with the coach. I would be interested in the
meaning that is embedded in the athlete’s experience in the training and his
interaction with the coach. I will apply a similar method while conducting my
research on promoting physical activity with and among young people.
My qualitative research will involve
extensive collection of data, typically from different sources of information. According
to Silverman, ‘If you are concerned with exploring people’s life histories or
everyday behaviour, then qualitative methods are favoured” (Silverman, 2000). I
will use open-ended research questions so that my participants would feel free to
tell their stories, and I will write about what is most significant about their
story.
As a qualitative researcher, my writing
will reflect my own interpretation based on the culture, social status, gender, class and
personal politics that I bring to research. I expect my interpretation will be
different from other researchers and will need to remain open-minded about my
writing. According to Richardson (1994), the best writing acknowledges its own
“undecidability” the material within a particular historical and locally
specific time and place. In this perspective, no writing has “privileged
status” (Richardson, 1994, p. 518) or superiority over other writings. Laurel
Richardson (1994) is clearly making an argument that researchers need to
recognize that writing is a way of knowing, “a method of discovery and
analysis” (p. 516) which does not innocently reflect a social reality, but
rather creates that reality.
Richardson’s critique of writing
conventions has alerted me to the possibilities and responsibilities inherent
in the writing process. As a researcher
I will be selecting, deleting, framing and re-interpreting the stories of
participants. I will recognize my own voice and I will work towards a more
polyphonic representation of participants. I will be aware of how much theory
from the literature will be included and I will make sure that theory
literature helps to situate and clarify my field work without detracting from
it. My research will illustrate that qualitative research is not simply good
story telling by engaging in a rich and vital story of lived experiences, while
being respectful to all participants (Richardson, 1994 & Hart 2002).
I hope to draw readers in, through a dramatic
story of lived experience involving participants, by highlighting some of the
shared narrative threads linking my study to on-going conversations in the
field. I will incorporate a discussion of pertinent theoretical insights into
each chapter, rather than combining them into one contained literature review. I
am interested in having a person tell his or her story from the vantage point
that allows the individual to see his or her life as a whole, to see it
subjectively across time as it all fits together. This subjective perspective is
what I am looking for in my research and this is what will constitute the
individual’s reality of his or her world.
Qualitative
research has no measure of objectivity because the research is influenced by
personal feelings, interpretations of the results or personal prejudices. The
researcher writes another person’s story to gain context and recognize meaning.
Story-telling is being used to accomplish research goals. The researcher is
aware of the range of possible roles and standards that exist in a community.
They gain information about social reality existing outside the story that is
described by the story (Bertaux, 1981). They explain the story as a social
construct (Rosenthal 1993) as well as help to explain an individual’s unique
understanding of social events, movements, and political causes, or how
individual members of a group, generation, or cohort see certain events or
movements (Stewart, 1994). I will go to young people to observe, interview or
collect documents. I will immerse myself in the situation and I will watch
naturally occurring events and not control them. (Guba, & Lincoln, 1994). I
will be sensitive to reactions of participants and my data will be immediately
processed. I will be able to take whatever action to check and confirm with the
subject if there is doubt or uncertainties.
I have chosen the qualitative
perspective because it is the best way to measure the effectiveness of youth
programs. My research will be important to investigate the relationship between
the individual child, the school and the home environment in establishing and
reinforcing positive attitudes and behavior concerning physcial activity among young people’s health. This research will
provide health information to children’s adherence to a promotion of physical
activity in their life style choices. Numbers would not be as meaningful to my
research as would interviews of the participants. I am interested in ‘multiple
realities’ or multiple interpretations and not just one conception of reality
or one interpretation (Guba & Lincoln, 1994). To accurately measure the
effectiveness of physical activity among young people and the impact it has on
their health later in life, I would have to involve multiple views of
participants. This might include youth who are involved in physical activity,
those who are not, teachers, coaches, parents, etc. I am interested in finding
any links or discrepancies between the subjects’ views, using qualitative
methods.
To sum up, qualitative research is not
simply good story telling; it requires time and efforts including: the
logistics around sampling, recruiting and arranging the interviews, attending
research meetings, spending time on email with research colleagues to discuss
the study and completing the analysis. It is interested in knowing how people
make sense of the world they live in and experiences they have undergone, in a
way that no number or statistic could demonstrate.
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