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Qualitative research discussion.
Jane Agee (2009) Developing qualitative research questions: a reflective process, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 22:4, 431-447, DOI: 10.1080/09518390902736512
1- “Good research questions do not necessarily produce good research, but poorly conceived or constructed questions will likely create problems that affect all subsequent stages of a study. In qualitative studies, the ongoing process of questioning is an integral part of understanding the unfolding lives and perspectives of others” (Agee, 2009). The quality of the initial questions impacts whether or not a dissertation committee approves a study, published, or funded (Agee, 2009).
“At the heart of this approach are methods for representing what Geertz (1973, 10) called the ‘microscopic’ details of the social and cultural aspects of individuals’ lives… He noted that it is not enough to describe a wink and label it as a behavior. Rather, ‘the thing to ask’ about human behaviors is ‘what their import is’ (Geertz 1973, 10)” (Agee, 2009).
The process in selecting problem areas and formulating research questions depends on the questions asked and the problems the researcher encounters within the studies. When doing research, many researchers need to understand the cost, time, place travelling to and from, the materials that are required for the study and research. Researchers have a budget; they need to abide by and also put into consideration the time frame because if the investigation goes beyond that, they will not be able to finish the study in time. Some qualitative research strategies that can be used to get the data that is needed are individual interviews, focus groups, observations, and action research.
Sauro, J. (2015, October 13). 5 Types of Qualitative Methods. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from https://measuringu.com/qual-methods/
2- Social Scientists or investigators when they are conducting and formulating research need to take into account how to produce research questions that they can research, to get the information that is required. When it comes to qualitative studies, there is a variety of types of methods to use and express information. It is more of qualitative research focused little more person-centred approach. A couple of ways that can be named are ethnography, narrative, phenomenology, grounded theory, and a case study (Sauro, 2015). Depending on the technique used, each kind helps with a different type of research, and data that is being used.
Wagner, B. (2020). Using Educational Criticism and Connoisseurship for Qualitative Research. Curriculum & Teaching Dialogue, 22(1/2), 327–330.
3-When determining a research project, it is essential to understand the underlying goals. For criminal justice research, this is achieved by selecting problem areas that need to be addressed. This is often done by conducting interviews and gathering data. An appropriate research question must be identified during these interviews to ensure that there is information being obtained that is relevant to the study (Wagner, 2020).
To get a genuinely qualitative research study, there is a need to conduct in-depth information gathering from subjects. This could include observations, in-person oversight, interviews, and group sessions. This information gets beyond counting numbers and helps to determine what the root cause of the issue at hand is.
Discussion
And yes, with the research questions, a success for research is not guaranteed, but with rudely or poorly designed research questions, the whole research process is destined to fail. Qualitative research can be said to depend on the context effectively; it is used, and this can be achieved by designing a perfect research method instead of questions. This type of research technic mostly depends on the in-depth understanding of the context of relationships that might affect the outcome, with accurate documentation and interpretation being one the essential evaluation processes to help understand why or how certain aspects are effective or ineffective (Forsyth K, 2017). Therefore, with qualitative research, a researcher is advised to focus on the useful data collection technics and the way to acquire that data from the sample than concentrating on what to ask since questions might arise from experience in the field.
With methods for acquiring, usage and expressing of the information being the centre point for the qualitative analysis, a researcher is required to majorly understand the procedures and avoid personal world view or biasness when collecting the data from the field so a reader can understand and filter through the information to answer the problem questions. A method like ethnography requires the researcher to make direct observations from the real-life environment and make records, that which if a researcher is not keen can record biasedly based on personal feeling, and that can deliver a misinformed decision by the reader. The grounded theory that is a face-to-face interview can be said to be an improved method since it can help solve the missing part of the information that ethnography may not have recorded. Still, it can also be affected by the choice of the persons faced off, or groups interviewed who may be of a negative opinion about the topic under study. Phenomenology, since involves the researcher being on the ground and adapting the environment of the research that can be said to avoid the errors of ethnography and grounded theory but with this, there is one problem that the researcher might find it challenging to adopt the new environment hence limiting the research (J Sutton, 2015).
When the researcher critically understands goals of the research before conducting the investigation then the research paper will be said to have direction, the study will be easily understood by the targeted users or beneficiary like if the research is about crime and justice the researcher must be able to understand the crime trend of the region and the causes to make it easy for the justice officers to map the crimes. When a goal is understood, then any topic that may arise during the research can not take the researcher’s attention away from the main subject of the study. Resource wastage can also be avoided if the researcher understands the objectives of the research (Ankit Agarwal, 2013). But to be well conversant with the goals a researcher is required to read broadly, interview relevant persons and even be able to understand the environment of study.
References
Jane Agee (2009) Developing qualitative research questions: a reflective process, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 22:4, 431-447, DOI: 10.1080/09518390902736512
Sauro, J. (2015, October 13). 5 Types of Qualitative Methods. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from https://measuringu.com/qual-methods
Wagner, B. (2020). Using Educational Criticism and Connoisseurship for Qualitative Research. Curriculum & Teaching Dialogue, 22(1/2), 327–330.
Forsyth, K., Archer-Power, L., Senior, J., Peacock, R., Webb, R., Emsley, R., … & Hayes, A. (2017). The effectiveness of the Older prisoner Health and Social Care Assessment and Plan (OHSCAP): a randomised controlled trial.
Sutton, J., & Austin, Z. (2015). Qualitative research: Data collection, analysis, and management. The Canadian journal of hospital pharmacy, 68(3), 226.