Analysing Qualitative Research:learning from the field

Assoc. Professor Anni Dugdale

RIM, Bhutan 2013

Where am I?

You’re 30 metres

above the ground in a

balloon

You must be a

researcher

Yes. How

did you know?

Because what you told me is

absolutely correct but completely

useless

You must be a policy

maker

Yes, how did

you know? Because you

don’t know where you are, you

don’t know where you’re going, and

now you’re blaming me

Drawing a lesson

• We are practitioners who want to do and analyse research to draw lessons and influence practice. Our research is action-based research.

• Action-based research is a distinctive way of learning.

• It draws on research evidence to propose a

remedial course of action to deal with a problem confronting policymakers in their home environment.

What is ‘action-based’ research?

• Action-based research has ‘explanatory’, ‘descriptive’ and ‘prescriptive’ objectives.

• Action-based research includes practitioners in the production of the research.

• Ideally action-based research includes practitioners in the analysis of the research.

• Action research is pragmatic – it aims to produce research which can be integrated into decision processes.

• Action research involves designing a process of learning

Basic Principles

• Speaking truth to power

• A clear and accessible objective/project

• Use well grounded theory

• Credible evidence

• Critical reflexivity – building a preponderance of evidence

• A participatory learning process

Example of Action-based Research & Analysis

APGEST (Asia Pacific Gender Equity through Science & Technology)

AIMSa) to work with the UNESCO basic science program in

11 countries to raise awareness of gender in science and technology;

b) to advocate and promote gender equity in and through science and technology;

c) to diagnose problems, incubate ideas and inspire better practices.

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APGEST: (ASIA PACIFIC GENDER APGEST: (ASIA PACIFIC GENDER EQUITY IN SCIENCE & EQUITY IN SCIENCE &

TECHNOLOGY) PROGRAMMETECHNOLOGY) PROGRAMME

Collaboration of• APGEN – Asia Pacific Gender Equality

Network• UNDP • UNESCO

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Poverty and exclusion is getting worse not better Poverty is feminised. Globalization is linked to poverty: benefits are to

those most ‘connected’ Women are triply disadvantaged:

(1) unequal access to science, technology and participation in the knowledge dynamics of globalisation. (2) Unequal access to technical skill for women, including technologies of connectedness.(3) S&T development oriented away from relevance to women.

Women hold up half the sky women hold half the local science & technology knowledge communities need to survive & thrive. Women maintain food security, health, household energy supply & water & sanitation management.

APGEST - ASIA PACIFIC GENDER EQUITY IN APGEST - ASIA PACIFIC GENDER EQUITY IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME: Puzzle StatementPuzzle Statement

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Aim:Explore what special steps can be taken combining social &

technical innovation to connect poor women to global techno-cultural worlds

Primary Programme Goal for APGEST:

development of women’s technical skill, capital and capacity in social technical innovation particularly at village level

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Action Research because focus was on

- Learning from practice and best practice

- Learning how to create & encourage gender sensitive policy in technical Ministries (eg water, forest & fisheries, agriculture, energy)

Research Design

• Qualitative research strategy– Policy document analysis– Interviews with key policy makers– Case studies of best practice

• Analysis of published reports & media coverage• Semi-structured interviews with implementing

agencies• Site visits – ethnographic observation and open

ended informal interviews with key informants

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Participating CountriesParticipating Countries

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Renewable EnergyRenewable Energy

WaterWater

Green Green HealthHealth

BiotechnologyBiotechnology

Information Technology

Technology Focus

For lots more seehttp://www.unesco.or.id/apgest/

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Information & Communication technologies

social and technical innovation to connect the poor to the global economy

(M.S. Swaminatham Research Institute microwave intranet Pondicherry India)

APGEST (GENDER EQUITY IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY)

PROGRAM

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• Theme 1: how technology works as a socio-technical system– Villianpur is the town hub. It links

to internet & Tamil speaking volunteers keep information on the intranet up to date. Microwaves are used to link to Village Knowledge Centres – cheaper than telephone lines which are not existent in area

– Integrate information into existing communication networks at village level

Ethnography of design of Village Knowledge Centres & intranet

Theme 2 - Politics of space: Placement of computer matters

• Here picture shows Knowledge Centre was adjacent to temple, this did not work as traditionally Dalits could not enter temples

• Head villager’s house was tried – it was weatherproof - but family members were favoured & poor excluded

Pictures from paper by Subbiah Arunachalam*M S Swaminathan Research FoundationChennai, India http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla68/papers/074-095e.pdf

Analysis focused on themes of how to organise human-technology interaction to ensure gender equity

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•Theme 3 – (Disaggregated) Meaning villagers give to ICT

–What information do people – men, women, youth - want?

Children want to play gamesYouth want to practice for national exams compete for university entry

Women developed a plants for health database to share knowledge of traditional medicine

Fisherman want to know latest weather reports

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• Making gravity feed small-scale reservoir systems in Nepal Gender equity themes– Women in design– Women participating in public

decision forums– Less drudgery, women able to

develop small-scale enterprises

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• Green health– Partnership between Women’s

Studies Centre at Yogyakarta State University women traditional jamu makers

• Protecting traditional health knowledge from erosion, extinction & bio-piracy

• Microcredit, modernising production & distribution