RHETORICAL ASSUMPTIONS

QualitativeSaeed Behjati (Ph.D)'A fundamental characteristic of a good qualitative [... ] is that it implies or expresses the assumptions of the qualitative paradigm, such as the language of qualitative research' (Firestone, 1987).

OUTLINE

Part 1. a bit about philosophy assumptionPart 2. a bit about qualitative researchPart 3. a bit about quality of qualitativePart 4. write like a qualitative researcherPart 1. a bit about philosophy assumption

In a qualitative study, the research question needs to be EXPLORED because little information exists and the variables are mostly unknown. The investigator focuses on the context that may shape the understanding of the phenomenon being studied, rather than relying on a theoretical base that may not even exist (Creswell, 1994).

why Philosophical assumption is needed?

Roots of the research Address the research methodology Strength quality of research5 Philosophical componentsEpistemologyMethodologyAxiologyRhetoricOntologyResearch beliefWorld viewTheory of knowledge / how to get the beliefThe way to get the knowledgelanguageValue / ethic12345assumption about what we make about the nature of realitythe best way to acquiring to the nature of knowledgeuncertaintycertaintypositivistinterpretivistOntology

social constructionismpost-positivism pragmatism interpretive communitiesethnicity ethnography phenomenology constructivism critical theorynaturalism postmodernism feminism realismnominalismCreswell 5 main Qualitative methods (strategies)Part 2. A BIT ABOUT QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Principles Of Qualitative Research

The basic purpose of qualitative research:to understand, how people "do" communication (describing people's communication)Thick describe; description is not just what people do but also what their acts mean to themQualitative nature: to understand the social realityQUALITY OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Thin Descriptionprovides an explanation of communication with little sense of what the actions mean to the participants.It might be very detailed and accurate in terms of each action, but it does not address why the actions were taken, how the actors interpreted the actions, how they felt about what happened, and so on.done by quantitative researchers and/or by unskilled qualitative researchers.

Thick descriptiondescribes communication with an explanation from the "native's" point of view.The goal is not to merely describe what the actions were, nor what the researcher thinks they mean, but what they mean to the people involved in the communication.Requires the researcher to spend more time with the people he/she studies, to pay attention to them more, and to interact with them more than quantitative researchers do.It also means that qualitative researchers cannot deal with nearly as many people as do quantitative researchers.SuperficialTest the assumption Deliberate the phenomenonPart 3. a bit about quality of qualitative

3.1. Nature of qualitative research3.2. Support the validity and reliability3.3. Essential part of writing3.1. Nature of qualitative research

emic analysis - explanation of subjective meaning systems via understandingembraces subjective capabilities of the internal dimensionhuman relationships are central to understandingunstructured approach to determine the internal logicallow for human subjectivity without creating distortionEmic via Etic:

"The emic approach investigates how local people think" (Kottak, 2006): How they perceive and categorize the world, their rules for behavior, what has meaning for them, and how they imagine and explain things.

"The etic (scientist-oriented) approach shifts the focus from local observations, categories, explanations, and interpretations to those of the anthropologist. The etic approach realizes that members of a culture often are too involved in what they are doing to interpret their cultures impartially. When using the etic approach, the ethnographer emphasizes what he or she considers important.

Dundes, Alan (1962), "From Etic to Emic Units in the Structural Study of Folktales", Journal of American Folklore, 75, No. 296: 95105, doi:10.2307/538171.143.2. Support the validity and reliability

Validity :determined by internal validity; whether the analysis has some truth or confirmabilitycoherence of interpretation; agreement among others, including the participants and the consensus that understanding is enhanced as a result of the analysis and that the analysis is salient

methods of studying the data (determining in what manner the themes and categories were developed.)Confirmability indicates the ability of an outside reviewer to audit the procedures and analysis and reach the same conclusions (Creswell, 1994)

15Reliability

Trustworthiness refers to credibility. Credibility describes the appropriateness of the methods and subjects to the goals.Transferability indicates the contextual limitations of the data. (Guba & Lincoln, 1994). Dependability pertains to the quality of the conclusions and data evaluations that framed them

criteria of soundness (trustworthiness)(Lincoln & Guba, 1985)Criteria of Research Quality and Rigor

Lincoln and Guba (1985) Richie et al (1997) language as validity supportDiscussed various measures taken to improve confirmability and transferability in the study.For example, specific wording was chosen that would minimize response bias due to preconceptions of constructs already in the literature. (Richie et al., 1997)

3.3. Essential part of writingkey to rhetorical assumptionresearchers tend to embrace the rhetorical assumption that the writing needs to be personal - Makes the writer, part of the text - engage, involve and move the reader

and literary in form rather then social scientific employ device like metaphor, irony, paradox, imagery, plot, flashback, tone shift, dialogue, interior monologuethe qualitative researcher writing a case study may employ terms such as "credibility", "transferability", "dependability", and "confirmability" (Lincoln &Guba 1985)Part 4. WRITE LIKE A QUALITATIVE RESEARCHERThe final written report or presentation includes the voices of participants 'Convey a sense of atmosphere, ethos, mood or tone... represent feelings and emotions, to re-create people's experiences, to transport the reader to a scene in order to deepen understanding' (Wood, 2002, p. 65)Rhetorical your work

Introduce (Chapter 1)Literature (Chapter 2)Methodology (Chapter 3)Analyse (Chapter 4)Discussion/ Conclude (Chapter 5)Introduce (Chapter 1)Research questionse.g. Grounded Theory- What are the categories to emerge from interactions between care-givers and patients?- How does caregiving relate to actions by nurses?- What are the major sources of academic change?- What are the major processes thru which academic change occurs?

eg. Ethno- How are conceptions of social studies played out or not played out in classroom practice?

eg. Phenomenology- What is it like for a mother to live with a teenage child who is dying of cancer?

eg. Action researchHow does MA training, developed management skill, among entrepreneur?

Purpose statement:The aim of this qualitative study is to understand subjective issues of life after xxx surgery. Increased knowledge about this group of women may direct or guide nursing practice.

How to write purpose statementThe purpose of this study is to (understand/describe/ develop/ discover) the .... using (the unit of analysis: a person/ process/groups/ site) using a (ethno/GT/case study/ etc) resulting in a (ethno/ phenomenological description of themes or patterns). (Creswell, 1994, p. 59)

Formulating of research problemElucidation of the figure is partially adapted from Krishnaswamy, K. N., Sivakumar, A. I., & Mathirajan, M. (2009)Literature (Chapter 2)Outline

HistoryPrior studies (what has been done) introduced concept of researchStress on Gap (what has not been done)Methodology (Chapter 3)Outline

Describe 'how' using rhetorical assumptionInclude qualitative wording for:Philosophical assumptionMethod of inquiryData collectionData analysis

Research Hierarchy of Methodological Dimensions Research Methode.g. phenomenology

A phenomenological approach was used to provide a rigorous, critical, and systematic study of the phenomenon.Analysis involved looking for themes.

Triangulated Data Collection e.g GT

Grounded theory data analysis was used to provide a systemic approach in categorising, sorting, and analysing data gathered.Analysis. Data were analysed following the grounded theory principles: open coding and memos for conceptual labelling, axial coding and memos for category building, and selective coding for model building

Analysis (Chapter 4)Based on the interpretation of the data, the study found several patterns emergedCodingSeries Of EventsCritical IncidentsDecision ModellingCognitive MapsAnalytic InductionWithin Case AnalysisCross Case AnalysisPattern MatchingExplanation BuildingTime Series AnalysisNarrative AnalysisSemioticsContent AnalysisConversation AnalysisDiscourse AnalysisGrounded TheoryHermeneuticsPhenomenologyLiterary CriticismDeconstructionDiscussion (Chapter 5)E.g. Themes that emerged were improved physical health, increased self-esteem, self-confidence, and enhanced body image. In addition, preoperative expectations of the postoperative period varied from those of actual recovery, creating issues for some women.

Recommendations for further readingMerriam (1998)Creswell (1994 - 2007)Denzin & Lincoln (2000)Yin (2003)Glaser and Strauss (1967)Charmaz (1990)

http://www.slideshare.net/hiramparousia/in-house-training-151114-qualitative-researchThank you for your time listening to me