This
week I have learned little of everything about qualitative research
and case studies. New knowledge for me is what characterizes a case study and how a case study is
conducted. I was already familiar
with the qualitative research concept, after have been conducting
qualitative research for my Bachelor thesis last spring. If you have
prior knowledge about a topic, you easily assimilate more information
about it. I would want to compare it with attending a lecture that
revolves around something you have studied before. Due to that, I
believe I have received a much greater understanding of what
qualitative research is and also how it should be carried out. Just
as during the previous week, I think it has been beneficial to read
other blogposts and follow the discussion at the seminars. Something
that stuck on my mind after have been reading the other blogs is the
issues surrounding when and why qualitative research is preferable.
These types of questions have, more or less, been at issue during
every week of this course, for every kind of research method. I am still questioning if there is a 'golden rule' saying how many respondents you should involve in a
qualitative research? How should the qualitative method be designed
to collect as trustworthy data as possible?
As
far as I am concerned, the design of the methodology for a study always depends
on what topic you investigate, and the aim with the research. Also,
you have to take into account how much time and cost you are able to spend on
the research. One thing I have learned from this course is that it is
hard to draw fine borders for when to conduct one specific method,
and when not to chose that particular one. You have to regard the
specific case in detail and truly compare alternative methods to
select the one that in the end gives the highest validity and
reliability, under given conditions. However, it has been helpful to
consider the limitations and the advantages with different kind of
research. I guess it will help me in future to chose the 'right'
research method. Also, the course has broaden my general view of the
research field of Media Technology. Speaking of preunderstanding, I
will also have better prerequisites to conduct professional research since
I have read through a large amount of research papers. It has given me a touch
for when and why to apply a particular research method. That is the
conclusion I would like to draw, to tie the course together as a
whole. Now I believe that I am better prepared for the Master
thesis.
Hi miss Louise Herlin,
SvaraRaderaInteresting reflections, I feel that you and I think much alike here. I have also been wondering about what you here call the 'golden rule', regarding participants in quantitative and qualitative studies. After a lot of thought, I think that there isn't any. I think you will have to look at every case - every research article - as a separate, and formulate the amount of participants thereafter. Sometimes the research will require 10 interviewees in order to 'be good', other times maybe 70. However, there are some research that has been done in these fields that you can look more closely into. I heard that some methodology expert had recommended the amount of 5-7 participants in a focus group per example.