Johan Malmqvist, Andrea Atterström, Ann-Katrin Swärd
{"title":"But was it Trustworthy? Methodological Experiences From a Study of a Hard-to-Reach Group of Students in Need of a Flexible Research Approach","authors":"Johan Malmqvist, Andrea Atterström, Ann-Katrin Swärd","doi":"10.1177/16094069241234805","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241234805","url":null,"abstract":"Pedagogical research on experiences of learning among students with severe speech and physical impairment (SSPI) is sparse. This may be due to a lack of research-on-research methodology literature about students with SSPI, as they are difficult to find and there are barriers to their participation in mainstream research. Hence, method development is especially important regarding these students, who cannot participate when traditional inquiry methods are used. This article’s objective is therefore to advance method development by means of a retrospective investigation. The empirical findings consist of documented experiences from a previous study of students with SSPI (henceforth, “literacy study”). A computer-assisted email dialogue technique was developed in the literacy study’s pilot study and eventually used in the main study, to investigate the students’ experiences of their literacy development. The aim of this study is to retrospectively and critically examine the scientific trustworthiness of a methodological research approach based on an email dialogue technique used exploratively in the literacy study, to investigate the literacy development among the students grounded in their own experiences, and to contribute methodological experiences gained from that study regarding the relationship between the use of verification strategies and checking techniques. The computer-assisted email dialogue approach was necessary because the few participants were spread over great geographical distances. The approach was developed as an explorative and flexible inclusive research design and was used within the tradition of participatory research. The students in both the pilot and main studies (8–16 years of age) were treated as collaborators rather than research subjects. Both the verification strategies and techniques regarding trustworthiness criteria were found to be important for trustworthiness. The main conclusion, based on our experiences in this retrospective investigation, is that it is necessary to continuously and thoroughly focus on trustworthiness issues throughout the research process to obtain trustworthy findings.","PeriodicalId":48220,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Methods","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140518354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Method for Synthesizing Qualitative Data Sources in the Co-Production of Postvention Guidelines for the NHS: A Worked Example","authors":"Hilary Causer, Johanna Spiers, Ruth Riley","doi":"10.1177/16094069241229985","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241229985","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, we introduce a novel method for the synthesis of qualitative data and co-production in the development of evidence-based guidelines. The call for evidence-based practice in healthcare settings has been dominated by a focus on patient groups, overlooking the need for robust guidelines to inform the delivery of support or developmental interventions for staff members. We propose an eight-step method that brings together primary and secondary qualitative data with co-produced data. Data is synthesised at two of the eight stages. This method generates robust findings and recommendations which are well suited to informing written guidelines. We present our experience of implementing this method in the development of postvention guidelines for the support of National Health Service (NHS) staff following the death by suicide of a colleague. This worked example illustrates the application of the method to the generation of evidence-based, co-produced practice guidelines. We discuss the application of qualitative data and co-production in the development of fit for purpose guidelines, and the lack of transparent reporting of methods in existing guidelines. We recommend that guidelines should be underpinned by empirical evidence and developed in consultation with stakeholders and end-users, including those who will implement and those who will receive treatment or intervention. For transparency and to inform end-users, we conclude that written guidelines should always detail the methods employed in their production.","PeriodicalId":48220,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Methods","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140518644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Challenges of Doing Gender Research as a Male Researcher in Pakistan: Reflections From Online and In-Person Fieldwork","authors":"Rahat Shah","doi":"10.1177/16094069241230021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241230021","url":null,"abstract":"In this reflection paper, which stems from my PhD project and explores the gender arrangements and subjective experiences of female breadwinning couples (FBCs) in Pakistan, I delve into the distinctive challenges faced by a male researcher conducting gender research in a patriarchal cultural context. Drawing from both in-person and online fieldwork experiences, which began during the pre-pandemic period and extended through the pandemic into the post-pandemic era, this article unveils the layered intricacies posed by entrenched gender norms, societal expectations and the dynamics of a male researcher probing gendered issue. These challenges were further intensified in online mediums of interviewing, presenting obstacles from participant hesitations surrounding online privacy to inconsistent Internet connectivity and continuous disruptions. This paper also underscores the fluidity and multifaceted nature of the researcher’s positionality, navigating interplays of gender, age, and cultural perceptions. My dual role, both an insider (by virtue of my cultural connection to the fieldwork area) and an outsider (owing to my affiliation with a Western academic institution), added layers of complexity to the fieldwork experiences. By juxtaposing in-person and online encounters, a rich tapestry unfolds, depicting both intersecting and unique challenges inherent to each mode of interviewing. Contributions of this reflection paper are multifold, which not only offers valuable insights for future researchers venturing into similar sociocultural contexts but also highlights the nuanced experiences of male-led gender research in predominantly patriarchal settings. The paper also contributes to the discourse on the fluidity of insider-outsider roles, reflexivity, and the methodological resilience and adaptability needed while conducting gender-focused fieldwork within specific cultural contexts.","PeriodicalId":48220,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Methods","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140524813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"‘Taking Pictures is Like Treasure Hunting’: Exploring the Therapeutic Value of Photography as a Qualitative Research Method","authors":"L. Milasan","doi":"10.1177/16094069241236219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241236219","url":null,"abstract":"Photography has been increasingly used in qualitative research. However, little is known about the benefits of photography-based research from the perspective of the research participants. This article aims to investigate the views of a group of fifteen mental health service users on the therapeutic benefits and limitations of photography as a research method. For this purpose, visual and textual data from four weekly photography workshops, photo-elicitation interviews, and a reflection and feedback group were thematically analysed. Four overarching themes were identified in support of the therapeutic value of photography: (1) forging social companionship and camaraderie, (2) intra-personal reflection and self-awareness, (3) connection with nature, and (4) photography as an occupation. Therapeutic limitations and challenges of photography as a research method are also discussed. The findings of this study may be applicable beyond the area of mental health and contribute to enhancing the ethical principle of beneficence in research by creating opportunities for personal growth and wellbeing for research participants involved in photography-based studies.","PeriodicalId":48220,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Methods","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140526665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jennifer Lee-Rambharose, Lauren D. Smith, Kim The, W. Horner-Johnson, Linda M. Long-Bellil, Heather Watkins, Jennifer Senda, Nancy Garr-Colzie, Maria R. Palacios, Monika Mitra
{"title":"Inclusion of Black and Latina Parents With Physical Disabilities in a Qualitative Research Study: A Peer Researcher Training Model","authors":"Jennifer Lee-Rambharose, Lauren D. Smith, Kim The, W. Horner-Johnson, Linda M. Long-Bellil, Heather Watkins, Jennifer Senda, Nancy Garr-Colzie, Maria R. Palacios, Monika Mitra","doi":"10.1177/16094069231207771","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231207771","url":null,"abstract":"Public health qualitative research has largely failed to achieve full inclusion of people with disabilities and Black people and Latinx/as. Although there is a small, but growing, community of academic researchers from each of these communities, there has been limited involvement of non-academic community members in research. While Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) has informed the inclusion of marginalized groups in research for decades, instances of full inclusion of disabled Black people and Latinx/as in public health research have been minimal. One way to ensure the inclusion of Black/Latinx community members with disabilities is to involve them as peer researchers. As part of a qualitative study examining pregnancy experiences of individuals with physical disabilities from Black/Latinx communities, academic researchers trained four peer researchers to conduct interviews and analyze the data. This paper describes our approach, which may serve as a model for training peer researchers in qualitative research methodology for future studies. All peer researchers were women who identified as Black or Latina parents with physical disabilities. This approach was chosen due to the study’s focus on the intersections of disability, race, ethnicity, and pregnancy, and applied a disability justice lens. Although CBPR offers important principles for research existing literature suggests CBPR is not always inclusive and power sharing. Therefore, we developed a research training model which places a unique and timely focus on the intersections of CBPR, racial and disability justice, the importance of building the capacity of Black and Latina disabled peer researchers, and its importance to building community relationships and trust.","PeriodicalId":48220,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Methods","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140519883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Producing Locally Causal Explanations in Qualitative Research by Using a Realist Phenomenological Methodology","authors":"John Land","doi":"10.1177/16094069241234806","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241234806","url":null,"abstract":"This article argues that qualitative researchers should focus more attention on producing locally causal explanations for social phenomena. To enable qualitative researchers to achieve this goal, this paper introduces a novel, step-by-step methodology for analysing qualitative data called the ‘Realist Phenomenological Method’. The Realist Phenomenological Method does not represent a novel philosophical insight because several studies have already adopted a realistic phenomenological approach in a philosophical context. Rather, this article’s novelty lies in its methodological contribution. The introduction of the Realist Phenomenological Method marks an advancement in qualitative research because it is the first formalized analytical methodology to merge methods inspired by critical realism and descriptive phenomenology. Furthermore, this method represents an advancement in qualitative research due to it enabling qualitative researchers to produce causal explanations for social phenomena. This advancement has important implications for qualitative researchers who aim to influence public policy, as any public policymaker who wants to suggest how a social problem can be addressed must first possess an awareness of what is causing the problem. This article begins by introducing the need for a new outlook on causality in qualitative research and outlining how inspiration has been taken from critical realism and descriptive phenomenology in designing the Realist Phenomenological Method. The step-by-step methodology of the Realist Phenomenological Method is then introduced, and an account is provided of how this novel methodology can advance understandings around causal explanations in qualitative research and social science. Interview extracts taken from the author’s doctoral dissertation are then used to frame each stage of the Realist Phenomenological Method and demonstrate how the method can be implemented effectively. The paper concludes that the Realist Phenomenological Method can be useful to both qualitative researchers and policymakers who aim to address social issues through effectively identifying the causes of such problems.","PeriodicalId":48220,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Methods","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140522867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Investigating Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity: How Meta-Ethnography Contributes to the Study of Collaborative Research Practices","authors":"Bianca Vienni-Baptista","doi":"10.1177/16094069241226528","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241226528","url":null,"abstract":"Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are collaborative research modes that help advance science dealing with grand societal challenges. However, many factors still act as obstacles to high-impact research, showing disconnections between practices and policies. We can reasonably question whether we are still incapable of applying the correct methods to grasp interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary heterogeneity. This article aims to deepen the discussion of the methodological options for critically studying interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. By applying meta-ethnography to the inter- and transdisciplinary academic literature, the paper inquires about the suitability of the method to study bodies of knowledge on interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. Meta-ethnography is a seven-phase literature review type of meta-synthesis aimed at creating new understandings and theories from a body of work. Applying an autoethnographic approach, I show how meta-ethnography allows for the reconceptualisation of a disparate and dispersed body of literature, advancing current discussions on inter- and transdisciplinarity and their roles in science and policy. The approach outlined in the article is innovative because it contributes to two related realms: (i) it helps advance the field of inter- and transdisciplinary research and policy because it refines the methods available to study these multidimensional practices, and (ii) it offers an example of the further adaptability of meta-ethnography to new topics, such as the investigation of collaborative settings. I analyse six challenges in light of the scientific literature and conclude by focusing on the value meta-ethnography has for studying interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and propose two methodological innovations.","PeriodicalId":48220,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Methods","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139391705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lacey Croft, Elisabeth Harrison, Josh Grant-Young, Kelly McGillivray, Jennifer C. H. Sebring, Carla Rice
{"title":"Toward Access Justice in the Academy: Centring Episodic Disability to Revision Research Methodologies","authors":"Lacey Croft, Elisabeth Harrison, Josh Grant-Young, Kelly McGillivray, Jennifer C. H. Sebring, Carla Rice","doi":"10.1177/16094069241227075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241227075","url":null,"abstract":"This article explores questions of disability access justice within the academy through the lens of an online digital/multimedia storytelling (DS) research workshop conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our investigation uncovers how the shift from in-person to online DS methodologies created newfound opportunities for participation, particularly for individuals with episodic disabilities (EDs). Through an analysis of three co-author participants’ multimedia/digital stories and their reflective insights, we investigate the interplay between research methodologies and the broader context of disability access within the academy. Participants’ stories of inventive adaptations unfold against a backdrop of experiences in traditional academic settings that privilege normative ways of working and seldom accommodate diverse rhythms and access needs, including of students, faculty and staff. In light of these narratives, we advocate for an ongoing commitment to access-centered practices in research and work beyond crisis situations. The article concludes that academic research enterprises can accommodate a wider spectrum of participants—particularly those with episodic disabilities—and enhance research outcomes by recognizing and anticipating diverse bodyminds within the design of research methodologies and techniques.","PeriodicalId":48220,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Methods","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139637434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“Navigating the In-Between: A Cross-Cultural Researcher’s Fluid Positionality in West Africa”","authors":"N. Niati","doi":"10.1177/16094069231200335","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231200335","url":null,"abstract":"This article explores the challenges and complexities of a cross cultural PhD student conducting research in West Africa. I discuss how I navigated, negotiated and blurred my insider/outsider experiences as a Congolese-American woman as I engaged with themes oscillating between power, legitimacy, language, gender, and my decolonial and social justice commitments. Reflexive research on Africans studying a secondary non-native African country is seldom discussed or researched. As such, I utilised an intersectional transnegritude theoretical framework to centre and complicate the shared transcolonial struggles and neocolonial realities of myself and my participants. I conclude by positing that, despite the challenges of doing transnational work, reflexively recognising our positionality lends to a liberatory and critical transnational exchange that encourages new approaches to knowledge production for social justice. This article contributes to ongoing discussions of insider/outsider research, positionality, decolonising research, and comparative case study to articulate and dearticulate power dynamics in neocolonial contexts.","PeriodicalId":48220,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Methods","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139392865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Lessons Learnt From Conducting an Instrumental Ethno-Case Study in a Mainstream Secondary School","authors":"A. Scattergood","doi":"10.1177/16094069241229986","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241229986","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this paper is to provide an insight into the lessons learnt as the primary researcher during an instrumental ethno-case study research project that took place in a mainstream secondary academy that set out to examine the physical education (PE) experiences of adolescent, white, pupils in a ‘typical’ working-class secondary school (Ayrefield Community School – ACS). With the term instrumental ethno-case study used to reflect the non-continuous nature of the 34 days spent in the school over a 16-month period, the structure and content of the paper aims to provide a greater theoretical and practical understanding of this relatively nuanced and contemporary approach to qualitative research in education. Determined that the study design remained based in ethnography, consideration is also given to the impact of professional and personal time constraints on an ability to engage in a truly immersive ethnographical study. In this regard, the paper also aims to provide additional guidance on the design and implementation of the study and the recording and interpretation of the data for any researcher with similar aims and/or time constraints. In addition, the paper also utilises Norbert Elias’ sociological concept of involvement and detachment as the lens through which the juxtaposition between objective researcher and experienced mainstream secondary school teacher was explored and managed throughout the duration of the study. Overall, therefore, the paper aims to provide a theoretical justification for the use of the term instrumental ethno-case study design, additional guidance and lessons learnt on the design and implementation of this approach, and further detail on the extent to which the potential conflict between objective researcher and former school teacher was acknowledged and managed. The project itself primarily set out to examine the physical education (PE) experiences of adolescent, white, pupils in a ‘typical’ mainstream working-class secondary school (Ayrefield Community School – ACS) and in doing so also sought to explore the attitudes of the pupils in relation to their views on qualifications and education generally, how they spent their leisure time, and more specifically, how their own actions and relationships with their male PE staff came to influence the content and delivery of their PE provision. Therefore, reflecting on the use of the traditional case study methodologies of covert and overt observations, informal guided conversations, and focus group interviews with male pupils and school staff, the paper highlights and examines the practicalities and considerations associated with the selection of, and access to, a ‘typical’ white, working-class school, how care was taken to encourage ‘natural’ behaviour during covert and overt observations, the specific nature of informal guided conversations with pupils and staff, and the techniques utilised in order to facilitate focus group interviews with these male adolescent pu","PeriodicalId":48220,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Methods","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140525029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}