Dr. Kate Hefferon (University of East London) European Positive Psychology Conference Amsterdam, The Netherlands July 2014 Why Qualitative Research?

Overview  Answer 'why qualitative research’?  Review Epistemological positioning of qualitative inquiry  Highlight the most widely used qualitative methodologies  Reflect upon the importance of quality within qualitative research  Situate the subsequent papers

Why qualitative?  Understand the intricacies of optimal human functioning  Acknowledges (and celebrates) human messiness and complexity  Gain an in-depth understanding of an individual and their experiences  Can be used to help clarify surprising results or explore uncharted territories  Understand contextual (historical, cultural and societal) influences on the data  Qualitative research gives a “human side” to a “human discipline” (Willig, 2008; Langdridge, 2004b, 2004e)

Examples of Epistemology, methodology and methods

Keeping quality in Qualitative research  Quality checks to ensure rigor and systematic processes  Qualitative research in general  Methodology specific  Transparency of the method  Evidence grounded in data  Reflexivity of researcher  Impact and importance (Yardley, 2000; Elliott et al., 1999; Yardley 2008)

Focusing on the person in positive psychology  Move away from the “scientific method” as the only way to knowledge  Research across the epistemological spectrum in order to represent the voices of all participants  IPPA: “Where is the person in Positive Psychology” (Hefferon, Waters, Ashfield & Synard, 2013)  Journal of Positive Psychology Special Edition on Qualitative research

Thank you

References and further reading Creswell, J. (2008). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (3 rd ed). London: SAGE Publications. Elliott, R., Fischer, C.T., & Rennie, D.L. (1999). Evolving guidelines for publication of qualitative research studies in psychology and related fields. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38, Langdridge, D. (2004). Introduction to research methods and data analysis in psychology. London: Pearson Education. Smith, J.A., Flowers, P. and Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method, Research. London: Sage. Smith, J.A., & Osborn, M. (2008). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In J.A. Smith (Ed.), Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. (2 nd ed., pp.53-80). London: Sage Willig, C. (2008). Introducing qualitative research in psychology: Adventures in theory and method. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press. Yardley, L. (2000). Dilemmas in qualitative research. Psychology and Health, 15,