1. Qualitative Field Research
Interviewing
Focus Groups
Ethnography
Case Studies
Grounded Theory
Ethnomethodology

2. Topics for Field Research
Attitudes and behaviors best understood in a natural setting.
Social processes over time.

3. Elements of Social Life Appropriate to Field Research
Practices: talking, reading a book
Episodes: divorce, crime, illness
Encounters: people meeting and interacting
Role: occupations, family roles
Relationships: friendships, family

4. Elements of Social Life Appropriate to Field Research
Groups: cliques, teams, work groups
Organizations: hospitals, schools, Congress
Settlements: neighborhoods, ghettoes
Social worlds: "wall street", "the sports world“
Lifestyles/subcultures: urban, homeless (Wolcott)

5. Role of the Researcher Complete Observer (Secret Outsider)
Participant as Observer (Recognized Outsider)
Observer as Participant (Marginal Participant)
Complete Participant (Full Participant)

6. Seven Stages of Interviewing
Thematizing
Design
Interviewing
Transcribing
Analyzing
Verifying and checking facts
Reporting

7. Advantages of Focus Groups
Socially oriented research method
Flexible
High face validity
Speedy results
Low in cost
Increases your N

8. Disadvantages of Focus Groups
Less control than individual interviews.
Data can be difficult to analyze.
Moderators must be skilled.
Difference between groups can be troublesome.
Groups are difficult to assemble.
Discussion must be conducted in a conducive environment.

9. Ethnography Exploring a cultural group by: discovering understanding
describing and
interpreting a way of life from the point of view of its participants

10. Ethnography Ethnographic studies offer:
thick descriptions of cultural groups
a methodological approach for exploring cultures, symbols, and norms
an acceptance of multiple realities
However, they often involve ‘immersion’, and all the problems thereof ethnographic researchers also need to manage their own subjectivities.

11. Guidelines - Taking Research Notes
Don’t trust your memory. Take notes while you observe.
Take sketchy notes in the field and rewrite them later (as soon as possible), filling in the details.

12. Guidelines - Taking Research Notes
Record everything.
Things that don't seem important may turn out to be significant.
Realize that most of your field notes will not be reflected in your final project.

13. The Desire to Delve Deeper
Delving deeper can involve exploring the interactions, processes, lived experiences, and belief systems that can be found within individuals, institutions, cultural groups, and the everyday

14. Strengths of Field Research
Permits a great depth of understanding.
Flexibility - research may be modified at any time.
Inexpensive (relative to)
Has more validity than surveys or experiments

15. Weaknesses of Field Research
Qualitative and not appropriate for statistical descriptions of populations.
Small sample size (greatly influenced by outliers)
Has potential problems with reliability since field research methods are often personal.

16. Working Towards Credibility
Methods that allow researchers to ‘delve deeper’, often involve parameters not likely to lend themselves to assessment by ‘positivist’ criteria, i.e.)
non-random samples
generating mainly qualitative data
natural settings rather than controlled
searching for holistic meaning
managing the inherent biases of the researcher
inductive analysis
idiographic interpretation

17. Improving Interviews
Talk little, listen a lot (don’t lead the witness)
Record Accurately
Begin Writing Early
Let reader’s “see” for themselves – primary data
Report Fully, even contradictory stuff
Be candid (about subjectivity)
Seek feedback
Write accurately

18. Conducting Ethical Research
Do as little harm as possible
You are not in the position to assess level of harm.
An agency/institution not directly connected to the research project or findings must assess the level of harm and the potential benefits.
If harm is noticeable, then benefit must be greater.