PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1 (QUARTER 4)

Module 5: UNDERSTANDING DATA AND WAYS TO SYSTEMATICALLY COLLECT DATA

LESSON 1: Qualitative Research Designs

Research design is the process of structuring techniques and strategies that will help us solve problem or
answer our inquiry.
LESSON 2: DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLING AND DATA COLLECTION

• Population – is the term used to describe a complete set of person or objects that posses same
characteristic that are interest of the researcher.

Kind of Population

• 1. Target Population- is made up of all person or objects which the researcher would
want his findings to be generalized to.

• 2. Accessible population- is a group of individual or objects within which the samples

will be taken.

• Sample – is a group of individual that represent the characteristic of particular situation.

LESSON 3: Analysis of Procedures Such as Survey, Interview, and Observation

 • To use qualitative methods means that you will be generating data that is primarily in the form of
words, not numbers.

• Some of the most common data collection methods are different types of individual interviews
(general or key informants) and group discussions.

Data Collection
• Qualitative research data collection methods are time consuming; therefore data is usually collected
from a smaller sample than would be the case for quantitative approaches—therefore this makes
qualitative research more expensive.
• The benefits of the qualitative approach are that the information is richer and has a deeper insight
into the phenomenon under study.
• Good qualitative research involves:
a. Thought
b. Preparation
c. The development of the interview schedule
d. Conducting and analyzing the interview data with care and consideration
• The main methods for collecting qualitative data are:
1. Individual interviews
2. Focus groups
3. Observations
4. Action Research

Interview
• An interview is generally a qualitative research technique that involves asking open-ended
questions to converse with respondents and collect elicit data about a subject.
Observation
• Limitations with observation include:
. Change in people's behavior when they know they are being observed
b. The researcher may miss something while they are watching and taking notes e.
c. The researcher may make judgments, make value statements or misunderstand what has
been observed
• Strengths of observation
• Can give an insight into the bigger picture
• Can demonstrate sub-groups
• Can be used to assist in the design of the rest of the research
•
Techniques for collecting data through observation:

Written descriptions
• The researcher makes written descriptions of the people, situations or environment
• Limitations include o Researcher might miss out on an observation as they are taking notes o
• The researcher may be focused on a particular event or situation There is room for subjective
interpretation of what is happening

Video recording
 • Allows the researcher to also record notes
• Limitations may include
• People acting unnaturally towards the camera or others avoiding the camera
• The camera may not always see everything
Photographs and artifacts
• Useful when there is a need to collect observable information or phenomena such as
buildings, neighborhoods, dress and appearance
• Artifacts include objects of significance—memorabilia, instruments, tools and others

Documentation
• Any and all kinds of documentation may be used to provide information—a local paper,
information on a notice board, administrative policies and procedures.
Survey
 In doing a survey, the researcher must understand the right mode of inquiry for establishing an
inference whether in a large group of people or from a small number of people in a group.
 The very aim of conducting a survey is to present and explain the actual experiences of a certain
population.
Conducting survey are done in three (3) steps:
• by email;
• telephone;
• personal interview.
Data Analysis
• According to Yin (1994:102) ―data analysis consists of examining, categorizing, tabulating, or
otherwise recombining the evidence to address the initial prepositions of a study.
Approaches to this process of analysis and interpretation.
• Content Analysis - used to analyze and interpret verbal data, or behavioral data. Content can be
analyzed descriptively or interpretatively.
• Narrative Analysis - used to analyze text that may come from variety of sources including
transcripts from interviews, diaries, field notes, surveys and other written forms.
• Discourse Analysis - a method of analyzing naturally occurring spoken interactions and written text
and is concerned with the social context in which the communication occurred. It focuses on how
language is used in everyday life and looks at how people express themselves.
• Grounded Theory - also called analytic induction. This is a method that attempts to develop causal
explanations of a phenomenon from one or more cases being studied.
• Conversation Analysis - examines the use of language by people as a type of action or skilled
accomplishment.
Coding and Categorizing
• Coding can be defined as the actual process of making sure data is organized into chunks or
segments and later making meaning out of all.
• Creswell, J.W. (2009) also explains that coding and categorizing involves taking text data or pictures
gathered during data collection, segmenting it into categories, and labeling those categories with a
term, often a term used by the actual participant.
Data extraction
• An attempt to reduce a complex, messy, context laden and quantification-resistant reality to a matrix
of categories and numbers;
• Time consuming;
• Often difficult.
The process of reducing your acquired data can be extracted in two possible ways using an approach by
analyzing qualitative data.
• One approach is to examine your findings with a pre-defined framework, which reflects your aims,
objectives and interests. This approach is relatively easy and is closely aligned in research which has
pre-determined interests. This approach allows you to focus on particular answers and abandon the
rest.
• The second approach takes a more exploratory perspective, encouraging you to consider and code all
your data, allowing for new impressions to shape your interpretation in different and unexpected
directions. We refer to this approach as thematic network analysis.

The following are approaches that will help students analyze their data
• In an inductive approach, a researcher begins by collecting data that is relevant to his or her topic of
interest.
• In a deductive approach it takes the steps described for inductive research and reverse their order.

LESSON 4: Application of Creative Design Principles for Execution

• To understand the critical process of observing, describing, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating
that leads to informed judgments regarding the relative merits of artworks.
• Visual fluency is the ability to differentiate formal and informal structures and objectively apply
observable criteria to arts assessments that exclude the artists.
• Universal principles of art and elements of design apply equally to culturally specific artwork.

Module 6: FINDING ANSWERS THROUGH DATA COLLECTION

LESSON 1: The Observation Method

• As a researcher, how can you use the observation method as an effective tool in data gathering for a
qualitative research?

Steps in the Process of Observing (Creswell, 2007)

1. Select the research site.
• This refers to the site where you can best understand your central phenomenon or topic being
studied. Gaining access through letter of consent is a prerequisite first step that a researcher
must do.
2. Develop observational protocol.
• The observational protocol is a method used for recording observation notes.
3. Focus the observation.
• Before writing any notes, think of what catches your attention. There will be a lot in the site,
but focus your observation only on what will help you understand your research question.
4. Determine your role.
• What will you be as a researcher? Will you be a participant observer or non-participant
observer?
5. Record field notes.
• Using the Observation Protocol, record what you observe using your five senses. The
observation should be arranged chronologically or in order.
6. Slowly withdraw.
• After observation, slowly withdraw by thanking the participants for their time.
LESSON 2: The Interview Method

• As a researcher, how can you make the interview method an effective data-gathering tool for
qualitative research?
•
Steps in Conducting a Qualitative Interview (Creswell, 2007)
1. Decide whether interviews are appropriate.
• To begin with, participants should agree to the interview method; otherwise, this method is
not necessary and will not yield any relevant information. Assess if the information is
sensitive and observation will be enough to gather the needed information.
2. Choose the type of interview
• Will you use structured or unstructured interview? What type will you use on focus group
discussion or one-on-one interview?
3. Invite Participants
• A letter of permission should be sent to the participants and they must reply indicating their
consent before conducting the interview session.
4. Develop an Interview Protocol
• This is a list of questions or guide questions which you will be asking to the interviewees.
The questions are based on your research questions and should be able to produce
information needed to answer your research questions.
5. Arrange the audio equipment.
• Make sure to be ready with your audio equipment. You may use your cellphone or any other
audio recording device. It should be stated in your letter of permission that you will be
recording the entire conversation and you are the only one who will have access to it.
6. Arrange for a quiet setting for the interview.
• A comfortable and quiet place chosen by the participants is preferable.
7. Conduct the interview.
• Check audio equipment before the interview. First, introduce yourself and the research being
conducted to the participant interviewee. Stay on topic and to the time mentioned in the letter
of permission.
8. Follow-up after an interview.
 • Thank the interviewee after the session and honor their requests such as copy of the abstract.
In cases that a follow-up is needed in order to clarify some points raised during the interview
session, the interviewees must be notified.
•
Parts of an Interview Protocol (Creswell, 2007)
1. Basic Information about the Interview.
• It includes the time and date of the interview, where the interview takes place, and who the
participants to be interviewed are.
2. Introduction.
• This provides instructions to the interviewer which will serve as his/her guide in conducting
the session. It is a prerequisite that the interviewer introduce himself/herself including the
objectives of the research.
3. Opening Question.
• This is about getting to know participants so they will feel at ease. Questions related to their
work or activities are good opening questions. Very personal questions must be avoided.
4. Content Questions.
• These are sub-questions based on the central phenomenon being studied.
5. Closing Instructions.
• Thank the interviewee for his or her time

In order for you to accomplish Chapter 3 or Methodology, you need to do the following:
1. Write a letter of consent.
2. Make your own observation and interview protocols.