Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
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<strong>From</strong> practice to research<br />
what people assumed. What I did first was have a look<br />
at a whole bunch of writ<strong>in</strong>g about <strong>the</strong> sector and<br />
about <strong>the</strong>oris<strong>in</strong>g around <strong>the</strong> sector and <strong>the</strong>re’s a lot of<br />
that emerg<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> USA <strong>in</strong> particular—<strong>the</strong>ories of <strong>the</strong><br />
non-profit sector—and none of <strong>the</strong>m answered <strong>the</strong><br />
questions about why it was different. They all <strong>in</strong>voked<br />
this assumption of difference but never actually<br />
answered <strong>the</strong> questions, so I followed up a few references<br />
which took me to a body of organisational<br />
<strong>the</strong>ory which . . . provides <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>oretical justification<br />
for <strong>the</strong> perception of difference. So <strong>the</strong>n I applied that<br />
<strong>the</strong>ory to non-profit human service organisations <strong>in</strong><br />
Queensland, and really it was to see whe<strong>the</strong>r or not<br />
this <strong>the</strong>oretical explanation for <strong>the</strong> assumption of<br />
difference held.<br />
Robyn Munford and Jackie Sanders—Work<strong>in</strong>g successfully<br />
with families<br />
Robyn Munford and Jackie Sanders used qualitative and quantitative<br />
strategies <strong>in</strong> a multi-phase study on what worked for families<br />
receiv<strong>in</strong>g family support services from a non-government child and<br />
family welfare agency <strong>in</strong> New Zealand. The research was conducted<br />
with <strong>the</strong> support of Barnardos New Zealand and <strong>the</strong> Foundation for<br />
<strong>Research</strong>, Science and Technology, New Zealand. The first stage<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved an extensive file review of a twelve-month caseload for <strong>the</strong><br />
whole organisation. The second stage primarily <strong>in</strong>volved qualitative<br />
research—a small sample of families was <strong>in</strong>tensively tracked as<br />
<strong>the</strong>y moved through <strong>the</strong> service, and followed up three months after<br />
completion. F<strong>in</strong>ally, a prospective statistical analysis of client and<br />
<strong>in</strong>tervention factors over a twelve-month caseload was undertaken<br />
to analyse relationships between a wide range of factors and client<br />
change (Munford & Sanders, 1996, 1998, 1999). Jackie talks here<br />
about how <strong>the</strong> study orig<strong>in</strong>ated.<br />
Jackie:<br />
I was a Regional Director for Barnardos New Zealand<br />
and we were manag<strong>in</strong>g a large number of family<br />
support programs. I was keen to understand <strong>the</strong> ways<br />
<strong>in</strong> which our services might be contribut<strong>in</strong>g to family<br />
well-be<strong>in</strong>g and also to understand more about <strong>the</strong><br />
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