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
Ethics and organisations can only ever be that—just guidelines. We can also see how qualitative research, particularly with people who have additional vulnerabilities, can pose serious risks to their well-being. However, while no research is without risks, the risks must be balanced against the possible gains from conducting such research. It can be argued that it may be unethical not to do research in the human services in which the community invests scarce resources and where professional practice is itself often an untested social experiment with the potential to hurt as well as help individuals and their families. In that sense, research is an essential tool in improving services and making them more accountable. Qualitative research in particular has given groups of people previously denied a voice the opportunity to be heard for the first time. It is a powerful tool and one to be used with care. 47
3 In-depth interviewing In-depth interviewing is the most commonly used data collection approach in qualitative research. This is hardly surprising, given the common concern of qualitative researchers to understand the meaning people make of their lives from their own perspective. The in-depth interview takes seriously the notion that people are experts on their own experience and so best able to report how they experienced a particular event or phenomenon. If we interview different people about the same event or phenomenon, we will inevitably get a range of perspectives. Where the research question requires it, the perspectives of members of a range of groups, such as clients and workers, or teachers, students and parents, should be obtained. This chapter commences with discussion of the relative strengths and weaknesses of in-depth interviews as an approach to data collection. This is followed by an outline of the interview process, from selection of participants, through the initial contact, the interview itself and ending. We have also included a section on focus groups as a special type of interview situation. The latter part of the chapter includes two field stories of research that used in-depth interviews. Choosing in-depth interviewing Like any method of data collection, in-depth interviews have their relative strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately the choice to use 48
- Page 14 and 15: Preface In this book we aim to brid
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- Page 92 and 93: Observation Choosing observation Li
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- Page 102 and 103: Observation Anne: Another useful th
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Ethics and organisations<br />
can only ever be that—just guidel<strong>in</strong>es. We can also see how qualitative<br />
research, particularly with people who have additional<br />
vulnerabilities, can pose serious risks to <strong>the</strong>ir well-be<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
However, while no research is without risks, <strong>the</strong> risks must be<br />
balanced aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> possible ga<strong>in</strong>s from conduct<strong>in</strong>g such research.<br />
It can be argued that it may be unethical not to do research <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
human services <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong> community <strong>in</strong>vests scarce resources<br />
and where professional practice is itself often an untested social<br />
experiment with <strong>the</strong> potential to hurt as well as help <strong>in</strong>dividuals<br />
and <strong>the</strong>ir families. In that sense, research is an essential tool <strong>in</strong><br />
improv<strong>in</strong>g services and mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m more accountable. <strong>Qualitative</strong><br />
research <strong>in</strong> particular has given groups of people previously denied<br />
a voice <strong>the</strong> opportunity to be heard for <strong>the</strong> first time. It is a powerful<br />
tool and one to be used with care.<br />
47
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