Subject DELM 114 METHODS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Course DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT QUALITATIVE RESEARCH A REFLECTION This course provides an overview of qualitative methodology in educational research and other fields Discussions on different approaches to qualitative research examine research studies and engage in qualitative research are expected to happen After exploring the characteristics of qualitative research the course will investigate different approaches to qualitative research ethnography case study phenomenological inquiry and narrative research critical research and postmodern research Questions of epistemology positionality purpose and ethics will be addressed and the tensions surrounding these in each approach will be considered The course is meant to be an introduction to qualitative research in education Having studied the methods of qualitative research I believe I have grown in my research capabilities and hope to apply what I have learned to my dissertation writing What I have learned Nature of Inquiry and Research Qualitative Research and Its Importance in Daily Life Learning from Others and Reviewing the Literature Identifying the Inquiry and Stating the Problem Learning from Others and Reviewing the Literature Understanding Data and Ways to Systematically Collect Data Analyzing the Meaning of the Data and Drawing Conclusions Reporting and Sharing Findings Based on our discussions research refers to the systematic investigation of different situations to establish facts solve new or any existing problems and develop new theories usually using a scientific method Research can either be qualitative or quantitative Qualitative work requires reflection on the part of researchers both before and during the research process as a way of providing context and understanding for readers In this course we analyzed the nature of qualitative research with a particular focus on education which provides a brief historical background on the evolution of qualitative research and some of the reasons why this approach represents a valid rigorous methodology to study social phenomena We analyzed the role of qualitative researcher in terms of the complexity of the observation process subjectivity and ethical issues Qualitative data collection and analysis techniques are discussed in relation to particular approaches to the study of social concerns underlying the art of interpretation as a key component of qualitative research and ethical procedures to guarantee the reliability of results Qualitative research is a complex task therefore this course provided us the guidelines that will help understand what is involved in some of the key tasks that are part of qualitative research like collecting data analyzing it and interpreting it which are not an easy task and can be done through different means Finally the article explains the processes of transcriptions condensing and processing data making and supporting convincing arguments to help the reader understand why this kind of research emerges and to be aware that there are benefits and risks when applying qualitative research Knowledge of the dynamics of a social phenomenon can lead to both benefits and risks Considering the fact of dealing with human subjects there are always risks that come with findings and their publication In this sense Glesne 2015 considers that voluntary informed consent neither precludes the abuse of research findings nor creates a symmetrical relationship between researchers and researched but it does invest research participants with control over their involvement in the inquiry Researchers must ensure the confidentiality of the data collected through observations and interviews avoiding negative comments or early conclusions Dialogue and collaboration between the researcher and the researched are pivotal before drawing conclusions and publishing findings Miles Huberman and Salda a 2014 heighten the importance of dialogue to guarantee confidentiality and advise researchers to err on the side of protecting anonymity if it has been promised and to rely on dialogue and negotiation before the report is finalized This is a matter of justice to avoid manipulation of vulnerable groups while creating a balance between the benefits and the risks An essential element of justice is reciprocity In this sense Glesne 2016 establishes that qualitative researchers find a variety of ways to reciprocate but whether what they give equals what they get is difficult if not impossible to determine To begin qualitative research researchers must be practical and think in terms of time complexity and resources The definition of the researchers from Geertz is that a researcher is a person who comes for a visit a person who has come to learn a person who wants to know what it is like to be them Qualitative researchers seek to gather a more comprehensive understanding of activities related to human behavior and the attributes that rule such behavior Therefore researchers must gain their trust and make them feel comfortable otherwise investigators will not achieve their research goals The researchers must develop intellectual and social skills to accomplish their goals They should develop skills in listening remembering balancing talking and listening observing recording data and making field notes Mason 2002 There are some key concepts that researchers must consider when condensing and analyzing qualitative data Miles Huberman Salda a 2014 1 Clustering can be regarded as a way to group data and conceptualize patterns that is to condense not to reduce data It is recommended to pay attention to the metaphors that participants use and the different meanings embedded in these metaphors 2 Counting refers to a technique to avoid biases by means of analyzing the reoccurrences of a phenomenon This technique allows categorization generation of themes and the analysis of variables 3 Enhancing trustworthiness can be better understood by analyzing the factors that weaken the validity of a qualitative study such as holistic fallacy elite bias personal bias and going native 4 Triangulation of data sources is connected to trustworthiness It is by means of triangulation that researchers can draw more reliable conclusions about a social phenomenon under study