Fluency Blog

2006-04-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

Patterns Simon & Garfunkel midi

Throughout my readings in qualitative analysis, I noticed that the methods and many of the introduced tools were used to discern patterns of behavior. I have started to appreciate how this complexity can be captured and, using these techniques, an attempt made to understand them. I feel that the computer, especially many of the new web services, can help the researcher become more efficient in the collection of this information.

One of the projects from this class that I have started is trying to make a folder on the desktop or a web page aware of the contents of a document. Content analysis has suggested a number of possibilities and I think this could be a useful direction. Imagine an outlook folder that calls you on your phone if message from a depressed friend or relative is received.

Interesting ideas from this very fascinating class!

2006-04-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

PhotoVoice is a very interesting and novel idea. As our guest spoke, I wondered how this information would be saved, retrieved and used. I also started to hear the Paul Simon’s song Kodachrome my head!

I found an interesting article Chabot: retrieval from a relational database of images Ogle, V.E.; Stonebraker, M.; Computer Volume 28, Issue 9, Sept. 1995 Page(s):40 - 48 that referenced the QBlC (Query by Image Content) project at IBM. This project uses image analysis to process queries for an image database. I think it would be of interest to tie the Photo database in with other qualitative ideas presented by our guest speaker.

Complex items such as the verbal or text experiences that the individuals collecting the images felt could be connected to their photographs. I wonder if similarities between certain images and certain experiences exist. If others in similar communities would present comparable images this could be used to tie together larger groups, which would be a greater force for social change.

2006-03-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Last week (March 14, 2006), I was able to attend the GCRC conference in Washington, which has a focus on working with Clinical Investigators who perform research in the clinical research enterprise. During one of the meetings, I was able to discuss qualitative analysis techniques with a member from MITRE, which has been charged with tracking development within Clinical research informatics. It was very interesting to see some of techniques (such as interviewing, focus questions, and group discussions) that we have been discussing in use. This is a very interesting company and one that I think a person who has qualitative research experience might want to explore.

2006-02-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

Chapter 10: Focus Group Research: (AL: Practical information)
In the news as “opinion pools”

Known for their use as marketing tools.

Primarily a tool for data collection: Collecting informal communication.

Focus groups are flexible.

Practical aspects:
Moderator should have some basic interviewing skills.
Have an understanding of group dynamics.
Make people comfortable (i.e., food, lighting, comfortable chairs, etc.)

Advantages:
Collect data quickly.
Group interaction.
Great for sensitive topics.
Allow other to build upon the responses of others.
Free flow of discussion.
Safe familiar environment.

Data Analysis:
Content Analysis: systematic and comprehensive summary or overview of the data set as a whole.
Look for recurrent instances of some kind.
Coding.
Descriptive counts are used a summary feature.
Frequency counts as a quantitative outcome.
Illustrative quotes for the qualitative outcome.

Ethnographic Analysis: more detailed look at an issue.
Grounded views of the participant rather than the analyst’s view.
Data presented as accounts of social phenomena.
Quotes are used.
Due weight given to what was said.
Focus is on how to prioritize participant’s orientations.
Contextual, interpretive accounts of their participants responses.
A way to observe in many ways: “We can ‘see’ how people tell stories, joke, agree, debate…”(AL: more of a multi-media way of collecting information)

Summary:
Discussions in conducting and analyzing a focus group. Useful for “Complex problems”, where discussion is the normal tool we use to examine the problem.

Focus groups lend themselves to content analytic or ethnographic methods. Results are presented as numerical tables, prose accounts with quotations, to detailed interpretive accounts of a focal point. (AL: much like the commentaries in the KORAN, BIBLE, TORA or Sun Tzu's classic book, The Art of War).

2006-02-22T09:55:00.000-08:00

9. Group Discussion techniques. (Sung to the tune of of some Lyrics from "Hair")

Group processes are fundamental to human communication (AL: absolutely! This has been shown throughout record history both for our species and for other social species on this planet) and the management of organizations. (AL: I would go further and say group process is fundamental to the survival of organizations).

Advantages:
Variety of perspectives and explanations may be obtained, even from a single data-gathering session.
We function as a social species and our behavior reflects this in the group discussion environment.
Individuals like them.

Disadvantages:
One can dominate (Al: Alpha wolf concept).

Aim is to encourage the participants to talk on issues related to the research project.

Focus Groups in information settings:
Small group (AL: interesting the number suggested is 6 to 12, look how frequently these number appears in the historical literature).
Normally prepare a set of questions that are clear and unambiguous (AL: not that simple to do!).
Facilitator need to be comfortable with talking to a group.
Prepared questions are supplemented with follow-up or probe questions.

Recording the data:
The chapter suggests the standard way of recording discussions (tape recorder, notes taken during the meeting, notes made immediately after the meeting, notes taken by someone else).

Advantages of focus groups:
Speed. Little time commitment from the participants.
Transparency. What is being done is in the open, accessible to all. This increases comfort with this tool.
Interaction: Everyone participates.
Flexibility: immediate feedback or clarification.
Open-endedness. Group can explore a topic.
Ability to note non-verbal communication. Very important,

Disadvantages:
Getting people together. Hard to get people to come to a session. (AL: Why do we have a natural aversion to meet?).
Dominating personalities: one group/person will dominate (AL: Alpha individual, useful during a crisis, not useful for complex problems.)
Wanting to be agreeable: Natural tendency to agree. (AL: Natural behavior. Wanting to be part of the group, not appearing to be at odds with the group may have survival benefits).
Finding a typical group. Sample must be representative. (AL: Again hard to do, since individuals tend to cluster around a dominate individual/organization).

Storytelling:
Knowledge management using these techniques, although the author suggests that there are problems with recording this information. (AL: I think this goes way back in our human history. Dance, story-telling, morality plays were ways of recording storytelling our culture).

Nominal Group Technique (NGT) (AL: love these acronyms! Make it an acronym; make it acceptable to a professional group! My mind always races to the song from HAIR
LBJ took the IRT Down to 4th Street USA
When he got there
What did he see?
The youth of America on LSD;
LBJ IRT ;
USA LSD ;
LSD LBJ ;
FBI CIA ;
FBI CIA ;
LSD LBJ …
).
Put question to group:
Written down by individual silently.
Reported by everyone in the group and noted on a board or chart for all participants to see (no discussion).
Discussed, clarified and evaluated.
Voted on to establish relative importance, from which a group ranking can be derived. (AL: I see these rules as a way of removing the disadvantages of a focus group.)

Focus is on group ownership. (AL: I see, the group prevents any one user from dominating or controlling! Make the rules a little confusing, force participation by calling on people in no particular order, and encourage them to come up with new ideas. I would imagine that the non-verbal communication would increase dramatically. In my opinion, this technique works because it breaks the hidden hierarchical (pecking order) rules that we follow as a species).

Uses of NGT:
Gives the benefit of both group and individual participation.

Advantages NGT:
It uses individual knowledge, expertise and judgment.
It makes use of a group’s ability to suggest a variety of ideas and assess them (AL: We keep coming back to “Wisdom of the Crowds”).
Fast.
Generates a numeric priority ranking.
It uses terminology of participants.
Lowers the dominance of a single member or group.

Disadvantage NGT:
One issue at a time.
Should have 5 to 12 individuals.
All individuals must start together.
Combining the results of multiple NGT experiences is difficult.
Quality may vary.

Preparing:
Make it short (AL: Good advice with any group)
Make it simple (AL: not that easy if the group is heterogeneous, “What is truth” Whose truth?).
Directly related to the question being investigated.
keep it open ended.

2006-02-22T07:47:00.000-08:00

How do we solve complex questions?

When I have a complex problem or a concern with my children (getting them to finish their homework, improving their grades in school), I tend to follow a pretty straight forward pattern. I let my wife handle it. What she does is consult a very wide range of peer members (teachers, family members, child care physicians, fellow workers, neighbors, etc) who give advice. She takes all this information and plots a course of action.

Quantitative research, in my opinion, follows the concept of “Occam’s razor” which is to simplify everything and reduce complexity. The statistical tools that we use in the quantitative world are designed to do this; complexity is reduced to a simpler model.

Our guest speaker E.S gave a very interesting presentation on some of the aspects of child care research, a very complex area of research. As the discussion progressed, I again saw why qualitative analysis was useful for difficult questions. It provides a mechanism to handle dialog. Dialog is complex; it branches outward and takes sudden turns. The tools needed to understand this complexity have to be able to absorb a great deal of information and organize them in some manner.

With my background in statistics, I have a pretty good idea of where quantitative research came from and why it works. The readings are helping but I see that I need to go further. How were complex questions answered in the past, what tools were used, why were they used?

In historical literature, we have the idea of groups handling complex problems through group discussion (e.g., King Arthur and the round table, the king and his advisors, the twelve apostles, Indian nation). These discussions (stories, edicts, parables, songs-dance) were documented by using a tools designed to handle complexity, a form of “documentation of interviews”. This is an area I need to look further into.

As for our guest speaker, I would say that quantitative tools will not be able to fully answer these questions. I see a need for a mixed-mode approach; in fact, I see a mixed-mode approach to many of the complex problems I face in my projects at the University. I have taken steps to try to capture the complexity, rather than reduce it, through the use of more free text fields in the surveys and questionnaires we create.

2006-02-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

Random thoughts on a cold Saturday.

So my sons were taking part with their Troop in the Klondike Derby event at Twin Echo Scout Camp this last Saturday. This event is a Boy Scout event with boys from the surrounding area, and involves fire building, shelter building, knot making and many other outdoor games. The boys, of course, had a great time and I had the wonderful opportunity of using my qualitative knowledge to observer some human behavior.

I had noticed that working as a group; the boys were tying and presenting their knots correctly. As individuals during the actual knot tying contest, the boys were not doing as well. The explanation came to me in a flash from article “Wisdom of the crowds” (1) from one of our lectures. As a group the boys were able to observe and correct each other quickly. Working as individuals they were not able to tap into that powerful knowledge base and did not do as well. This will lead to a change in the way we train the boys.

Wikipedia contributors (2006). The Wisdom of Crowds. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:40, February 15, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Wisdom_of_Crowds&oldid=39398657.

2006-02-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

February 15, 2006
(H & M) Analytic Ethnography

The author suggests that “ analytic ethnography” refers to research processes and products where an investigator (a) strives to provide propositional answers to social and organizational questions; (b) does so in an unfettered or naturalistic manner; (c) uses personal insight to gain this information; (d) uses the entire research period to gain this knowledge; (e) looks for truthfulness in the answers; (f) seeks new information; (g) has an eye to creating an analysis that is conceptually elaborated, descriptively detailed and concept-data interpenetrated. (AL: I think the author means that an attempt is made to understand complex social questions by trying to put oneself into the event, and trying to look at the underlying generic processes that form that behavior.)

Generic Propositions:
Type, Frequency, Magnitude, Structure, Process, Cause, Conseqauence, Agency

Unfettered inquiry:
Go where the information takes you.

Deep Familiarity:
Immerse yourself in the subject.

Emergent Analysis:
Let the knowledge(memos, coding, etc.) lead you to the answer.

True Content:
Look for “Truth”

New Content:
Look for new directions.

Developed treatment:
Give detailed thought to the subject.

Failing:
Labor intensive.
Theory produces knowledge.
Results may be scattered.

(S) Chapter 2 Ethnography

Three types (a) Integrative, individual based; (b) Narrative, first-person narrative; (c) Combinative, interactions between people.

Use:
Need for an empirical approach.
Open to elements that cannot be codified.
Looking phenomena seen in the field.

Integrative ethnography:
Look at observations and integrate them into the cultural whole.
(AL: focus on empathy with people. How do we control bias?)

Narrative Integration:
Using the ethnographic text.

Ethnographic Casebook.
Aggregation of events collected in an ethnographic study.

Measuring what is possible:
“Each new study observes new scenes and helps enlarge the spectrum of skills, arrangements and forms of actions explored by earlier studies” (AL: How many studies do we need? Rule of thumb? 30 Studies).

Ethnography in the public space of its readers.
Explain to the public, behaviors the public may not have observed.

Chapter3 .Building Bridges

How does qualitative research bridge the different approaches to social life(AL: From looking at events from Macro to micro?).

Discourse and ethnography:
Conversation analysis. Focus is how everyday life is organized within and through language. (AL: interesting, this does focus on an area that is not well used within the more “typical” research systems I have seen).

Ethnomethodological concerns and strategies.
Observe social settings and interactions.

Qualitative methods as analytic bridges:
The analyses are theory-constructing activities that use “unconventional’ methods.
More about asking questions than receiving answers.

------
Ethnography (from the Greek ethnos = nation and graphein = writing) refers to the qualitative description of human social phenomena, based on fieldwork.(1)

Wikipedia contributors (2006). Ethnography. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:45, February 15, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ethnography&oldid=38788959.

2006-02-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

February 8, 2006 readings, summaries and thoughts.

Chapter 10 Historical Investigation
Sidney J Shep.

Thoughts:
The Historical Investigation reminds me of a case-control study (historical design with the danger of recall bias, selection bias). The focus is on finding and understanding historical information, but the methods used suggest that the investigator and historical information are “bonded together”. Case-Control and retrospective cohort designs suggest that the investigator distance themselves from the gathering of information and try to be as objective as possible.

The primary focus of this chapter is to suggest that a historical investigation develops a historical perspective which gives an understanding to present data events. The historical investigation focus is not on “lessons learned”.

This chapter states that there are many approaches to historical research. Historiography ( the study of the writing of history) and its sub-branches, political, constitutional, social, economic, labor, urban, rural, history of international relations…(AL: Quite a number of sub-branches)

Characteristics of historical investigation:
Difficult to recreate the conditions of the past. David Kingery- All history is fiction; we can never “know” the past.
E.H. Carr-History is a continuous process of interaction between the historian and his facts.
Historians bring their own pre-existing interpretive frameworks.
Historians balance temporal and spatial dislocation by using empathy and imagination to interpret. (AL: when does interpretation become story telling?)
Four Phases:
Identifying and locating relevant sources. (primary-raw and secondary - interpreted after primary sources)(official- institution sponsored and non-official – soldiers diary - sources)(Formally archived material, professional organizations, individual or family).
Assessing the nature and value of these sources.(is the source authentic?, when, who, why, what -- standard reporting questions) ( written notes, create a timeline, provide sufficient detail, review and reorganize notes)
Interpreting the evidence found in the sources. ( Need to understand WHY events occurred) (Use power of abstraction, imagination, empathy, intuition [AL: What about those of use who do not have the skill set of intuition?], self-awareness, skilled in logical argument and written communication)
Communicating the interpretation in written form (AL: what about those who have stronger visual or verbal interpretation skills?)

Chapter 4 Analyzing documentary realities:

Thoughts:
Do not take a document as a factual representation of events; it has been flavored by the author and the environment that the author is in.

Summary:
Documentary realities are not accurate portrayals but suggest a type of reality. Focus more on the form and function of the text. (Day to day documentation).
Focus is also on the Rhetorical features (how spoken or written text persuades their readers and hearers (AL: and viewers).
Look carefully on the documents production (authorship) and consumption (readership).
Intertextuality (The way text is entangled with other text, the text is not in isolation!)

Document realities:
Documents are “social facts”; they are not surrogates for other types of data. Not to be treated as primary data but as data in their own right.

Particular occupations have their own distinctive registers (theater review, law review)

Look at the style that the report is written in.

Examine the kinds of language used.

Intertextuality, documents weaved from other texts.

Documents are addressed to a certain type of readership.

Chapter 5:

Doing things with documents:

Thoughts:
Documents are dynamic not static.

Summary:
Documents have a three-fold role; receptacle (instructions, commands, wishes), agent (others may manipulate it) and resource that will be mobilized for further action.
Treat the document as topic rather than as resource.
Documents are manipulated in organized settings for many different ends.
Documents have effects. They are produced and then become productive.
The reader will interpret the documents, so the content is not fixed by can be dynamic.

Chapter 6
Internet communication as a tool for qualitative research.

Thoughts:
The internet (AL: note the small “i”, since I feel that the current Internet will evolve into a utility like electricity or water) will be a rich source of information. (AL: The internet will move from the computer to the “real world”).

(AL: Interesting how behaviors in the “real-world” are mirrored in cyberspace. Why would the females in the opening paragraph of the chapter feel they were powerless to do anything about the incorrect behavior of one of the users? If the user names were anonymous, why did the author assume the online character was male [author brings up the concept of transgender on page 99] ? If the inappropriate individual could be tracked down, identified and a determination made of gender, then why were the females powerless?)

(AL: the internet “feels” like the user is anonymous, in reality they are not. Log files, used for billing, associate each computer with a unique IP address. Although the actual user may not be known, the registered owner is. This is similar to how we “know” the user of a car on a particular day through the registered license owner of the vehicle. If a robbery occurs with a vehicle, the police can track the owner down and ask the owner to identify the user of the vehicle. A public setting, such as a library, normally has a computer check out card, which could serve the same purpose. Even in a public library setting you can at least identify the user as a library patron, where applications that can flag users in real-time could be used to alert administrators of improper use. The individual computer also has logs that identify the web pages visited and activity performed. Even if the logs are erased, undelete programs could bring them back).

Summary:
The Internet is defined variously as a communication medium, a global network of connections, and a scene of social construction.
The shape and nature of Internet communication is defined in context, negotiated by users that may adapt hardware and software to suit their individual or community needs.
Internet communication affords qualitative researchers creative potential because of its geographic dispersion, multi modality, and chrono malleability (asynchronous and synchronous communication).
The researcher’s own conceptualization of the Internet will influence how it is woven into the research project, with significant consequences on the outcomes.
As social life becomes more saturated with Internet-based media for communication, researchers will be able to creatively design projects that utilize these media to observe culture, interact with participants, or collect artifacts.
Each new technology bears a double edge for qualitative researchers and users; as it highlights or enables certain aspects and qualities of interaction, it hides or constrains others.
Internet framework:
Medium for communication.(tool, place, existing within the world
Network of computers.
Context of social construction. (Relationships and communities, meaning and identity).
Internet as tool.
Instantaneous network of interaction.
Internet as multi-modal (synchronous, asynchronous, anonymous, non-anonymous).
Push (weather report) vs. pull (CNN lookup) technology.

2006-02-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

SharePoint email blog

Mary Jo,
>
> I am checking with L Y who is the Director of the Office of
> Clinical Research, Health Sciences University of Pittsburgh. L
> emailed me and asked me if the students who wanted access were medical
> students. I explained to her that the students were from the School of
> Library Science, so I am hoping that Health Sciences will allow the
> SharePoint use. I am waiting for her return email answer.
>
>
> Now, if this service is only for medical student, then I can offer my
> SharePoint server (My group- Clinical Pharmacology- also uses the same
> technology) to you for your use.
>
> As soon as I get an answer back I will email you.
>
> AL
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Al --
>
> I tried to find some reference to this on the PItt websit today, but
> no luck. Is there a particular point where students can sign in - or
> use it in some way?
>
> thanks a lot,
> M J

2006-02-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

Thoughts on today’s reading ( GC 5,6, & 11) (Feb 1, 2005):

Laying the foundations for fieldwork
Fieldwork, collecting data within the natural setting of the data, is the key with qualitative research (AL: In a way I think all research, qualitative as well as qualitative should focus on this. This translates to understanding where your data came from, who extracted it, who entered it, what the limitation of the setting are).

Experience-near concept suggests the research is familiar to the researcher while experience distant suggests that the researcher is unfamiliar with this field of interest.

Laying the foundation:
Preliminary preparation would include such common steps as (1) considering the focus of the study (2) Choosing an appropriate topic (3) reviewing the relevant research and (4) establishing a theoretical framework (AL: Very similar to quantitative research methods).
The paragraph that asked if the topic was “intrinsically valuable” raised an interesting issue for me. How does one know if something is “intrinsically valuable” in a global era, what Pittsburgh thinks is interesting, Bristol England may not.

The research question Triangle
(AL: I thought this was a very interesting and valuable way at looking at the research question).

Types of theories:
Empirical generalizations, most often based on literature review ( AL: I would think this was very useful for hypothesis generation).
Causal Model, explain the impact of independent variables on dependant variable ( AL: As the article suggest, better left to quantitative designs such as Cohort , Community or Random Clinical Trials)
Middle-range theories, (AL: I still do not a firm understanding of this design, I am hoping that the class might expand this further).

Beginning fieldwork:
Broad exploration is the basis for this stage. First important step is to select the location or subjects that will be used in the study. Planning and acting are the next steps, creating the blueprint of the study.

Interesting statement in this article “Those selected might prove inappropriate for a variety of reasons”. (AL: How are we guarding against expert bias at this stage? Randomization of subject select prevents this in quantitative studies. Are we saying that Expert opinion can overcome this bias limitation?) The use of “theoretical qualifications” ( is this like framing in sample selection?) and “ innate abilities” used as a screening tool are new to me and I think I need to look a bit closer at these ideas).

Generalizability is mentioned here, which has some linkage with reproducibility (from our earlier class discussions). (AL selection of sites and subjects is really two side of the same coin, which brings up an interesting question. does the site have greater influence on the subject than the subject on the site?).

Gaining access to locations and subjects is a problem that all quantitative researchers face (Dr. X uses his data registry because it is convenient, but it may not be generalizable). Covert and Overt investigations are interesting ideas and I would like to see how this operate in the HIPAA environment we are now in.

Formulating of a research plan uses a three point process which is common to all areas of research; development of the broad plan, undertaking of a pilot study, preliminary data collection. (AL: Correctly defining the time frame is the most common problem that I have seen)

Recording Field Data:
Key areas: data collection in observation, interviewing and conducting focus groups.

Areas of concern: observation, note taking and writing, using persistent observation , and triangulation of perspectives.

Field notes: (AL: would a private recording for private use by the researcher function better than summarizing the information in written notes? With the internet, the collection of information, both visual and audio, would be simple and efficient)

Use of journals is suggested. (AL: I would use a product like SharePoint, that would be similar to a journal but have many additional features)

Could SharePoint replace the observation notes?
People “What does the subject look like?” I could suggest that we replace this with a photo or image of the subject.
Places “Look of the room”, what about a video or an IPIX image (360 degree image of the room?”
Researcher “How did the researcher behave” I would suggest that we replace this with having an outside observer monitor the researcher using a desktop sharing program like Bridgit.
Words “What was said”, I would suspect that an audio recording would do a better job of storing that information.
Actions: “What happened”, would a video image provides a better record than a written note?

Error and Bias:
(Al: All measurements have error and bias, even machine systems.)

2006-01-27T14:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, as requested, I would like to provide some quick thoughts on the discussion by our guest speaker, Dr. C. C.

First, I found the discussion interesting and our speaker very knowledgeable about this topic. The idea of using a harvesting Internet method is very appealing and something I never had thought about.

As for the discussion, my mind focused on Pinocchio (more on the Disney movie than the actual story) while our guest speaker was presenting. The important parts of the story that came to mind were when Pinocchio leaves the safety of Giuseppe (his care giver) and goes to live in the real world. Of course Giuseppe goes looking for him, but unluckily never finds Pinocchio (in the movie he ends up in the belly of a whale). Pinocchio is eventually picked up by two untrustworthy individuals and ends up in a playground for wild boys. The wild boys are unfortunately transformed into mules, the playground is left behind, but luckily our Pinocchio escapes, finds Giuseppe and, with the help of the blue fairy, lives happily every after.

What Dr. C was presenting was an interesting look at a very dark and sensitive topic. There are some topics (i.e. save the whale, save the rainforest) that, in my opinion, are very open, positive in their outlooks and lend themselves to open discussion. A child exploited as a hired killer is not one of those topics. I think most society recoils from this and would prefer not to discuss or even acknowledge that it exists.

From what I saw of the website, I would suggest that issuecrawler.com would work well with the lighter more socially accepted topics. In my opinion, the darker and more sensitive topics which really do not have socially acceptable answers are not really dealt with well on the web. The page from the UN site presented a good example of how the majority of Internet society reacts to these problems; they look to authoritative sources (i.e., police, government, religion) and hope that these organizations (I see them as the blue whale from our story above) can deal with the problem.

Our discussion of issues that we would code for on the UN web page was interesting. When I look at the UN page I see a different set of issues hidden within the words. Issues such as family planning, issues in old age support, cultural abandonment, social rejection and non-conventional resource utilization are the ones that came to mind.

In my opinion, the ideal answer for the unwanted, orphaned or displaced children is to provide them with replacement parental support. This is what the Internet forums should be focusing on and where resources should be allocated. Unfortunately, children who have no child provider support and have been outcast from their society are very much like the Pinocchio character, they are exploited by those they do not have their interest at heart. The tragic result is that the children become a resource to use rather than a treasure to cherish. In some cities, attempts are made (i.e., paid scouting leaders, mentoring partners, religious outreach programs) to help, but costs are very high and results are questionable. Organizations like the UN realize this and, I believe, simply provide notice that the problem exists, but do not present a forum for discussion. If a person goes looking on the Internet for answers, my feeling is that you end up like our friend Giuseppe and get pulled within the belly of the whale, miles away from where the wild boys now march with sad faces and real rifles.

So, like the fairy tale, where is the bright side to this. Chat rooms, newsgroups, instant messaging (IM) sites created by socially conscious individuals located in these countries are where I would look for the discussion forums. Video conferencing, newsgroups and IM sites are easy to create and are being used by socially responsible individuals to discuss these difficult questions, the problem is how to set up a systematic way to find and get access to them. Here is a thought; maybe we should call this Internet harvesting method fairy-blu.com.

Just my thoughts

Al

2006-01-25T10:08:00.000-08:00

Chapter 4 Case Studies in information organizations.

Case Study Approach
Application of specific qualitative research methods in a specific setting. Blanket term, tends to be limited to a specific setting subject or event.

Studies:
Observational: Participant observation normally in an information agency with the focus on component (AL: must be familiar with how the agency operates, how is this done?, How do we remove bias?).

Interview: Hybrid of observational study and life history case study ( AL: again what about biases?). Flexible. All questions are tentative and cast only when research results are written. Does have a structure.

Organizational: Focus in development over time. Uses written records (annual reports (AL: are they not made to favor the company in the view of stockholders? Policy statements ( Al: Are these not designed to be politically correct?). Major problem is that they may not be adequate.

Historical Life History: Overlap with organization case studies. Focus on well-know individual. (AL: Bias with this individual and their documented ‘memory’?)

Multi-site: used for the sake of diversity. (AL: How are sites picked?, )
Comparative case studies. Look at contrast.(AL How are they standardized?).

Analytic induction: Specific problem becomes the focus. Descriptive model created. (Definition-> examination of definition -> modified definition -> redefines definition -> creates a universal relationship)

Constant comparative method.(Glaser and Strauss) Uses multiple data sources. Six stages ( collect data, develop focus categories, continue data collection of multiple instances, written description of categories, discover basic processes, code-sample-write.

Quizotic reliability – method yields unvarying measurement.
Diachronic reliability – stability of observation.
Synchronic reliability – similarity of observations.

Insure reliability:
Consistent note taking.
Immersion in the context.
Exposure to multiple situations.
Consult other research for assistance.

Validity
Linked to ‘truth’.

Face validity: observations fit the pattern.
Criterion validity: employs an additional method of inquiry.
Construct validity: meaning in light of the conceptual framework.

Reliability and validity play a major role. (AL: Controlled by careful attention to bias and possible use of triangulation).

2006-01-25T07:47:00.000-08:00

Chapter 3 Qualitative Research for the Information Professional.

Qualitative Research Process
May appear to be haphazard but they do adopt a research strategy using a set of theoretical assumptions that provide a general framework for their work.

Qualitative researchers allow their plans to evolve (AL: an open framework does have advantages) following a cyclical process (or overlapping plan) as opposed to quantitative research which tends to follow a more rigid linear process.

Methods of describing this method; (1) cyclical, (2) non-linear, (3) 3-stage pyramid approach.

3-stage pyramid:
Base- preliminary preparation (topic choice, problem statement, literature review and theoretical framework)
Broad exploration (general casting about for subjects and locations, tests for suitability for case studies, preliminary data collection)
Focused activity ([amended] broad plan followed (AL: How much flexibility is allowed? Could the researcher be ‘lead’ in a wrong direction), narrowing of topics and a concentration of data).

First Questions:
What is the focus?
What events are important?
How should we approach this subject?

How:
Use four methods: Observation- in a natural setting, Interviewing – open ended questions ( AL: how do we stop the tendency for people to wander?), Group discussion ( AL: what about group dynamics- how does it affect the study?), Historical Study(AL: What about recall bias?) (AL: has some components of a decision support team meeting)

Ethics:
Subjects know or no know (AL: recording, how does HIPPA play a part?)
Informed and implied consent:
Confidentiality and anonymity (AL: With small samples can others determine who was involved?).

2006-01-24T13:06:00.000-08:00

Understanding reliability and validity in qualitative research

The article suggests that reliability and validity are common in quantitative research and that they must be redefined so that they can be used in qualitative research.

The article starts off by discussing “What is Quantitative research” and suggests this style of research will use experimental methods and quantitative measures to test hypothetical generalizations. The emphasis is on measurement and analysis of causal relationships between variables.

Focus is on concepts and the generation of hypotheses which will be tested. The emphasis is on facts, causes of behavior, measuring and analysis using numbers and the use of statistical terminologies, normally through the use of some standardized instrument.(AL: I would agree that this overview is correct)

A discussion of reliability and validity in quantitative research follows. Reliability is concerned with reproducibility and stability of the measuring instrument. Validity is concerned with how close to the actual ‘truth’ the results are. The validity of an experiment may not be answered in the study, but rather in the follow up studies based on that experiment.

“Qualitative research” is then discussed as an approach that tries to understand phenomena in a ‘natural’ or ‘real-world’ setting. (Al: This reminds me of the observational studies such as case-control and cohort).

The author suggests that quantitative research is focused on determination, prediction and generalization of findings which qualitative research is focused on illumination, understanding and situation extrapolation. Nahid clearly see two different directional results coming from this two methods.( Al: Well, I see the authors point, but would not think of the distinction as that clear cut).

Reliability:
Reliability in qualitative research, as suggested by some authors, is focused on “generating understanding” rather than “purpose of explaining”. Some authors even suggest that reliability is irrelevant in qualitative research. ( Al: This is a bit difficult to accept)

Patton does suggest that reliability and validity are worthy of concern (Al: Makes much more sense).Lincoln and Guba equate the term reliability with “dependability”. Clont and Seale use the term “consistency” with verification through examination of (1) raw data, (2) data reduction products ( 3) process notes.

References from this section further suggests that reliability and validity are bond together ( AL: I agree).

Validity:
Validity is concerned to have a very broad and wide ranging description. Again some qualitative researches have argued that validity has not meaning in this type of research but do see the need for some qualifying check on their research. (AL: This of course would be necessary, especially if a third party was funding the project). Validity is seen as providing “confidence in the finding”

Both reliability and validity come together through the use of the term “Trustworthiness”.

Testing Validity and Reliability:
Triangulation (Typically used to obtain substantiation of findings through convergence of different perspectives) (AL: Interesting, in my own area of biostatistics this is something that I have not used).

Triangulation is also used in qualitative research methodologies and is suggested as a method of testing validity and reliability. Barbour does argue that triangulation be used with the understanding that any exception should lead to a disconfirmation of the hypothesis (as opposed to quantitative research were exceptions are useful and dealt with).

Triangulation (with the appropriate method selected on a per study basis) is then purposed as the method of choice to test reliability and validity. (Al: this has also the useful feature of using a technology that bridges qualitative and quantitative research).

2006-01-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

Guest Speaker:
January 18, 2005
Notes:
Becky Hollman?
Importance of note and/or memo taking.
Grounded theory builds in complexity.
Sample size is not computed prior to a study.
Very useful as a hypothesis generating method.
Reproducibility may be a problem.
Studies can take some time to finish.

2006-01-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

Grounded theory starts with a research situation, follows through with data collection (note taking), creates and compares interviews to develop theory, data is then compared to theory and theory is used to explain the research situation.