Collecting Qualitative Data: A Practical Guide to Textual, Media and Virtual Techniques

356 Pages·2017·2.329 MB·English

by  Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, Debra Gray

Collecting QualitativeData
Thisbookprovidesapracticalandaccessibleguidetocollectingqualitative
data that moves beyond the traditional focus on face-to-face interviews.
It emphasises a range of textual, media and virtual methods that provide
interestingtwistson,andarelessresource-intensethan,establishedmethods,
thereby offering the researcher alternative techniques for collecting data.
Divided into three parts, textual, media and virtual, the book provides step-
wise guidance on methods that are underutilised within qualitative research
and offers new and interesting angles on widely used techniques.
Contributorssharetheirexperiencesofimplementingeachparticulartechni-
queandhighlightbothitspotentialsandpitfalls.Whatunitesallthemethods
featured in this book is that they are ideally suited to student projects and
resource-limitedresearch.Thebookwillbeofinteresttoreadersbothnewto
qualitative research and established researchers seeking to broaden their
methodologicalrepertoire.
Virginia Braun is Professor in the School of Psychology at The University of
Auckland, New Zealand. A feminist and critical psychologist, her research
exploresgender,bodies,sex/sexualityandhealth,andshehaspublishedexten-
sively in these areas. She is co-author of the award-winning textbook
SuccessfulQualitativeResearch:APracticalGuideforBeginners,aswellas
numerous other methodological works. Notably, with Victoria Clarke, she
developed an approach to thematic analysis which has become one of the
mostwidelyusedqualitativemethodsinthesocialandhealthsciences.
VictoriaClarkeisAssociateProfessorinQualitativeandCriticalPsychologyat
the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. She has published three
prize-winningbooks,includingmostrecentlySuccessfulQualitativeResearch:
A Practical Guide for Beginners. She has conducted Economic and Social
Research Council- andBritish Academy-funded research on familyand rela-
tionshipsandhaspublishedontopicsincludingappearancepsychology,human
sexuality,LGBTQpsychologyandqualitativemethods.WithVirginiaBraun,
shedevelopedanapproachtothematicanalysiswhichhasbecomeoneofthe
mostwidelyusedqualitativemethodsinthesocialandhealthsciences.
Debra Gray is Reader in Social Psychology at the University of Winchester,
UK.Sheisacriticalsocialpsychologistwhoseworkexplorestheintersecting
areas of social, political and environmental psychology. She has published
widely on many topics relating to participation in political, community and
Published online by Cambridge University Press
healthsettingsandcollective socio-spatialidentitiesandintergrouprelations.
She has an ongoing interest in the intersection of research and practice, and
workswithmanythird-sectorandpublic-sectororganisations.Shehasexper-
tiseinawiderangeofqualitativemethods,andsheisexcitedbycreative(and
multi-modal)waystocollect,analyseandusequalitativedata.
Published online by Cambridge University Press
Collecting Qualitative Data
A Practical Guide to Textual, Media and Virtual
Techniques
VIRGINIA BRAUN
TheUniversityofAuckland
VICTORIA CLARKE
UniversityoftheWestofEngland,Bristol
DEBRA GRAY
TheUniversityofWinchester
Published online by Cambridge University Press
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Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781107054974
DOI:10.1017/9781107295094
©VirginiaBraun,VictoriaClarkeandDebraGray2017
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Firstpublished2017
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AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData
Names:Braun,Virginia(ProfessorinPsychology),author.|Clarke,Victoria(Associate
ProfessorinQualitativeandCriticalPsychology),author.|Gray,Debra(Readerin
SocialPsychology),author.
Title:Collectingqualitativedata:apracticalguidetotextual,mediaandvirtual
techniques/VirginiaBraun,TheUniversityofAuckland,VictoriaClarke,University
oftheWestofEngland,DebraGray,theUniversityofWinchester.
Description:Cambridge,UK;NewYork,NY:CambridgeUniversityPress,2017.
Identifiers:LCCN2016033205|ISBN9781107054974(hardback)|
ISBN9781107662452(paperback)
Subjects:LCSH:Qualitativeresearch Methodology.|Socialsciences
Research Methodology.
Classification:LCCH62.B714962016|DDC001.4/2 dc23
LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2016033205
ISBN9781107054974Hardback
ISBN9781107662452Paperback
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Contents
Figures,TablesandBoxes pagexiii
Acknowledgements xvii
Contributors xix
Foreword BrendanGough xxv
1 CollectingTextual,MediaandVirtualDatainQualitative
Research 1
VirginiaBraun,VictoriaClarkeandDebraGray
WhyThisBook? 1
WhatThisBookOfferstheQualitativeResearcher 4
WhoIsThisBookfor? 4
HowtoReadandUseThisBook 4
AGuidetothePedagogicalFeaturesinThisBook 7
OverviewofChapters 8
FurtherResources:Readings 11
References 11
PartI TextualDataCollection 13
2 ShortbutOftenSweet:TheSurprisingPotentialofQualitative
SurveyMethods 15
GarethTerryandVirginiaBraun
Overview 15
IntroductiontoQualitativeSurveys 15
WhatDoQualitativeSurveysOffertheQualitative
Researcher? 17
WhatResearchQuestionsSuitQualitativeSurveys? 22
Design,SamplingandEthicalIssues 24
EthicsandSampling 29
v
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vi Contents
SpecificDesignConsiderations 30
StepstoUsingQualitativeSurveys 31
WhatCanGoWrongwithQualitativeSurveys? 33
WhatMethodsofAnalysisSuitQualitativeSurvey
Data? 35
Conclusion 37
HaveaGo... 38
FurtherResources:Online 40
FurtherResources:Readings 40
References 40
3 OnceUponaTime...QualitativeStoryCompletionMethods 45
VictoriaClarke,NikkiHayfield,NaomiMoller,IrmgardTischner
andtheStoryCompletionResearchGroup
Overview 45
IntroductiontoStoryCompletion 45
WhatDoesStoryCompletionOffertheQualitative
Researcher? 48
WhatResearchQuestionsSuitStoryCompletion? 51
Design,SamplingandEthicalIssues 52
StepstoUsingStoryCompletion 55
WhatCanGoWrongwithStoryCompletion? 60
WhatMethodsofAnalysisSuitStory
CompletionData? 62
Conclusion 66
HaveaGo... 66
FurtherResources:Online 67
FurtherResources:Readings 67
References 68
4 HypotheticallySpeaking:UsingVignettesasaStand-Alone
QualitativeMethod 71
DebraGray,BronwenRoyallandHelenMalson
Overview 71
IntroductiontoVignettes 71
WhatDoVignettesOffertheQualitativeResearcher? 74
WhatResearchQuestionsSuitVignettes? 77
Design,SamplingandEthicalIssues 79
StepstoUsingVignettes 85
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Contents vii
WhatCanGoWrongwithVignettes? 86
WhatMethodsofAnalysisSuitVignetteData? 87
Conclusion 88
HaveaGo... 89
FurtherResources:Online 90
FurtherResources:Readings 90
References 91
5 ‘CoughingEverythingOut’:TheSolicitedDiaryMethod 94
PaulaMeth
Overview 94
IntroductiontoSolicitedQualitativeDiaries 94
WhatDoSolicitedQualitativeDiariesOffertheQualitative
Researcher? 97
WhatResearchQuestionsSuitSolicitedQualitative
Diaries? 99
Design,SamplingandEthicalIssues 100
StepstoUsingSolicitedQualitativeDiaries 105
WhatCanGoWrongwithSolicitedQualitative
Diaries? 108
WhatMethodsofAnalysisSuitSolicitedQualitative
DiaryData? 110
Conclusion 110
HaveaGo... 111
FurtherResources:Online 113
FurtherResources:Readings 113
References 113
PartII MediaDataCollection 117
6 MakingMediaData:AnIntroductiontoQualitativeMedia
Research 119
LauraFavaro,RosalindGillandLauraHarvey
Overview 119
IntroductiontoMediaData 119
WhatDoMediaDataOffertheQualitative
Researcher? 125
WhatResearchQuestionsSuitMediaData? 128
Design,SamplingandEthicalIssues 129
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viii Contents
EthicalIssues 129
DesignandSampling 131
WhatCanGoWrongwithMediaData? 134
AnalysingMediaData 135
Conclusion 138
HaveaGo... 140
FurtherResources:Online 140
FurtherResources:Readings 140
References 141
7 ‘God’sGreatLeveller’:TalkbackRadioasQualitativeData 144
ScottHanson-EaseyandMarthaAugoustinos
Overview 144
IntroductiontoTalkbackRadio 144
WhatDoesTalkbackRadioOffertheQualitative
Researcher? 146
WhatResearchQuestionsSuitTalkbackRadioData? 149
Design,SamplingandEthicalIssues 151
StepstoUsingTalkbackRadio 153
WhatCanGoWrongwithTalkbackRadio? 156
WhatMethodsofAnalysisSuitTalkback
RadioData? 157
Conclusion 160
HaveaGo... 160
FurtherResources:Online 162
FurtherResources:Readings 162
References 163
8 ArchivesofEverydayLife:UsingBlogsinQualitative
Research 166
NicholasHookway
Overview 166
IntroductiontoBlogResearch 166
WhatDoBlogsOffertheQualitativeResearcher? 169
WhatResearchQuestionsSuitBlogData? 171
DesignandSampling:StepstoDoingBlogResearch 171
EthicalIssuesinBlogResearch 176
WhatCanGoWrongwithBlogResearch? 178
MatchingBlogstoResearchAims 178
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Contents ix
IdentifyingandAnalysingMassesofMultimediaText 178
HomogeneityoftheBlogPopulation 179
OnlineAuthenticityandVerifyingBackground 180
WhatMethodsofAnalysisSuitBlogData? 181
Conclusion 183
HaveaGo... 183
FurtherResources:Online 184
FurtherResources:Readings 185
References 185
9 OnlineDiscussionForums:ARichandVibrantSource
ofData 189
DavidGiles
Overview 189
IntroductiontoDiscussionForums 189
WhatDoDiscussionForumsOffertheQualitative
Researcher? 193
WhatResearchQuestionsSuitDiscussion
ForumData? 194
More‘Straightforward’TypesofResearch
Questions:FocusedonContent 194
MoreDiscursiveQuestions:Interrogatingthe
WorkingsofForumsThemselves 195
HowDoDiscussionsGetGoing? 195
HowDoCommunitiesUseForumstoPromote
GroupNormsandValues? 196
HowDoMembersManageConflict? 198
Design,SamplingandEthicalIssues 199
HowtoCollectForumData:FiveSamplingSteps 199
EthicalIssues 201
TheStatusofForumData 202
DealingwithEthicalDecisionMakers 203
WhatCanGoWrongwithDiscussionForums? 205
WhatMethodsofAnalysisSuitDiscussionForumData? 206
Conclusion 207
HaveaGo... 208
FurtherResources:Online 208
FurtherResources:Readings 208
References 209
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x Contents
PartIII VirtualDataCollection 211
10 ‘TypeMeYourAnswer’:GeneratingInterview
DataviaEmail 213
LucyGibson
Overview 213
IntroductiontoEmailInterviewing 213
WhatDoesEmailInterviewingOffertheQualitative
Researcher? 215
WhatResearchQuestionsSuitEmailInterviews? 221
Design,SamplingandEthicalIssues 222
Participants,SamplingandRecruitment 222
EthicalIssues 224
StepstoUsingEmailInterviews 225
WhatCanGoWrongwithEmailInterviews? 228
WhatMethodsofAnalysisSuitEmailInterview
Data? 230
Conclusion 231
HaveaGo... 231
FurtherResources:Online 232
FurtherResources:Readings 232
References 233
11 AProductiveChat:InstantMessengerInterviewing 235
PamelaJ.Lannutti
Overview 235
IntroductiontoInstantMessengerInterviews 235
WhatDoInstantMessengerInterviewsOfferthe
QualitativeResearcher? 237
WhatResearchQuestionsSuitInstantMessenger
Interviews? 241
Design,SamplingandEthicalIssues 242
StepstoUsingInstantMessengerInterviews 242
WhatCanGoWrongwithInstantMessenger
Interviews? 247
WhatMethodsofAnalysisSuitInstantMessenger
InterviewData? 250
Conclusion 251
HaveaGo... 252
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