Qualitative Field Research and Survey Research

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Methods and Approaches in Environmental Studies

Qualitative Field Research and Survey Research



Qualitative Field Research

Topics Appropriate to Field Research

Considerations in Qualitative Field Research

Qualitative Field Research Paradigms

Conducting Qualitative Field Research

Strengths and Weaknesses

Research Ethics in Qualitative Field Research

What we’ll cover…



Topics for Field Research

Attitudes and Behaviors best understood in a natural

setting.

Social processes over time.



Elements of Social Life

Appropriate to Field ResearchPractices: talking, reading a book

Episodes: divorce, crime, illness

Encounters: people meeting and interacting

Role: occupations, family roles

Relationships: friendships, mother-son



Elements of Social Life

Appropriate to Field ResearchGroups: cliques, teams, work groups

Organizations: hospitals, schools

Settlements: neighborhoods, ghettoes

Social worlds: "wall street", "the sports world“

Lifestyles (or subcultures): urban, homeless



Field Research Paradigms

Naturalism

Ethnomethodology

Grounded theory

Case studies and the extended case method

Institutional ethnography

Participatory action research



Preparing for Field Work

Fill in your knowledge of the subject.

Discuss the group you plan to research with aninformant.

Develop an identity with the people to be studied.

Realize that your initial contact with the group can

influence your observations.



Seven Stages of

Interviewing1. Thematizing

2. Design

3. Interviewing

4. Transcribing

5. Analyzing

6. Verifying and checking facts

7. Reporting



Advantages of Focus

GroupsSocially oriented research method

Flexible

High face validity

Speedy results

Low in cost



Disadvantages of Focus

Groups

Less control than individual interviews.

Data can be difficult to analyze.

Moderators must be skilled.



Disadvantages of Focus

Groups

Difference between groups can be troublesome.

Groups are difficult to assemble.

Discussion must be conducted in a conducive

environment.



Guidelines - Taking Research Notes

Don’t trust your memory.

Take notes while you observe.

Take notes in stages.

Take sketchy notes in the field and rewrite them later,filling in the details.



Record everything.

Things that don't seem important at the time may

turn out to be significant after all.

Realize that most of your field notes will not bereflected in your final project.

Guidelines - Taking Research Notes



Strengths of Field Research

Permits a great depth of understanding.

Flexibility - research may be modified at any time.

Inexpensive

Has more validity than surveys or experiments.



Weaknesses of Field Research

Qualitative and not appropriate for statisticaldescriptions of populations.

Has potential problems with reliability since field

research methods are often personal.



Is It Ethical?

To talk to people when they don't know you will be

recording their words?

To get information for your own purposes from people

you hate?

To see a severe need for help and not respond to itdirectly?



Is It Ethical?

To be in a situation but not commit yourself

wholeheartedly to it?

To be strategic in your relations with others?

To take sides or avoid taking sides in a factionalizedsituation?



Is It Ethical?

To "pay" people with tradeoffs for access to their livesand minds?

To "use" people as allies or informants in order to gain

entrée to other people or to elusive understandings?



Survey Research

Topics Appropriate to Survey Research

Guidelines for Asking Questions

Questionnaire Construction

Self-administered Questionnaires

Interview Surveys




Survey Research

Telephone Surveys & Online Surveys

Comparison of the Different Survey Methods

Strengths and Weaknesses of Survey Research

Secondary Analysis




Topics Appropriate to

Survey Research

Descriptive

Exploratory

Explanatory



Guidelines for Asking

QuestionsChoose appropriate question forms (e.g., open- vs.

closed-ended)

Make items clear.

Avoid double-barreled questions.

Respondents must be competent to answer.



Guidelines for Asking

QuestionsRespondents must be willing to answer.

Questions should be relevant.

Short items are best.

Avoid negative items.

Avoid biased items and terms.



Guidelines for Questionnaire

ConstructionOne question per line.

Use contingency questions when necessary.

Format matrix questions so they are easily answered.

Be aware of issues with ordering items.

Include instructions for the questionnaire.

Pretest all or part of the questionnaire.



Acceptable Response Rates

50% - adequate for analysis and reporting

60% - good

70% - very good



Guidelines for Survey

InterviewingDress in a similar manner to the people who will be

interviewed.

Study and become familiar with the questionnaire.

Follow question wording exactly.

Record responses exactly.

Probe for responses when necessary.



Training for Interviewers

Discussion of general guidelines and procedures.

Specify how to handle difficult or confusing situations.

Conduct demonstration interviews.

Conduct “real” interviews.



Telephone Surveys

Advantages:

Money and time.

Control over data collection.

Disadvantages:

Surveys that are really ad campaigns.

Caller ID, cell phones, call blocking.



Internet Surveys

Advantages:

Money and time

Quantity of data collected

Control over data collection (access to survey, start/stop times, etc.)

Disadvantages:

No/little control over sample (i.e., “convenience sample”)

Spammers and scammers



Strengths of Survey

Research

Useful in describing the characteristics of a large

population.

Make large samples feasible.

Flexible - many questions can be asked on a given

topic.





Weaknesses of Survey

Research

Can seldom deal with the context of social life.

Inflexible in some ways.

Subject to artificiality.

Weak on validity.

Documents

Qualitative Field Research and Survey Research