Reading Seminar 1- Denny Lekic

Reading Seminar One

Chapter 7 encompasses a few general methods of gathering information or data. It reflects upon what methods to use, how they should be standardized and what target groups one should have. The methods presented include interviews, observation, and questionnaires.  For interviews, the authors mention different concepts such as structured interviews and semi-structured interviews where the main differences between the interviews is the rigidity of how one follows a strict question-list versus a general theme with semi-structured interview (you may follow a question-list with a semi-structured interview as well but the importance of following it strictly is not present). A key concept from this chapter is triangulation which encompasses the idea of using different methods to record and analyze data, in order to provide depth to the research.

Moreover in chapter 8 one is taught on how to analyze data. This part is dependent upon what data and information you have gathered. The chapter more or less presents data as quantitative and qualitative where the main differences are whether or not one can standardize the data collected with numbers. Which one can do to a certain extent with all data, but it is for instance hard to enumerate feelings, this is where qualitative research comes in.

Lastly, in chapter 10, the book is very keen on expressing the importance of coming into a project with clear goals and establishing requirements.  This is of course since one has to be very sure of what they are actually testing, or observing before going out in the field. This is because unclear goals might produce unclear results and non-coherent data. Thus, one must make sure that all bases of the project are covered and that everything is done before actually doing anything, as a mistake can easily multiply over the course of the study, starting from observation, to interviews and so on and so forth.

Our group should focus on defining our goals beforehand, obtaining as much information as possible to get reliable results. We will use qualitative analyzing tools, and so the importance of being rigid are less present, although we must stick to what we have chosen as to not be led astray.

Question: How does one obtain qualitative results that are as reliable as possible?