Final: Qualitative research
Naturalistic inquiry: studying people in everyday circumstances by ordinary means. It aims to
bridge the gulf between social scientists and the rest of humanity.
It is an unobtrusive strategy (onopvallend): gather data without directly interacting
with the subject. Naturalistic inquiry cannot be learned so it is a craft (vakwerk)
Naturalistic inquiry can result in surprising and important insights into the working society
because of:
- It captures the richness and nuance of human behavior
- It explores subjective experiences and perspectives
- It encourages to remain open to unexpected findings and to embrace complexity
Foreshadowed problem (the same as sensitizing concepts): a problem, issue, area, or
concern that you want to focus your research on. Indicating the potential for a more
significant problem that warrants further investigation. Also known as, broad anticipated
research questions that need to be reformulated during the data collection.
Saturation is reached when there is nothing new coming up in your results. You do not need
to add new questions for additional understanding. Researchers have reached a point of
data sufficiency.
The arc of naturalistic inquiry: it is an empirical cycle (refers to the iterative process, where you
go back and forth in the arc). It is a process of systematically gathering knowledge and the
way you do your research.
- It is an arc, because with an arc you end at a different place than where you started.
- The arc symbolizes the distance the naturalistic inquirer travels
- The arc shows that the naturalistic inquirer returns to the initial problem but not at the
same spot upon which he started. He has carried the problem further and has
provided new, deeper, insights.
- The researcher shuttles back and forth along the arc (iterative)
1
, Reflexive understanding is when the researcher has a critical reflection on their assumptions,
bias and positional. It is important to be self-aware in providing social research.
Qualitative research involves exploring and understanding phenomena through non-
numerical data collection methods. Naturalistic research is the activity and methods of doing
research with naturalistic inquiry.
Grand theories aim to provide overarching explanations that can be applied across multiple
domains or disciplines. An example is structural functionalism whereas they seek to explain
broad aspects of human behavior. Big overarching ideas that try to explain many different
things about how people behave and interact in society.
The Heider and Simmel experiment: many people come up with different extensive stories
with very abstract materials, while almost nothing happened.
- Know how the experiment works as a participant; viewing the animation, observate
what is going on, describe and interpret your findings
- Understand how the experiment sheds light on human behavior; attribute intentions
and motivations to inanimate objects
- Humans have a strong tendency to impose narrative even on displays showing
interactions between simple geometric shapes
1. Interpretivism: subjective and mostly about qualitative research. It is a subjective
understanding of social phenomena about meaning and understanding. Understand
the specific context and as a researcher you have to reflexive.
2. Positivism: objective and mostly quantitative research. It is an objective study of
observable facts. For example, by testing a hypothesis. As a researcher you distance
yourself from the subject.
Verstehen (understanding): seeing things from another perspective. A process of
understanding or subjective interpretation. It helps to make sense of the world around us. The
Verstehen approach focuses on interpretation and perspective of individuals.
2
Naturalistic inquiry: studying people in everyday circumstances by ordinary means. It aims to
bridge the gulf between social scientists and the rest of humanity.
It is an unobtrusive strategy (onopvallend): gather data without directly interacting
with the subject. Naturalistic inquiry cannot be learned so it is a craft (vakwerk)
Naturalistic inquiry can result in surprising and important insights into the working society
because of:
- It captures the richness and nuance of human behavior
- It explores subjective experiences and perspectives
- It encourages to remain open to unexpected findings and to embrace complexity
Foreshadowed problem (the same as sensitizing concepts): a problem, issue, area, or
concern that you want to focus your research on. Indicating the potential for a more
significant problem that warrants further investigation. Also known as, broad anticipated
research questions that need to be reformulated during the data collection.
Saturation is reached when there is nothing new coming up in your results. You do not need
to add new questions for additional understanding. Researchers have reached a point of
data sufficiency.
The arc of naturalistic inquiry: it is an empirical cycle (refers to the iterative process, where you
go back and forth in the arc). It is a process of systematically gathering knowledge and the
way you do your research.
- It is an arc, because with an arc you end at a different place than where you started.
- The arc symbolizes the distance the naturalistic inquirer travels
- The arc shows that the naturalistic inquirer returns to the initial problem but not at the
same spot upon which he started. He has carried the problem further and has
provided new, deeper, insights.
- The researcher shuttles back and forth along the arc (iterative)
1
, Reflexive understanding is when the researcher has a critical reflection on their assumptions,
bias and positional. It is important to be self-aware in providing social research.
Qualitative research involves exploring and understanding phenomena through non-
numerical data collection methods. Naturalistic research is the activity and methods of doing
research with naturalistic inquiry.
Grand theories aim to provide overarching explanations that can be applied across multiple
domains or disciplines. An example is structural functionalism whereas they seek to explain
broad aspects of human behavior. Big overarching ideas that try to explain many different
things about how people behave and interact in society.
The Heider and Simmel experiment: many people come up with different extensive stories
with very abstract materials, while almost nothing happened.
- Know how the experiment works as a participant; viewing the animation, observate
what is going on, describe and interpret your findings
- Understand how the experiment sheds light on human behavior; attribute intentions
and motivations to inanimate objects
- Humans have a strong tendency to impose narrative even on displays showing
interactions between simple geometric shapes
1. Interpretivism: subjective and mostly about qualitative research. It is a subjective
understanding of social phenomena about meaning and understanding. Understand
the specific context and as a researcher you have to reflexive.
2. Positivism: objective and mostly quantitative research. It is an objective study of
observable facts. For example, by testing a hypothesis. As a researcher you distance
yourself from the subject.
Verstehen (understanding): seeing things from another perspective. A process of
understanding or subjective interpretation. It helps to make sense of the world around us. The
Verstehen approach focuses on interpretation and perspective of individuals.
2
