Qualitative Interviewing
Part 2
Chapter 9: How Do Researchers Learn About People’s Perspectives and
Lives?
Focus Groups in Marketing Research
Conducting Focus Groups
• Important design choices:
• number of groups (often 10–15)
• group size (6–10 people)
• participant characteristics
• whether participants know each
other
• Research continues until
theoretical saturation: no new
insights are emerging
Qualitative Interviewing
• Allows researchers to:
• understand people’s experiences and
perspectives
• explore topics in depth
• adapt interviews as new insights
emerge
• Why might a researcher choose
qualitative interviews instead of
surveys?
Ethnography & Participant Observation
Chapter 10: How Can Researchers Study the Patterns of People’s
Lives?
LEARNING GOALS
• By the end of today, you should be able to:
• Define participant observation and
ethnography
• Explain why researchers use ethnography
• Describe how researchers gain and maintain
access
• Understand roles in the field
• Identify best practices for field notes
• Recognize innovations in ethnographic
research
• Explain how and when to exit the field
Participant observation and
ethnography are not the same!
Ethnography = research design
Participant observation = research method
WHAT IS PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION?
• A data collection method
that involves:
• Observation of people
• Participation in social
settings
• The goal is to understand
social life as it unfolds
Ethnography = research design
Participant observation = research method
WHAT IS ETHNOGRAPHY?
• A broader research
approach:
• The attempt to understand
people and settings by living
alongside them and making
sense of that engagement
through a range of data
collection methods
Ethnography = research design
Participant observation = research method
IMMERSION
• Deep engagement in a
setting; learning through
experience
• Sometimes called “deep
hanging out”
• Understanding comes from
being there
WHY USE ETHNOGRAPHY?
• Ethnography allows
researchers to:
• See how people actually live
• Study taken-for-granted
behaviors
• Understand meaning and context
• Access hidden or deviant
activities
• Tell rich, interpretive stories
• Depth, not breadth
CHALLENGES OF ETHNOGRAPHY
• Time-intensive
• Emotionally demanding
• Ethical dilemmas
• May disrupt participants’ lives
• Limited generalizability
Strengths and weaknesses are
connected
OBSERVATIONS!
• We are going to watch a live stream of Bourbon St. and focus on
observing social behavior in a public setting
• Take notes on what you observe, including the physical
environment such as lighting, crowd density, noise level, and
overall atmosphere
• Pay attention to patterns of behavior
• Observe social interactions
• Be specific and descriptive!!
CHOOSING A SITE
• Researchers ask:
• What interests me?
• What is feasible?
• Can I access participants?
• Informants: people with insight
into the setting
***Access matters just as much as
interest***
GAINING ACCESS
• One of the hardest parts of
ethnography
• Depends on:
• Your identity
• Your background
• Your connections
• Your comfort in the setting
OPEN VS CLOSED SETTINGS
• Open settings:
• Public spaces (parks, bars,
sidewalks)
• Closed settings:
• Restricted spaces (schools,
organizations)
→ Open ≠ easy access
→ Closed ≠ impossible access
OVERT VS COVERT RESEARCH
• Overt:
• Participants know you are a
researcher
• Covert:
• Participants do NOT know
• Issue of deception
Covert = more natural behavior
Overt = more ethical
transparency
GAINING ACCESS: STRATEGIES
• Use connections
• Find a sponsor (advocate)
• Get approval from a
gatekeeper
• Be transparent about goals
• Offer something in return
• Be prepared to negotiate
Access is relational
If you were to conduct an ethnography:
• What would you
study?
• Where would you go?
• What challenges
would you expect?