Interpretative research The growing popularity of interpretative research methodologies has led to concern that there is not sufficient understanding of the rigour necessary to ethically utilize them, (Laverty, 2003; Maggs- Rapport, 2001). A quantitative approach to solve problem is based on highly rigorous, controlled techniques. However, there is a need for more material on how to carry out such work from inception to publication. "Qualitative Research"in: Wikipedia. In other methods, such as case research, the researcher must take a “neutral” or unbiased stance during the data collection and analysis processes, and ensure that her personal biases or preconceptions does not taint the nature of subjective inferences derived from interpretive research. Paradigms in Social Science. Hence, convenience samples and small samples are considered acceptable in interpretive research as long as they fit the nature and purpose of the study, but not in positivist research. They go against the assumptions of positivism, which seeks to understand reality and then make predictions. Many puritan interpretive researchers reject this coding approach as a futile effort to seek consensus or objectivity in a social phenomenon which is essentially subjective. Both are inseparable, because the mere fact of making an observation already changes the result of it. Unlike a positivist method, where the researcher starts with a theory and tests theoretical postulates using empirical data, in interpretive methods, the researcher starts with data and tries to derive a theory about the phenomenon of interest from the observed data. This method, illustrated in Figure 10.2, can be grouped into data collection and data analysis phases. Some of the topics most studied through the interpretive paradigm are the following: - Social movements and revolutions, as well as the way in which they are produced and what has to happen in order for one of these to emerge. - For scientists who follow the interpretative paradigm, any research is influenced by the values ​​and points of view of the person who performs it. We use cookies to provide our online service. Interpretive research is a framework and practice within social science research that is invested in philosophical and methodological ways of understanding social reality. Hence, action research is an excellent method for bridging research and practice. Interpretation must occur at two levels. The first level involves viewing or experiencing the phenomenon from the subjective perspectives of the social participants. Rigor in interpretive research is viewed in terms of systematic and transparent approaches for data collection and analysis rather than statistical benchmarks for construct validity or significance testing. - It does not seek to find general explanations for phenomena based on specific cases, as other quantitative research currents do. Researcher as instrument: Researchers are often embedded within the social context that they are studying, and are considered part of the data collection instrument in that they must use their observational skills, their trust with the participants, and their ability to extract the correct information. Inadequate trust between participants and researcher may hinder full and honest self-representation by participants, and such trust building takes time. This implies that contextual variables should be observed and considered in seeking explanations of a phenomenon of interest, even though context sensitivity may limit the generalizability of inferences. The primary mode of data collection is participant observation, although other techniques such as interviews and documentary evidence may be used to corroborate the researcher’s observations. However, because interpretive analysis is subjective and sensitive to the experiences and insight of the embedded researcher, it is often considered less rigorous by many positivist (functionalist) researchers. Such iterations between the understanding/meaning of a phenomenon and observations must continue until “theoretical saturation” is reached, whereby any additional iteration does not yield any more insight into the phenomenon of interest. Fourth, given the heavily contextualized nature of inferences drawn from interpretive research, such inferences do not lend themselves well to replicability or generalizability. A review of literature from leaders in the field leads to a deep understanding of the meaning of a research paradigm. This differs from most other data collection and research methods because it shifts the focus away … Examples of actions may include organizational change programs, such as the introduction of new organizational processes, procedures, people, or technology or replacement of old ones, initiated with the goal of improving an organization’s performance or profitability in its business environment. Simultaneous analysis helps the researcher correct potential flaws in the interview protocol or adjust it to capture the phenomenon of interest better. Retrieved on: March 17, 2018 from Atlas.ti: atlasti.com. In the Shadow of Illness: Parents and Siblings of the Chronically Ill Child . It is suggested that the entire action research cycle be traversed at least twice so that learning from the first cycle can be implemented in the second cycle. The interpretive paradigm focuses on the way in which knowledge about individuals and cultures is generated. ; The qualitative researcher is the primary instrument for data collection and analysis. As with any other interpretive approach, drawing meaningful inferences from case research depends heavily on the observational skills and integrative abilities of the researcher. Interpretive research operates in a paradigm that differs from traditional research in the human or social sciences; it operates with different assumptions about knowledge and being. The existential phenomenological research method. Exploring the philosophical underpinnings of research: Relating ontology and epistemology to the methodology and methods of the scientific, interpretive, and critical research paradigms. Despit… Since interpretive research rejects the notion of an objective reality, confirmability is demonstrated in terms of “inter-subjectivity”, i.e., if the study’s participants agree with the inferences derived by the researcher. They believe that a social reality can take its fo… Retrieved on: March 17, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org. Phenomenology is a research method that emphasizes the study of conscious experiences as a way of understanding the reality around us. and Evered, R.D. Further, their personal insights, knowledge, and experiences of the social context is critical to accurately interpreting the phenomenon of interest. Dependability. These interpretations are heavily contextualized, and are naturally less generalizable to other contexts. This scientific model is part of qualitative research, which seeks to study a topic in depth to fully understand it. 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