The Qualitative Distinctive: An Introduction to Qualitative Methodology

This webinar provides an introductory overview of qualitative research. It is designed for doctoral students who are at the early stages of conceptualizing and designing their study. The question of “Why use qualitative methods?” is discussed in terms of methodological fit rather than personal preference. Dr. Fisher provides examples of qualitative problem statements, purpose statements, and research questions. She introduces qualitative research designs typically used in dissertation research and provides an overview of data collection and analysis methods. Read more

Qualitative Research: Designing with Data Sources and Collection Methods in Mind

This presentation is an intermediate-level exposure to qualitative data collection for doctoral students who are at the late-prospectus or early-proposal stage of designing a dissertation study. At this conceptual stage, doctoral students encounter critical decision-making points that impact numerous aspects of the study design and progression in terms of the resources of organizations/persons, time, and finances. Data collection sources are discussed in relation to various qualitative research designs. Doctoral students who are knowledgeable about the different types of qualitative research designs and understand the appropriateness of data collection methods for each type will be better prepared to develop the methods-related sections/chapter of the dissertation prospectus and proposal. Data collection sources and methods are also reviewed in terms of corresponding data analysis methods. With the ability to articulate a qualitative study’s phenomenon of interest/inquiry, unit of analysis, and unit of coding, the doctoral student can cognitively map the overall dissertation with a practical understanding of various components/sections and their interconnectedness. Read more

Qualitative Data Analysis: Identifying Codes and Emergent Themes Using Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) Programs

This presentation is designed for doctoral students who are considering using qualitative data analysis (QDA) programs during the analysis phase of their dissertation study. Qualitative research texts recommended by professors and doctoral chairs provide an overview of qualitative data analysis processes, but oftentimes these texts fail to properly define terminology and describe with adequate detail various coding techniques and practical “how-to” procedural steps for applying those techniques. The term “code” is used as both a noun and a verb in qualitative analysis, and themes are not codes. What is the difference between a code and a theme? More importantly, how do you identify category codes of information and from where do themes emerge? Which of the three types of data coding techniques, open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, should you use in your dissertation study? Where does thematic analysis fit in the qualitative analysis scheme? If you are considering using a QDA program, you need answers to these and other questions about qualitative analysis.

All QDA programs are designed to function as tools for organizing, managing, and examining large amounts of qualitative data. However, as a tool, QDA programs are not capable of performing human cognitive tasks required to analyze data. Therefore, qualitative researchers must understand how to analyze various types of data using different techniques before considering which QDA program is the best tool for them.

During this webinar, Dr. Debra Fisher will provide clear and easy-to-understand answers to common questions about qualitative analysis. Additionally, Dr. Fisher will be sharing her computer screen during the webinar in order to cognitively model how to utilize some features of ATLAS.ti 8 Windows, which she uses in her independent work as a qualitative methodologist. With its revamped user interface, this new version of ATLAS.ti is easier to learn than other QDA programs, and student license fees make ATLAS.ti 8 affordable for doctoral students on a budget. Read more

Conducting and Writing a Literature Review in Less Time

More than a listing of relevant scholarly sources, the literature review involves a critical examination and synthesis of the literature on your research topic. Most doctoral students struggle with one or more of the five stages of the literature review: selecting a topic, conducting the search, evaluating and interpreting, organizing and synthesizing, and planning and writing. During this webinar, Dr. Debra Fisher will share time-saving tips and techniques for conducting the search, outlining the chapter, synthesizing the literature, and writing the first draft. The emphasis during this webinar will be on using the powerful search engine of Google Scholar to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your literature searches. Read more

Conducting Interviews with Rich, Thick Descriptions in Mind

The most common strategy for enhancing the transferability of qualitative research findings is the use of rich, thick description. Key to including rich, thick descriptions in the reporting of study findings is the researcher's ability to design and conduct interviews that result in "data that are detailed and varied enough that they provide a full and revealing picture of what is going on" (Maxwell, 2005, p. 110).* During this webinar, Dr. Debra Fisher shares proven techniques for developing questions/protocols and conducting interviews that result in the collection of rich data. Read more

Qualitative Research: Thinking Ahead to Chapter 5 While Working on Chapter 4

Too often, doctoral students conducting qualitative research wait to begin thinking about how to approach chapter 5 until after they have submitted chapter 4 for their chair’s first review. This “compartmental approach” is costly in terms of lost time and thoughts. This approach can also lead to a cognitive version of endurance sports athletes’ experience of “hitting the wall,” in which sudden fatigue and loss of energy can slow or halt progress toward the finish line. Dissertation research is a marathon, and it is just as important to plan and prepare for the last chapter as it is to plan and prepare for the first chapter. As a seasoned qualitative researcher, Dr. Debra Fisher recognizes the relatedness of the last two chapters of a dissertation. During this webinar, Dr. Fisher will provide valuable insights and practical advice you can apply while working on chapter 4 that will help you avoid hitting the cognitive wall of chapter 5. You will learn why the two chapters are related and how to manage the cognitive flow from one to the other in order to effectively and efficiently capture, compose, and compile thoughts that will become the substance of your chapter 5 discussion. Read more

* Maxwell, J. A. (2005). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.