Unit 4: Qualitative Methods

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Units 4 and 5 represent the two major perspectives on research and their subsequent methods, tools, and analytic frames. This unit will help you gain the necessary skills and knowledge to write your Qualitative Methods paper with much style and grace - give this unit serious time and energy.

There are a couple of important activities to be completed and several important readings to be done in the course of this unit. Please begin them in the order described below — this class absolutely builds on itself so skipping around makes that building more challenging.

Things to do in unit 4:

1. Read chapter 6 called Characteristics of Qualitative Research (found in the library). Take a few notes in the process as this is a critical chapter — probably the second most important chapter, next to the first one. After you’ve read chapter 6, go to the library and download "chapter 6 discussion questions." Here's what I want you to do with these: Pick the four questions that are most interesting to you and write a paragraph or two in response to each. These questions are big, multifaceted and frankly, tough. Take the time to construct good responses and email me your work. Don't send them to me as an attachment - just paste your response right into the body of your message and send them to me. I'll read and respond to your work. Remember, these are critical ideas that will help you write a more thorough Qualitative Methods Project and, yes, this is an "in-class activity" so I am recording who sends me their work! Please complete this by Sunday, July 15th at midnight - send via email!
2. Next, go to the library and download the Zork activity. This is an activity that will help you practice analyzing qualitative data. Complete the Zork activity before you try for systematic analysis of your own data on your Qualitative Methods Project. Keep in mind, in qualitative research (both Zork and the Qualitative Methods Project), experience is interpretive and data is used to defend your sensemaking so... if you can defend it adequately, whatever you say is... correct! Keep this in mind as you work on Zork and your Project. One tip for Zork - student #1 on the first side is the same kid as student #1 on the second side - so you can compare from time1 to time2. We may do this activity in class - so if we do... you obviously won't need to do it again here! This is an in-class activity that will get turned in on the last day of class as part of your participation grade - see calendar.
3. Having done all these things in unit 4, you should now be ready to complete your Qualitative Methods Project final paper. It is due to me by email by midnight on Sunday, July 22nd. Good luck!

Now... this doesn't look like much preparation for our Qualitative Methods project but we will use our first meeting on Saturday, June 23rd to get ready as well... you will be well prepared!

Mark