Coaching for Professional Thesis

Sessions 3 & 4

Marcos LIMA, PhD

Associate Professor, EMLV
marcos.cerqueira_lima@devinci.fr
limamarcos@gmail.com
 In this Session
You will learn how to
 Distinguish between the
use of qualitative and
quantitative techniques
 Decide which techniques
best fit your research
objectives
 Analyse qualitative data
 Prepare your Research
Proposal
2
 Part 1
Research Approaches

3
 The Two Research Methods
Deductive vs. Inductive Research Methods
Exploratory INDUCTION DEDUCTION
(proposition of
principles / Theory
recommendations)

Theoretical Empirical Theoretical

Propositions Hypotheses
Empirical Validation Empirical

Descriptive/
Causal
(application of
Observations
principles /
4 INDUCTION DEDUCTION recommendations)
 5

Research Approaches
• Used when seeking insights into the
Exploratory general nature of a problem, the possible
Research decision alternatives, and the relevant
variables that need to be considered

• Provides an accurate snapshot of some

Descriptive aspect of the market environment
Research

• Used when it is necessary to show that

Causal one variable causes or determines the
Research values of other variables
http://www.drvkumar.com/mr10/ Marketing Research 10th Edition
 6

Research Approaches
Many research studies use combination of all
three research approaches:
Ex.: `Hypothesis 1: the
main factor is…

Ex.: What are Ex.: Factor A

the factors… causes
Problem B

http://www.drvkumar.com/mr10/ Marketing Research 10th Edition

 Methods x Techniques
Inductive Method
 Used in EXPLORATORY research
 Uses (mostly)* QUALITATIVE
techniques such as
• Semi-structured interviews
• In-depth (unstructured) interviews
• Focus groups
• Case studies
 Or basic QUANTITATIVE
techniques such as structured * May occasionally use QUANTITATIVE
techniques such as exploratory
interviews / questionnaires questionnaires
7
 Methods x Techniques
Deductive Method
 Used in DESCRIPTIVE
& in CAUSAL research
 Uses (mostly)
QUANTITATIVE
techniques, such as
• Inferential Surveys
(correlation)
• Experiments (causality)
• Longitudinal / Cross
Sectional Studies (causality)
8
 Research Techniques
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Techniques

9
 Research Approaches
Quantitative vs. Qualitative methods

Sample
Size

Depth of
Analysis
10
1
 Mixing Quali-Quanti Techniques
Ex.:

1
 Mixing Quali-Quanti Techniques
Professional market researchers use both
quantitative and qualitative techniques
 Advantages
• Certain degree of complementarity
• Allows for both exploratory and
descriptive insights
 Disadvantages
• More demanding
• May yield contradictory or non
comparable results
• Requires considerable resources and skills
1
 Part 2
Research Techniques

1
 Three Basic Instruments
 Questionnaires
 Mostly used for
• Analytical (inferential) quantitative studies
– surveys for comparing variables
• Exploratory quantitative data
– Which can be used as a framework for BOTH
quantitative and qualitative research
 Interviews
 Mostly used for
• Qualitative studies*
– Semi-structured interviews,
In-depth interviews,
focus groups, case studies* * The case study technique can make
 Observation use of ALL THREE INSTRUMENTS
in the same research project
 Mostly used in ethnography
1
 Quantitative Techniques

Surveys
Experimental Studies
Longitudinal Studies
Cross Sectional Studies

1
 Surveys

 Surveys involve selecting a

representative and unbiased
sample of subjects drawn from
the group you wish to study.

 The main methods of asking questions

are by face-to-face or telephone, by
using questionnaires or structured
interviews.

1
 Surveys

There are two main

types of survey:
 exploratory survey: concerned
with identifying & counting the
frequency of a particular
response among the survey
group,

 analytical survey: to analyse

the relationship between
different elements (variables) in
a sample group.
1
 Survey Methods

Telephone Personal Mail Electronic

In-Home Mail/Fax
Interview
E-Mail
Traditional Mall Intercept Mail Panel
Telephone

Computer-Assisted Computer-Assisted
Telephone Interviewing Personal Interviewing Internet
 Designing the Questionnaire
Types of questions
 Yes / No questions
 Multiple choice
 Open-ended
 Contingency questions
• if female,
‘have you ever been pregnant’?
 Scaled questions
• Usually, Likert Scales

1
 Using Google Drive to Create an
Online Questionnaire

2
 Experimental Studies

 Experimental studies are

done in carefully controlled
and structured
environments and enable
the causal relationships of
phenomena to be identified
and analyzed.

 The variables can be

manipulated or controlled
to observe the effects on
the subjects studied.

2 Source: Based on a Dealwis, “Introduction to the Research Method” presentation

 Part 3
Using Qualitative Research
Techniques

2
 Qualitative Techniques

Interviews
 Semi-structured
 In-depth
Focus Groups
Case studies

2 Source: Based on a Dealwis, “Introduction to the Research Method” presentation

 Different Types of Interviews

/ Questionnaire (in-depth)
(Quantitative / Surveys)
Different Types of Interviews

What kinds of crimes have you commited? What

Semi-Structured: were your motivations?
 Interview Goals
How known is
the problem? – +

Exploratory Descriptive Causal

X XX
Structured
Semi-
X XX
Structured
Unstructured
XX

Number of
Interviewees – +

XX = more frequent X = less frequent Source: Adapted from Saunders et al. (2009)
 Interviews in Practice
Differences between Structured and
Unstructured Interviews
http://goo.gl/58X2Ml
 Interviews in Practice
Do’s and Don’ts of Research Interviews

http://goo.gl/mtu24e
 Further Resources
 FHI360: Qualitative Research
Methods: A Data Collector’s
Field Guide: In-Depth Interviews
 http://goo.gl/74dKKI

2
 Focus Group
 What
 A carefully planned
discussion
 To obtain perceptions of a
defined interest area

 Where
 In a permissive, non-
threatening environment or
 In a specially designed room
with a false mirror
Source: www.uwex.edu/
3
 Focus Groups in Practice
Typical Focus Group discussions
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auf9pkuCc8k

3
 Focus Group

Who
 Approximately six to
ten people
 With common
characteristics
relating to
discussion topic

3
 Focus Group in Practice
Tips to Conduct an Effective Group Interview
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwaYzapf7nQ

3
 Further Resources
 FHI360: Qualitative Research
Methods: A Data Collector’s Field
Guide: In-Depth Interviews
 http://goo.gl/74dKKI

3
 Case Study
Research Case Study vs. Teaching Case Study

 Aimed at collecting  Aimed at presenting a

qualitative EVIDENCE business problem or a
 Sources are often PRIMARY: dilemma to be solved in class
 Interviews  Sources are often
 Observation SECONDARY:
 Reports / Documents  Articles
 Narrative is ‘neutral’  Consulting reports
 No stylistic artefacts necessary  Industry analysis
 Narrative is closer to a novel
 Characters, problems, situations
3
 Case Study

 Usually Descriptive /
Illustrative
 current practice is
described in detail or
 illustrate new practices
adopted by an organization
 Recommendations are
expected in the
conclusions
 Hard to generalize

3 Source: Based on a Dealwis, “Introduction to the Research Method” presentation

 Case Study
An in-depth case study
will use all three basic
instruments
 Observation
(ethnographic case)
 Interviews
 Questionnaires

3
 Ethnographic Case Study
(or Participant Observation)

 the researcher becomes a

working member of the
group or situation to be
observed.

 The aim is to understand the

situation from the inside:
from the viewpoints of the
people in the situation.

3 Source: Based on a Dealwis, “Introduction to the Research Method” presentation

 Ethnographic Case Study
(or Participant Observation)
Participant observation
can be
 overt
• everyone knows it is
happening
 covert
• the subject(s) being
observed are unaware
of the research

3
 Further Resources
FHI360: Qualitative
Research Methods: A Data
Collector’s Field Guide:
Participant Observation
 http://www.fhi360.org/NR/rdonlyr
es/ed2ruznpftevg34lxuftzjiho65a
sz7betpqigbbyorggs6tetjic367v4
4baysyomnbdjkdtbsium/participa
ntobservation1.pdf

4
 Part 4
Qualitative Data Analysis

4
Overview of the Interview Process
 Understanding ‘Categories’
The key to qualitative
data analyses are
‘categories’ or ‘codes’
 coding means identifying
themes within your interview
notes, documents, or field
observations that relate to
the research questions in
your study.
• Read more: How to Analyze Qualitative
Data | eHow.com
http://www.ehow.com/how_5188889_analyze-qualit
4 ative-data.html#ixzz1jFoVBIcJ
 Two Basic Ways of Analysing
Qualitative Data
A priori Categories Emergent Categories
 Are derived from the  Are identified as you
literature review / read the transcripts
theoretical background
 Workshop
Identifying codes /
categories for analysis
(work in pairs)
 Exercise 1: A priori codes
• Amanda’s story
 Exercise 2: Emergent codes
• Karen’s story

• Sources:
onlineqda.hud.ac.uk/amanda.php
4
onlineqda.hud.ac.uk/karen.php
 Analyzing A Priori Categories
Identify these
categories in the
Literature Review

 Highly relevant to
answering the
Research Question
Motivating factors
for blue collared
workers in a car
plant

4
 Analyzing A Priori Categories
Vertical Analysis
 A synthesis of each interview’s
highlights
• Raymond is a 33 year old painter.
He has been working with Renault
for 10 years. He considers himself a
well motivated employee, and he
believes that the social group…
Horizontal Analysis
 A comparative table that allows to
identify variations in each category
4
 Analyzing A Priori Categories
HORIZONTALANALYSIS Interviewee #1 Interviewee #2 Interviewee #n
Maslow's Model
Physiological nonon enon on

Safety
Social nenoneo

Esteem
Self ennoeno enoneofno

Herzberg's De-motivators
Pay nefnoe ehofho

Policy hefohfeo

Pressure hfoehohe

Herzberg's Motivators
Variety ehofheo

Achievement jfeojfoe

Recognition foehfoeh feheohf

4
Analyzing Emergent Categories
 Main Steps:
1. Record and transcribe your
interviews, focus-groups or
observations
2. Read and re-read the transcripts
3. Highlight key passages in the
responses, identifying emergent
categories
Analyzing Emerging Categories
 Main Steps:
4. Consolidate redundant categories
(merge categories in order to obtain a
few dozen of “codes” – see next slide)
5. Analyze how the categories help
answer your central question
6. Write your report
Reducing the Number of
Codes or Categories
 Findings
This is the most important part
of the dissertation
 Based on what you learned from …
• the literature review
– secondary data analysis
• the empirical sources
– primary data analysis
 …create a synthesis of the main
findings about the question and a list
of recommendations (with adequate
justification)
5
 Further Resources
For more details on how to
analyze and report
qualitative data, see
 http://www.utexas.edu/academic/
ctl/assessment/iar/programs/rep
ort/interview-Analysis.php

 http://onlineqda.hud.ac.uk/Tutori
als/index.php

5
 Using QDA* Tools

Computer Aided Qualitative Data Analysis

Systems
 The Potential of QDAS Tools
 NVivo presentation
 http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=x_UYavbr8g8
Overview of Interview Design
 Part 5
Preparing a Research
Proposal

5
 Research Proposal Structure
 Introduction / background
 Statement of
Research Topic
 Conceptual framework
 Preliminary Literature Review
 Research Question /
Objectives
 Methodology
 Timeframe, Budget, action
plan
 References (in APA style)
5 Source: Based on a Dealwis, “Introduction to the Research Method” presentation
 And remember…
 Use the image below to structure your research proposal

5
Thank You for Your Attention!