Qualitative Methods, Fieldwork, and Interpretive Analysis
Interpretation as Method
Qualitative inquiry
Qualitative methods are not merely exploratory; they are rigorous tools for uncovering meaning-making, social practice, and process. Ethnography, interviews, discourse analysis, and archival research can reveal mechanisms that statistical aggregation may obscure.
Approaches
Coding is not enough
Advanced qualitative analysis links codes to concepts, concepts to patterns, and patterns to theoretical claims.
Two analytic logics
Inductive
- Moves from observations toward concepts
- Useful when theory is sparse or contested
Deductive
- Tests pre-specified concepts or propositions
- Useful for theory refinement and comparison
What is the main strength of process tracing?
Process tracing is designed to uncover causal sequences and mechanism evidence within cases.
Correct answer: Reconstructing causal mechanisms over time
Why is reflexive field note writing important in ethnography?
Reflexive notes improve transparency and analytic depth.
Correct answer: It records the researcher's situated observations, assumptions, and interactions that may shape interpretation.
Trustworthiness
Qualitative quality is assessed through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability rather than through statistical fit alone. Techniques such as triangulation, member reflection, and audit trails strengthen interpretive claims.
Which practice most directly supports credibility in qualitative research?
Triangulation can corroborate interpretations across data sources, methods, or observers.
Correct answer: Triangulation of sources or methods
What is the difference between a code and a concept?
Concepts provide the theoretical bridge between raw data and explanation.
Correct answer: A code labels a piece of data, while a concept is a more abstract analytical idea that organizes multiple codes.