Phenomenology / Case study / Ethnography = Research Design

Interview / Focus group / Observations = Data Collection strategy

Thematic analysis / content analysis = Analysis process

Don't get confused 👌👌👌

Sounds like you have read Creswell, so it is time to learn that his list of 5 traditions is rather arbitrary. In particular, the most common research design in qualitative research is almost certainly to do a series of interviews (either individual or group), and then follow that up with a thematic analysis.

I don't know why Creswell doesn't discuss this approach -- perhaps because it is so generic that it doesn't have a label as a named "tradition." Sadly, by omitting it, he leads people to assume that you have to use on of his five options, which unrealistically limits your choices.

If your assignment requires you to use one of Creswell's list, then begin by picking from that list, rather than starting with a method such as focus groups.

Case study will use focus groups. I do not like focus groups particularly because they are difficult to schedule. I ask learners if they can help, try to find another form of triangulation without the use of a focus group. (Questionnaires, Observation and Interviews).

Hi Harry,

I would put focus groups into the same category as interviews. I suppose that would be "ethnography". Focus groups are a popular approach in North America but can be problematic in other contexts. I found that in Central Asia one or two participants tended to dominate and be allowed to dominate due to status. I ended up using peer interviews instead, because of this challenge.

Erik Aasland David L Morgan Laverne A. Davis

thanks guys! I am still a little confused, so my research is mixed methods with a survey for the quantitative part and 2 focus groups for the qualitative, I am going to use thematic analysis for the focus groups.

The research is looking at an educational module within medical school, so student views and perceptions.

For this essay, however, I need to describe a few of the main qualitative methods and then justify why I have chosen it.

From reading around, I think mine would fit into Grounded theory using focus groups which will then be thematically analysed? I am not sure though if I am way off!!

What type of thematic analysis will you use?

Boyatzis, R.E. (1998) and Percy et al., 2015 Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. What other data analysis will you use?

I am uncertain about Grounded Theory using a focus group. Perhaps someone else reading can give better insight.

Laverne A. Davis

I am not particularly sure at this moment!! this is all new to me.

I suppose if my research question seeks to look at students perceptions and perceived competence with an educational module and future career, phenomenology would fit this? Can I use thematic analysis for this?

Grounded Theory and thematic analysis are two different approaches. In particular, GT would seldom be combined with a quantitative survey and just two interviews. Instead, it requires an open-ended approach to both the data collection and analysis.

In contrast thematic analysis (e.g., Braun & Clarke, 2006) is a very flexible approach that kind be used in a variety of contexts.

With regard to mixed methods, it would help to know more about your goals and purposes. For example, if you want to compare the results in terms of how similar they are, this is often referred to as "convergence" (or, in older and now less preferred terms, triangulation). Alternatively, an "explanatory sequential" design would use a qualitative study to follow up on the results from an earlier quantitative study (QUANT --> qual). These are not the only possibilities, of course.

David L Morgan it would fit within the explanatory sequential design. I am so confused now where my focus groups would fit. The descriptions of phenomenology seem to fit the aims of the research, however are focus groups used in this sort of research?

I think it would be best if you do more research on your designs. I know for certain you use focus groups in qual studies in particular case studies. In a phenom study, you do not use focus groups. In phenoms, you will be interviewing participants about a lived experience. You will not use them in Narratives either. I cannot advise of mixed because I have never done one. Grounded theory is also a design where you will not use focus groups.

Article A Practical Guide to Focus-Group Research

https://assets.ctfassets.net/hk7rjv5qs0cy/2aIyf1gDPKAUGke04uCICm/13a40dd3da1a956906aa879abd1a407d/Ivankova_etal_2006_mixed_methods_sequential_design.pdf

https://research.phoenix.edu/research-methodology-group/blog/positive-contribution-focus-groups-mixed-methods-research-example

Article The use of focus group discussion methodology: Insights from...

Article Challenges When Using Grounded Theory: A Pragmatic Introduct...

I have no idea why Laverne A. Davis says you cannot use focus groups for phenomenology, narrative research, or grounded theory. For phenomenology, people can certainly share their lived experiences in group discussions. For narratives, then can exchange their stories and generate interesting dialogs. For grounded theory, they can perform the same functions as individual interviews. Even a quick Google search will produce all kinds of articles that indeed use focus groups these purposes.

I wonder if you are not making things more complicated than they are.

Focus group interviews is not a way of analysing data, it is just a way of collecting data. You can compare focus group interviews with individual interviews in that sense. Individual interviews is also only a way of collecting data.

There are also many other ways of collecting data such as diaries, observations, written material, audio recordings, films, critical incident technique and so on.

For several research methods you can use several ways of collecting data, not only one. In Grounded Theory you can perform interviews, read litterature, make memos about your reflections and so on. In phenomenology you can collect data, that is peoples lived experiences of the phenomenon that you would like to research in several ways; for example through interviews, and diaries. But it can also be done through focus group interviews.

The data collection method focus grup interviews can also be used in hermeneutic studies, in narrative research, in phenomenology and with content analysis.

Then you have several ways of analysing data. Some research methods have stated ways for analysing data, as in Phenomenology and Grounded Theory, some as Narrative methods have gives several ways of analysing data.

Here’s a quick follow-up link that provides some great referendes abor focus groups including to multiple ones authored by David Morgan

http://www.qualres.org/HomeFocu-3647.html

I agree with previous colleagues, considering focus group as a way to gather data (nothing more or less).

I recommend Merton R. K. og P. L. Kendall (1946) The focused Interview American Journal of Sociology 51, pp. 541-557, emphasizing focus groups as an follow up interview after an observation of people that have something in common (e.g. watched the same film, have the same disease, the same profession etc)

Merton and Kendall thereby use focus group as a triangulation of data compilation.

According to my knowledge and experience, focus groups, individual interviews and observations are the main forms of gathering data when we are using a qualitative method. We have to select what is best way to get the answer for our research question.

I would like to add that some contitative surways too have questions that can be analised in a qualitative manner. Still this will fall under contitative research as we are trying to find out " how many " . ( contify the data )

Also we can add two arms to a study one contitative to generate hypotheses and one contitative to accept or reject those hypotheses.

Phenomenology / Case study / Ethnography = Research Design

Interview / Focus group / Observations = Data Collection strategy

Thematic analysis / content analysis = Analysis process

Don't get confused 👌👌👌

This will interest you.

https://ravens-eye.net/support/technicals/methodological/

Good luck and best wishes in all that you do!

A Focus Group 'is exactly what it says on the tin'--------a group of respondents focusing on a given (by the researcher(s)) topic of research; therefore it follows that this method of collecting data can be used if such might fit with one's research strategy.

There are a variety of methods of data collection in qualitative research, including observations, textual or visual analysis (for instance, from books or videos) and interviews (individual or group). However, the most common methods used, particularly in healthcare research, are interviews and focus groups.

Essentially, Focus Groups can be used with any research approach; they are not a 'type' of qualitative research; rather, a research method-----used quantitively or qualitatively----of collecting data.

Grounded, Narratives are theories used to analyse the research, if you wish to focus on groups, phenomenology, ethnography, constructionist, can be recommended under philosophical stance.

Case studies

Focus group is a data collection method so if you are required to write an essay on 'Qualitative Research Methods' then focus group should not be included in it. Focus group, as a data collection method can be used in many of the qualitative research methods.

I think that clarity helps - FGD is merely a data collection STRATEGY and can be used for any Qualitative METHOD of research. The type of Focus and Orientation, and the other choices like the type of group and modality of procedure will be much conditioned by the Methodological Family we opt to stand by.

And by the way, how did the essay-project go! Would love to be inspired by it.