Giving Some Respect to

“Soft” Research

COM 300

February 2, 2015

What is Qualitative?

• Qualitative research is a method of inquiry

employed in many different academic

disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences,

but also in market research and further

contexts.[1] Qualitative researchers aim to gather

an in-depth understanding of human behavior

and the reasons that govern such behavior

Comparing Qualitative/Quantitative

Qualitative: Soft/To Describe Quantitative: Hard/To Measure

• Subjective/Interpretive

• What and Why?

• Early Phases of Research

• Few Respondents

• Observation/Conversation

• Coding of Responses

• Goal is Description

• Objective/Precise

• How Many?

• Later Phases of Research

• Sample Size Essential

• Reliable Snap Shot in Time

• Tabulation of Results

• Goal is to classify and count

Primary/Secondary Qualitative:

To Describe • Ethnographic/ Field Research

• Focus Groups

• In-Depth Interviews

• Literature Research

President Obama SOTU Address

• Themes?

• Topics for Discussion?

• Emphasis?

• Nuances?

• Headlines?

• Intended Audiences?

• Reaction?

Qualitative Coding

• Open Coding: (Conceptual or Thematic):

Identify Possible Themes; Elicit Themes from

Data

• Axial Coding: Search for Concepts from data.

What is the causal relationship? (e.g., television

ads for prescription drugs; bypass the physician)

• Selective Coding: Identifying key concept:

storyline; Explain the situation rather than simply

describing it

Intercoder Reliability

• Ensure Consistency for Each Coder

• What are the key themes? (Open)

• What are the key concepts? (Axial)

• What is the storyline? (Selective)

Super Bowl XLIX Focus Group

• What was the Top Super Bowl Ad?

• Why?

• How Persuasive?

• How Credible?

• How Memorable?

• Reach Target Audience?

• 12 Participants; 6 Female; 6 Male

• Respect for Demographics

• No Experts

• Neutral Moderator

Super Bowl XLIX Sponsors

Coding the COM 300 Focus Group

• Open Coding: Common Themes?

• Axial Coding: Concepts; Potential Actions by

Participants?

• Selective Coding: Storylines of Responses by

Selected Super Bowl XLIX Ad Viewers?