Qualitative Methods (3-4 May 2010)

Faculty
Professor Robert Austin, Associate Professor Finn Hansson, and Associate Professor Alfred Reckendrees MPP/CBS.

Course Coordinator
Associate Professor Finn Hansson

It is strongly recommended that students have taken the course on Metodologi i organisations- og ledelsesanalyser (1. - 5. marts 2010) or a similar course in qualitative research methodology in order to have the necessary background for participation in group discussions.

The workshop will actively involve the students in discussions on the role of the researcher using interviewing and documentary in collecting and analyzing data based on presentation of their own research experience.

Each participating PhD student has to deliver a short paper (5-7 pages) discussing the use of interviews and/or documentary material related to his/hers project. The paper function as input to group work and will be commented by another PhD students as well as by faculty in the group discussion.

The workshop will focus on the issues involved in planning, conducting and writing up using two very well known qualitative methods, documentary analysis and interviews.

Topics will include the aims and purposes of these methods, strengths and weaknesses, problems in collecting data and using the data and different approaches to interviewing and documenting.

The workshop will also focus on the role of the researcher using these methods.

Each day will start with an introductory lecture followed by a workshop and a summing up of key methodology problems in each method.

After lunch there will be group seminar where students will present their prepared paper on methodology and receive comments from a student opponent and from faculty.

A 4-6 page paper discussion methodology issues from the PhD students own work related to interviewing and/or documentary analysis should be send to the Doctoral School of Organisation and Management Studies no later than April 19.

The aim of the course is to enable the PhD students to

· Understand the complexity in using interviews and documentary methods

· Identify and analyze key issues involved in planning, conducting and writing up qualitative analyses

· Identify and analyze the PhD students own key methodological issues by presenting and discussing own paper in groups.

The course will involve the students in discussions on the role of the qualitative researcher in collecting and analyzing data and other types of information in different organizational settings.

Each participating PhD student has to prepare comments to the paper by another PhD student and to act as chair in group discussions. The paper functions as input to group work and to the group discussion with faculty.

Interviewing - Course literature 2010 workshop Rob Austin, CBS:

Alvesson, M. (2003). Methodology for Close up Studies - Struggeling with Closeness and Closure. Higher Education, 46, 167-193.

Czarniawska, B. Narrative, Interviews, and Organizations I Handbook of Interview Research. Context & Method. Edited by Gubrium & Holstein. Thousand Oaks: Sage. 733-751

Gubrium, J. F. & J. A. Holstein From the Individual Interview to the Interview Society. In Handbook of Interview Research. Context & Method. Edited by Gubrium & Holstein. Thousand Oaks: Sage. 3-33.

Ragin, Charles C. (2006). Turning the Tables: How Case-Oriented Research Challenges Variable-Oriented Research, in Malcolm Williams, ed. Philosophical foundations of social research methods. Vol. 3 .- 58 ( 377-394) Sage, London

Silverman, D. (2001). Interpreting qualitative data. Methods for analysing talk, text and interaction. London: Sage Publications Ltd. chap. 18.

Ragin, Charles C. (2001). Case Oriented Research. International Enclclopedia of the social and Behaviour Sciences. Page 1519-1525 Oxford: Elsevier Science.

Documentary Analysis – Literature and Exercises Alfred Reckendrees, CBS

Glenn A. Bowen: “Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method”, in Qualitative Research Journal 9 (2009), no. 2, pp. 27-40

Per-Johan Ödman: “Hermeneutics in Research Practice”, in: Bengt Gustavsson (ed.): The Principles of Knowledge Creation. Rresearch Methods in Social Sciences, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar 2007, pp. 113-130

Hervé Corvellec: “Narrative Analysis”, in: Bengt Gustavsson (ed.): The Principles of Knowledge Creation. Rresearch Methods in Social Sciences, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar 2007, pp. 187-204

These articles offer different approaches, usages of document analysis. – They provide a background for the course discussion, the perspective taken in my presentation will, however, be different.

Please read.

Per H. Hansen: “Writing Business History without an archive. Newspapers as sources for business History – possibilities and limitations”, in: Markets and Embeddedness. Essays in honour of Ulf Olsson, Göteborg 2004, pp. 99-120.

This article is not an instruction for “documentary analysis”, rather an example for challenges and opportunities of a specific type of documents (newspapers). The author’s perspective is of course historical. Yet, it is not necessary to be a Business Historian to follow the argument, which is a general one.

Read the article and think about the possible relevance of the argument for your own research (research questions / empirical base / research methods). This will strongly support our discussion about documentary analysis I’m looking forward to.

“Guide to Reading Historical Documents”, Material adapted from Social Education vol 48 (1984), no. 1 (National Council for the Social Studies) by Jo Anne Gill 1993

Helpful as a very short ‘tool’ for reading documents, not only historical documents.

Eric Schmitt and David E. Sanger: “Looting Is Derailing Detailed U.S. Plan to Restore Iraq”, New York Times May 19, 2003, p. 1.

Peter Slevin and Vernon Loeb: “Plan to Secure Postwar Iraq Faulted”, The Washington Post May 19, 2003, p. 1

These two articles are from the same day, but from different journals. They refer to the same events, but offer a different interpretation.

Please analyze these two articles carefully. Emphasize especially on the argumentative structure (e.g. what is reported on the event, what perspective is taken towards people and institutions, respectively ….) We will discuss your interpretations during the course.

Please send your application to Julie Siezing ( jsi.lpf@cbs.dk) no later than 2 April 2010