In my qualitative course discussion boards, contrasts between qualitative and quantitative approaches to research are frequent topics of conversation. I realize that one way of looking at the difference is by assigning researchers and their research to paradigms or worldviews (e.g., postpositivist, constructivist, pragmatic, etc.). But based on my limited experience, only those who have had some background in philosophy (or advanced qualitative courses or advanced methods courses) think in those terms (or even know those terms). The real difference I see in many instances is not how the world is viewed but how the role of the researcher, and more specifically, how the relationship between researcher and participant (to use my preferred term; many insist on calling people 'subjects') is viewed. I was thinking about this earlier today in connection with my own research. My dissertation findings suggest that people may become more physically active if regular encouragement is provided by a peer mentor - someone who has been a successful exerciser during the recent past but is not a fitness professional and is seen as similar in some ways (age, weight, sex) to the person who wants to become active. Because of this, I tend to view many active middle aged people now as 'potential peer mentors.' (I spotted a couple this morning.) So I started to wonder about recruitment - which is perhaps one of the more challenging aspects of research. I have heard many people complain about finding participants, or getting participants to stay through the course of a study although I tend to understand this at times, because I think I also would not want to be a participant in some of the research I have seen.
This is one area that I think qualitative researchers might have a decided advantage over quantitative researchers. Since we (considering myself a qual) often make a point of speaking with our participants, even 'getting to know them' as is appropriate for the research, we also have multiple opportunities to get participants engaged in the research. I realize there is a risk that people will tell you what you want to hear but I would submit that participants in my experience tend to be very forthcoming with details that demonstrate that they present a disconfirming case. Quantitative researchers, on the other hand (I am being very-to-overly general here) might treat participants less as individuals, might be less forthcoming about the details of the research, and might view participants in general based on scores rather than as individuals. I think that the tone of secrecy or privilege is far more prevalent in many quantitative studies; perhaps there is far more fear about 'contamination' of the results. On the other hand, during a qualitative interview it may be that the researcher improves his/her chances of finding out what he/she wants to know by being more forthcoming with the participants, or, to try to draw in my photo, by 'taking off the researcher mask.' So to come back to the present issue of recruitment - I think for me the only logical way to recruit peer mentors is to find one (or a few) myself - ideally while that person is being active (actually before, after, or during a break), speak to them about it in depth, and determine if it is something that person might be interested in, and, at the same time try get a sense of that person's particular approach. When I think about what is often done in university settings - signs or emails - I think that the type of people who respond to those things often are enticed by promise of a reward, coerced by extra credit in a class, or might have some ulterior motive (I volunteered for a focus group so I could see what it was like to be in one before I moderated one). So I am setting myself up to take a harder road but hopefully one that proves more fruitful. Photo from approx 1967 from my mother's collection; I cannot remember who I was meant to be.
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AuthorI am Sheryl L. Chatfield, Ph.D, C.T.R.S. I am a member of the faculty in the College of Public Health at Kent State University. I also Co-coordinate the Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research and I am a member of the Design Innovation Team at Kent State. Archives
February 2024
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