Theme 6: comments

https://u1bauz11.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-6-reflection.html?showComment=1477147562044#c1920255008633966591

https://u12vkokq.blogspot.se/2016/10/reflections-on-theme-6-qualitative-and.html?showComment=1477223925442#c9068570040789814314

https://u1h4muxc.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-62-reflection.html?showComment=1477224765308

https://u1cq6h0z.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-6-reflection-on-qualitative-and.html?showComment=1477338126963#c1198937641782543322

https://u1kq1ay0.blogspot.se/2016/10/second-blog-post-theme-6-qualitative_70.html?showComment=1477338833613#c5839892476057293275

https://u1c051gg.blogspot.se/2016/10/62-qualitative-and-case-study-research.html?showComment=1477339532135#c5695979372866168826

https://u1mv5a16.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-6-second-blog-post.html?showComment=1477340177138#c2419898984151570678

https://pgd7117.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-6-reflection.html?showComment=1477340926400#c1981859970787796030

https://u1dn0y6t.blogspot.se/2016/10/post-reflection-theme-6.html?showComment=1477344273692#c7131658036524381943

https://u11zdo9t.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-6-post-2.html?showComment=1477344593011#c1876410489272100827

Theme 6:2

In my last post I was discussing two studies that were supposed to present a qualitative and a case study example of research. As I was reading and reflecting about the process of “The motivations and expectations of international volunteer tourists” by Li-Ju Chen and Joseph S Chen, I got concerned about being able to differentiate the qualitative elements in their research form what was considered the actual case study.

Chen & Chen were pretty clear about using qualitative methods, observations and semi-structured interviews in order to reach their results, therefore, I think it is necessary to define what aspect of the study is making it a case study.

During the seminar on the topic, case studies were described as a meta-method. Although it is not any official definition of the term, it clarifies how case study research is not bound or limited to a certain set of methods, but rather uses a variety of methods, and often even combines them (which can be seen in Chen& Chen’s study). A case study simply identifies a certain phenomenon or context that is rather unknown or lacking in scientific theory – after that, it choses methods that are considered relevant for the context. This means that the study can include any form of method as long as it is considered to have the ability to produce results related to the topic. A case study can be said to be a method that uses other methods, either by using a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approach.  That being said, the different kinds of disciplines can also be hard to define at times. However, I would say that Chen & Chen’s study is interdisciplinary as the main researcher is included in all stages and has to apply different theories and methods into the study herself.

Another interesting point that was brought up during the seminar is that a case study is not dependent of a hypothesis. Rather than relying on a hypothesis and structure the process according to it, a case study would proceed from a research question. Since case studies are applied on areas where scientific research is scarce (as mentioned above), it does not limit itself by using specific hypothesises which would narrow down the data collection and analysis into a specific theme.

As I am not that familiar with the practical use of case studies, but rather more structured forms of research, I was surprised about the lack of a specific hypothesis (I was taught that no study can be initiated without a specific direction provided by a hypothesis). I questioned this during the seminar, as I believed a study could end up very scattered without a sense of direction.

After the discussion, I understood that a broad research question is posed in the beginning of the study as a form of substitute for a hypothesis. Using a research question gives the opportunity to conduct a study, and still be able to identify unexpected features that might be significant for that particular phenomenon. The hypothesis is posed later in the study, when enough information has been gathered which makes it possible to single out a specific direction for the study.

This way, case studies are not only able to verify or test a theory, but also create new.

In the end, I would say that a case study is a approach that structures it’s process depending on the object/phenomenon of study. By using this definition I believe I include all the methods (qualitative and quantitative) that can be used within it’s frameworks.

Theme 5: comments

https://u11zdo9t.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-5-post-2.html?showComment=1476692920874#c6966662559785427253

https://u1dn0y6t.blogspot.se/2016/10/post-reflection-theme-5.html?showComment=1476694214188#c2149620036955871666

https://u1h02pv3.blogspot.se/2016/10/reflection-on-theme-5-design-research_9.html?showComment=1476695240748#c6106301309147032870

https://u12vkokq.blogspot.se/2016/10/reflections-on-theme-5-design-research.html?showComment=1476703332035#c2948275073687599703

https://u10o7oqf.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-5-design-research-part-2.html?showComment=1476703673993#c2958831893799604260

https://u1818rgq.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-5-design-research-post-2.html?showComment=1476704747806#c5366453279156406660

https://omg-dm2572.blogspot.se/2016/10/after-theme-5.html?showComment=1476732368502#c1138737778486525368

https://u1h4muxc.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-52-reflection-empty.html?showComment=1476732838239

https://u1eqtjc8.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-5-reflection.html?showComment=1476733269823#c4604231580602596262

Theme 4: comments

https://u12vkokq.blogspot.se/2016/09/reflections-on-theme-4-quantitative.html?showComment=1476012935983#c2407643629670109289

https://u10o7oqf.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-4-reflection.html?showComment=1476013965954#c2500453182685157705

https://u1818rgq.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-4-quantitative-research-post-2.html?showComment=1476015224140#c5730518519515161383

https://u1cq6h0z.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-4reflection-quantitative-research.html?showComment=1476050713241#c7503151077021876366

https://u1kq1ay0.blogspot.se/2016/10/second-blog-post-theme-4-quantitative.html?showComment=1476085397763#c2260104395334706675

https://u1wdx0i7.blogspot.se/2016/10/post-theme-4.html?showComment=1476085731099#c4377645230702822468

https://scarsickbg.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-4-blog-post-1-quantitative.html?showComment=1476086373517#c2871628280209866593

https://u11zdo9t.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-4-post-2.html?showComment=1476136824805#c803180719989988999

https://u1dn0y6t.blogspot.se/2016/10/post-reflection-theme-4.html?showComment=1476137199805#c2121659841835489913

https://u17fpbu5.blogspot.se/2016/10/post-theme-4-research.html?showComment=1476137881915#c4090278628052148862

https://dm2572-16.blogspot.se/2016/10/theme-42.html?showComment=1476138549460

Theme 5:2

Considering today’s technological environment and the culture of constant development, I am surprised how unclear design research is for the general public. 

I believe design research to be a crucial part of the progress of the modern world’s IT-dependent society, but it was not until we studied the theme this week that it became obvious to me that design research is not only aimed for the professional sphere – but also for the development of systems for daily use by ordinary people.

Ylva Fernaeus described during her lecture how an important part of the practices in design research is constructed in consideration of “real people”, in order to be able to understand the usability of new technology. The aim is to understand the practices of novel technology in “real settings” where experience and emotions can be evaluated. As Fernaeus put it: a system is not happening in isolation, there a social contexts, integration with other systems, various levels of skills among users, and personal ways of making use of a system. Looking at technology in a lab wont cause the same dynamic as in regular context. In order to understand technology and design in a social context design research usually contains a lot of different disciplines within one study, such as humanity, cultural- and social sciences.

I think this might be one of the reasons why design research has been overlooked as a separate discipline. 

During the seminar discussion the “issue” of mixed approaches within the field was raised in order to identify what distinguishes design research per se. Initially someone put design research in contrast to qualitative and quantitative methods, trying to highlight advantages and disadvantages, but as the discussion progressed it seemed to me that design research is not as much of a method as it is a process. In other words; design research do not have a particular structure in approaching a study object (which is related to Fernaeus and Ander Lundström who both adjusted their research gradually during the process of their studies), therefore instead of putting it in contrast to qualitative and quantitative method I described circumstances where these methods are applied during the process. Qualitative and quantitative studies can therefore be a part of the design research. In accordance to this, a fellow student suggested that it is the structure of design research which if the defining feature. I do agree with this statement, but considered how broad of a definition it is I would like to narrow it down by adding that it is the adjustable nature of the structure/process in design research, which distinguishes it from other disciplines.

This in turn brought into question another issue: is design research controlled or not? Especially considering how a lot of the data collected in the example studies of the week was based on observation and experiences.

I understand that it can be considered somewhat uncontrolled, but I think it is important to keep in mind that the circumstances/context surrounding these observations are structured in an specific/intended way. In addition to this, at different stages during the process, the conditions are adjusted in in order to continue the project forward in the desirable direction.

Finally, I think it is necessary to bring up the issue of replicability, as this has been a much-discussed topic during the week. Fernaeus initiated the issue with questioning whether it is not only possible – but is it meaningful?

In my last post I was quite sceptic to the replication on design research. Not only considering that technology is developing in a rapid pace, but also because people’s use, skills and circumstances are adapting at the same speed. I still stand by the same opinion. I believe there are techniques to replicate a study in some means, but this will cause a change in either system and context, or result.

By adjusting features in order to better suit modern systems, there is a possibility to generate somewhat similar conclusions – the system will however not have the same outline anymore. In contrast, the system/process can be kept, but this in turn causes a different result. Consequently, even if the study is indeed replicated in some terms, I think a lot of the newly generated research will lose it’s value and meaning. 

Theme 6.1

In “Players’ perpectives on the positive impacts of video games”, Jeroen Bourgonjon et. Al. intend to explore the positive impacts video games have on the lives of their players.

The data was gathered from gaming forums, which gave the study a direct insight into prevailing discourses among the gaming community.  The selection of forums was based on popularity according to ranking by Alexa.com, and scanned by using keywords, in order to identify the most relevant threads. This resulted in 32 threads, containing 1 615 messages, which were narrowed down 964 in regard to relevance after an extensive process of coding, manual scanning and two pilot studies. Although using quantitative data, the study was highly qualitative.

The result showed clear evidence of positive impacts in accordance to a theoretical framework based on cultural studies.

By using quantitative data the research could benefit from getting comprehensive information, and through the use of a qualitative structure and analysis, manage to get a deep understanding of the phenomenon. The extensive data’s repeatability ultimately served as a supporting validation of the analysis’ outcomes. Although it resulted in a rather complex and time consuming processing of data, I believe the use of quantitative data in a qualitative analysis achieved what most qualitative research falls short on: the ability to generalize certain patterns.

That being said, it is also important to highlight the weak aspects of the essays method. In the essays discussion, the authors mention how they did not manage do differentiate artistic expressions/forms on from another, in this case, genres and type of games. A simple assumption would be that role-playing games would be more likely to trigger certain experiences (positive social interaction, personal well-being) more than a shooter game (which could probably rather function as a stress relief, catharsis). However, this was not further investigated and I can only assume that the ambition of producing a qualitative result based on big amounts of data made it impossible to implement a process where all aspects were taken into account.

Furthermore, by using a directed qualitative analysis (i.e. keywords decided forum threads, which means that only positive messages got analysed) it is more likely to produce a supporting result, than non-supporting. The authors defend themselves by stating that their framework stems from cultural studies rather than theory directly connected to video games, but even by using relevant keywords and filter the messages in accordance to this framework the narrowed down data will be compatible with presumed notions.

The case study approach is a research strategy that focuses on understanding the relations/functions within a certain setting/context. A case study can serve various purposes and produces different kinds of result, e.g. descriptions, test theory and even generate new. In fact, Kathleen M. Eisenhardt states in her essay that a case study approach is appropriate in new areas where theory and research is still scarce. Theory resulting from case studies is often novel, testable and empirically valid by using multiple methods of analysis (e.g. observations, interviews, content analysis etc.) which can produce both quantitative and qualitative data. However, in most case studies, qualitative data is the main foundation for research, which in turn can be strengthened by quantitative data.

In order to get a better understanding of the use of case studies I read the article “The motivations and expectations of international volunteer tourists” by Li-Ju Chen and Joseph S Chen. The essay seeks an answer to why people join international volunteer tourism trips, without having any specific connection to the country/culture they seek to aid. The study measured four personal factors that contributed to motivating people into volunteering (e.g. authentic experience), and also four interpersonal (e.g. desire to help).  The study was performed in July 2008 by sending the primary researcher on an international volunteer tourism trip to China (within-case analysis). The researcher joined two teams of 6-10 people each which constituted the “study objects”. Data was collected in form of participating observations, documentation (e.g. field notes, blogs of participants) and open-ended, semi structured interviews.

To begin with, I believe Chen & Chen chose a relevant trip to use as observation material for their study, but looking at the literature that laid the foundation for their research it is obvious that they seek to extend theory, instead of generating any new.  They present in their introduction that for instance Callanan and Thomas (2005) already categorised volunteer tourism into three groups based on their motivations, and furthermore Rehberg (2005) identified and sorted 12 motivations into three categories. This means, that when a “new” 11-scale motivation scheme is presented in the result-section of the essay, it is not as innovative as it is complementary to older research. However comparing study results to earlier literature will support the generalizability of the outcome and help construct clearer definitions of – in this case – the motivational concepts.

The study’s main strength is the multiple sources they used in the data collection. As mentioned, the data combined observations, which are highly based on the researcher’s own perceptions, together with semi-structured interviews for a better understanding and documentation such as participants personal blog posts (which could be considered more personal information about the experiences as the participant wrote form their own perspective instead of being lead on by the structure of interviews). This broad collection of perspectives strengthens the ideas generated from the study, and provides evidence to support the extended theory.  However, as Eisenhardt mentions, it is favourable to make use of multiple investigators. In this case, by only sending one, even with the variety of source material, the study is likely to contain subjective interpretations. Chen & Chen mentions that they tried to validate the outcomes of the interviews through corrections with/by participants, but this does not include observations.

Bourgonjon, Jeroen, et. al. (2016) Players’ perspectives on the positive impact of video games: A qualitative content analysis of online forum discussions, New Media & Society, 18(8), 1732-1749

Chen, L., & Chen J. S. (2011) The motivations and expectations of international volunteer tourists: A case study of ‘‘Chinese Village Traditions’’, Tourism Management, 32, 435-442  

Callanan, M., & Thomas, S. (2005). Volunteer tourism. In M. Novelli (Ed.), Niche

tourism: Contemporary issues, trends, and cases. Wallington, UK: Butterworth-

Heinemann.

Rehberg, W. (2005). Altruistic individualists: motivations for international volunteering

among young adults in Switzerland. Voluntas: International Journal of

Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 16(2), 109–122.

Theme 3: comments

https://dm2572-16.blogspot.se/2016/09/theme-32.html?showComment=1475427138127

https://u1818rgq.blogspot.se/2016/09/research-and-theory-post-2.html?showComment=1475428284570

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https://u1eqtjc8.blogspot.se/2016/09/theme-3-reflection.html?showComment=1475429243663

https://u11873yx.blogspot.se/2016/09/theme-3-research-and-theory-second-post.html?showComment=1475522877173

https://u1gixy4z.blogspot.se/2016/09/after-theme-3-research-and-theory.html?showComment=1475523786263

https://u17fpbu5.blogspot.se/2016/09/post-theme-3-research-and-theory.html?showComment=1475524292845

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