Artifacts
One way that psychologists get qualitative data is through examining artifacts and pre-existing data, like archival records. Archival records are historical records. A quantitative example of archival records is the crime rates that we looked at when we were taking a quantitative approach to whether the gun buyback program works or not.
Archival records can be qualitative, too. For example, what if you had access to court documents, including transcripts of court cases in which the defendant is accused of gun violence? You could read through those transcripts and look for clues as to why they chose guns and what methods would work and would not work to prevent them from participating in gun violence.
Archival records can sometimes overlap with artifacts, which are cultural objects that give researchers insight into a culture. For example, the diary of a man who used to have several illegal guns but sold them through the buyback program could give you valuable insight into why it worked for him. His diary is an example of both an artifact and an archival record.
On the other hand, the two do not always overlap. You might decide to look at a popular video game, which depicts graphic gun violence, that was designed by someone in your town. You could look at the game before the buyback program and then the new version released after the buyback program to see if it changed. The video game is an artifact but not an archival record.
Observations
Artifacts and archival records are just two examples of sources for qualitative research. Observations are another key source for many researchers. There are many types of observation. One type of observation that is sometimes used in qualitative research is participant observation, which occurs when a researcher interacts (or participates) in the very situation that they are observing. Sometimes this is done with the subjects' knowledge, and sometimes it is done covertly.
For example, let's say that you decide to see if selling a gun at the buyback program will actually reduce the likelihood that the person will commit a crime. So, when someone sells a gun at the program, you introduce yourself and ask if you can follow him around and observe him for your research. He agrees, and so you shadow him to see if he ends up committing a crime. You stay at his house and eat at his dining room table.
Since the guy knows that you're observing him, you are doing overt observation. And, because you are becoming part of his inner circle of friends, you are participating in the process. So, you are doing overt participant observation.
Overt observation is good because it is very strong ethically. Since the person knows he's being observed and can say that he doesn't want to be part of your research, there are no major ethical concerns. But, overt observation can be tricky because people may change their behaviors. For example, maybe the guy would have committed a crime, but because you're there, he doesn't.
Because of the risk that people may change their behaviors or in order to study a group that is hard to study from the outside, some researchers choose to do covert participant observation, which is when a participant observer does not disclose that he or she is observing. For example, what if you wanted to know how gangs feel about the program? They might not talk to outsiders, so you could join the gang and hang out with them to observe their behaviors and hear their thoughts.
This is exactly what the famous psychologist Leon Festinger did in the mid-20th century when he joined a religious cult to see how they thought. Though there are always ethical issues associated with covert observation, sometimes there is no other way to get an accurate view of people's behaviors. Had Festinger not joined the cult, he would not have gotten a good view of how they operated.
Interviews
Observation is a good way to see how people act, but sometimes nothing works better than simply asking people for their thoughts and feelings. Interviews are a key source of data for qualitative research. Remember that you want to talk to people who are convicted of crimes involving gun violence. Asking questions and recording answers constitutes an interview. You could interview several criminals and then sort through their answers to see if they have anything in common.
Another popular form of interviews is focus groups, or an interview on a specific subject with a small group of people. For example, perhaps you get several people who participated in the gun buyback program. You put them together around a table and ask questions about the gun buyback program. You listen and record their answers, which becomes your qualitative data.
Lesson Summary
Qualitative research involves looking in-depth at non-numerical data. There are several sources of qualitative data, including archival records, artifacts, participant observation (which can be either covert or overt), interviews, and focus groups.
Learning Outcomes
After you've completed this lesson, you'll be able to:
- Describe the purpose behind qualitative research
- Identify several methods of obtaining qualitative research
- Explain how archival records and artifacts are similar
- Differentiate between overt and covert participant observation
