Week 5

Tuesday, 8/2/2011

            Dr. Izaham continued presenting on qualitative methods and then proceeded to explain about qualitative methods. Qualitative methods include case studies, ethnographic research, historical and phenomenology research. Frankly, I do not really prefer to do qualitative research because I do not know how to categorize the data into specific themes. I do not know how to synthesize a bulk of information into smaller parts. However, I still do interviews to triangulate the statistical data that I gathered from questionnaires. In the future, I hope that I can do qualitative research to gain knowledge on dividing the verbal information.

Today there was only one group presenting on the topic causal comparative, which is the continuation from the last class. It is a complex method for me because I always have difficulties to differentiate between correlational, experimental and causal comparative research. Based on their presentation, what I understand that as the name causal comparative suggests, it is to find cause-and-effect relationship. Compared to correlation, it is just to find any relationship exists between the variables. In causal comparative study, the researcher cannot manipulate the independent variable as it will harm the respondents if we manipulate their diet. It is a useful thing to me because I get to hear about one thing twice as the presenters today presented the same thing as Dr. Izaham did.