Discussing Qualitative Research via Junior Papers: Interview with Albert Lee as a Young Scholar '24
In the realm of sociological research, understanding the differences between quantitative and qualitative methodologies is crucial. A recent example at Princeton University, where senior sociology major Albert Lee '24 conducted his Junior Paper, sheds light on the practical applications of both approaches.
Albert Lee initially planned for a quantitative Junior Paper, aiming to collect data from a large sample size. However, he soon discovered the challenges associated with this approach, particularly in participant recruitment. Scheduling interviews proved to be a complex task, given the need to accommodate participants' busy schedules and ensure timely participation.
Recognising the difficulties, Lee's adviser, Dr. Rhacel Parreñas, encouraged a qualitative approach to untangle the mechanisms at play of something as complex as social belonging. Qualitative research, as it turns out, is a detailed analysis of a few different people, focusing on life stories to identify possible patterns.
Lee managed to interview 7 out of the 20 desired interviewees for his Junior Paper. To compensate for the limited number of interviewees, he asked more detailed questions during the interviews. This strategy allowed him to gather rich, contextual insights into the experiences of immigrant students in higher education spaces, focusing on Asian American and Latin American undergraduate students, second-generation and beyond.
Lee's experience with participant recruitment and flexibility is applicable to all researchers, not just sociology majors or juniors. He advises researchers to be flexible and willing to change their methodology or recruitment plans if faced with obstacles. Moreover, he suggests that researchers should not take criticism from their advisers too personally, as they are trying to help improve the research.
While quantitative research focuses on collecting and analysing numerical data to understand social phenomena, qualitative research explores people's experiences, attitudes, and behaviours through non-numerical data. Qualitative research methods include observations, interviews, and case studies, providing rich, contextual insights into social phenomena.
When conducting qualitative research, data collection methods like participant observation or one-on-one interviews are employed. Data analysis involves identifying themes and patterns through coding and thematic analysis. It's essential to maintain reflexivity to minimise bias and ensure validity, and to conduct rigorous data immersion to uncover nuanced insights.
A mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative methods, can provide both statistical generalizability and deep contextual insights, offering a more complete picture of the research topic.
Alexis Wu, a fellow student, found the challenges Lee encountered with participant recruitment and his flexibility valuable insights for her own research. She is currently working on her first qualitative research paper in COS 436: Human-Computer Interaction.
In conclusion, the choice between quantitative and qualitative research methodologies depends on the research question and the nature of the social phenomenon being studied. By understanding the strengths and limitations of each approach, researchers can make informed decisions and conduct more effective and impactful studies.
- Albert Lee's junior paper in sociology, initially set to be quantitative, transitioned to a qualitative approach due to challenges in participant recruitment, which underscores the importance of education-and-self-development in adapting to research methodologies when faced with obstacles.
- As Lee successfully demonstrated in his junior paper, learning from both quantitative and qualitative methodologies can provide a comprehensive understanding of social phenomena, as these approaches complement each other by offering statistical generalizability and deep contextual insights, respectively.
