Theme 6: Qualitative Research

The paper I chose is “Who am I? Representing the self offline and in different online contexts” form the Journal Computer in Human Behavior. The research presented in this paper has the intention of examine the extent in which self -presentation may be affected by context in which is it undertaken. The results of the studies suggested that participants were willing to share less personal information online than offline. Moreover, disclosure decreased as the online context became more specific, and those in the job-seeking context disclosed the least amount of information. 

Which qualitative method or methods are used in the paper? Which are the benefits and limitations of using these methods?

The main qualitative method used for the study was "twenty statements test". The approach is to ask participants in response to the question Who am I ?, Questions can be performed under different contexts and can be grouped into several categories (interests, ambitions, ideological believes and others). The main benefit of this method is the simplicity that is both for participants for researchers to analyze the results. This type of method is particularly beneficial when you want to conduct a study of "self-reflection". The method is very beneficial to the study presented at the paper because the contexts of the questions could be placed as questions online or offline, allowing participants to disclose information in both contexts. Limitations of this method as I think it is less useful for different studies than  self- image, sometimes can be hard to make comparisons between different people, and the answers may vary each time you give the person.

What did you learn about qualitative methods from reading the paper?

A lot of researches can be done using qualitative methods, however, using the most appropriate method will decide the efficiency and productivity of research. It is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each method and determine which one best fits the context of your research. In the selected paper, the method used is coupled to the needs of the study, obtaining excellent results.

Which are the main methodological problems of the study? How could the use of the qualitative method or methods have been improved?

The method used in the research cannot determine why or how of the results obtained. Furthermore, the approach used for the method of "twenty statements test", in which online spaces were imaginary, can make people show a different behavior than they would in a real and specific online space. The advantages of this method can also be exploited if the questions are asked for a real on-line environment, such as Facebook or LinkedIn. Also could also be included the study of some real profiles to compare the amount and type of information people share and disseminate.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Briefly explain to a first year university student what a case study is.

A case study is used to perform a depth research of a particular situation. It is a method used to reduce a wide field of research to achieve an easily searchable topic. Generally, a case study uses a real-life event for a specific study. Using case studies, offers more accurate and reliable conclusions. Usually through case study, it can  be formed theories.