ARAŞTIRMA YÖNTEMLERİ

To further clarify, its basic features can be listed as follows: (1) sensitivity to natural environment, (2) participatory role of the researcher, (3) holistic approach, (4) identifying the perceptions, (5) flexibility in research design, and (6) inductive analysis.

Glaser and Strauss conclude that research studies conducted via quantitative research methods are inclined to see the facts through the same eyes all the time, and thus, fail to explain social phenomena that are constantly in a state of change. Yet, it should be remembered that social phenomena cannot be universal, are never fixed, and can change in time.

As mentioned above, case study is the most widely employed design in IR, and this is an increasing tendency in the field. The efforts to figure out complex social events or phenomena can be taken as the reason for this inclination.

Stemming from anthropology and sociology, ethnography is a research design where a researcher analyzes common behaviors, language, and action models of an intact culture within their natural environment during a long time-span.

I-Identifying the Research Focus or Problem

II-Selecting Participants

III-Data Collection Techniques

IV-Data Analysis

V-Reporting

above order should be followed in conducting a qualitative research study.

In snowball sampling, the researcher finds one participant who has experience about the topic, problem, event, or phenomenon, and then reaches out to other participants through this participant.

As a qualitative data collection tool, interview enables the researcher to gather data that observation and questionnaire techniques cannot unravel and to examine the participants’ feelings, opinions, perceptions, and attitudes. According to several sources, some interview types include structured, semi-structured, and unstructured interviews

In qualitative research, triangulation refers to the use of more than one method in order to study, define, and explain the problem as comprehensively as possible and to establish necessary credibility (reliability) and validity.

Participatory observation is a data collection technique that entails direct participation into the target setting or the daily routines of the target group via interaction with the members of that group.

The aim of data analysis in grounded theory research is to develop an inductive theory based on the data set. Accordingly, data is analyzed via a process called constant comparison (Glaser and Strauss, 2006), in which the researcher first divides the data set into manageable parts and then compares each part with each other in terms of similarities and differences. Similar data is grouped under the same conceptual title. During the later stages of constant comparison analysis, concepts developed by the researcher are re-grouped to form the categories. Each category is formulated according to its own features and sizes, and finally, several different categories are combined around one nucleus (high level) category.

Qualitative research is de ned as a method where perceptions and events can be pictured in their natural environments with a holistic and realistic perspective through use of qualitative data collection techniques such as observation, interview, and document analysis. To further clarify, its basic features can be listed as follows: (1) sensitivity to natural environment, (2) participatory role of the researcher, (3) holistic approach, (4) identifying the perceptions,(5) flexibility in research design, and (6) inductive analysis. Each of these features are explained in the following paragraphs. The correct answer is Choice E.

Qualitative research is de ned as a method where perceptions and events can be pictured in their natural environments with a holistic and realistic perspective through use of qualitative data collection techniques such as observation, interview, and document analysis. To further clarify, its basic features can be listed as follows: (1) sensitivity to natural environment, (2) participatory role of the researcher, (3) holistic approach, (4) identifying the perceptions,(5) flexibility in research design, and (6) inductive analysis. Each of these features are explained in the following paragraphs. 

Holistic data collection is among the other features of qualitative research methods. Based on the fact that a whole means more than the collection of its parts, research subject is approached with a holistic perspective. Collected with this standpoint, data should also be analysed through a holistic approach. What lies under this idea is the hypothesis that the nature of human behaviour is sophisticated and cannot be easily divided into smaller parts. at is why qualitative research efforts focus on the unity of variables that comprise the problem and the relations among them. The correct answer is Choice C.

Case study is the most widely employed design in IR, and this is an increasing tendency in the eld. The efforts to figure out complex social events or phenomena can be taken as the reason for this inclination. The correct answer is Choice A.

Yin (2014) classi es case studies mainly into two: single-case and multiple-case. e former, single-case studies, can be suitable for critical, extraordinary, common, revelatory, or longitudinal cases whereas the latter, multiple-case studies, refers to more than one case. At this point, it is wise to remember that case study may sometimes involve analysis of more than one case depending on the focal phenomenon.

As for Woodside (2010), case studies should be categorized into three groups, which are theorizing and testing, narrative or drawing, and assessment. Primary focus of theorizing and testing case studies is collection of empirical data for a theory whose effectiveness is still blurry. Narrative and drawing case studies involve sharing descriptive records about political decisions, social structures, or stories of systems with relevant people following a scrutiny. Assessment based case studies refer to informing relevant people or institutions about value judgements after researchers closely examine the aforementioned political formations, systems, projects, or other case studies.

Case studies are sometimes known as process tracing and case reports in IR, and they employ quantitative data collections, too.

The correct answer is B.

Because of the increase in research studies employing ethnography design in 1980s, this period is also known as “ethnographic transformation of global policies” (Varsti, 2008). The correct answer is Choice C.

Ethnography is a research design where a researcher analyzes common behaviors, language, and action models of an intact culture within their natural environment during a long time-span. The correct answer is Choice B.

An important feature of grounded theory is that the concepts and categories are distilled from the data collected throughout the research. These concept and categories can never be established before the research commences. Another significant feature is the fact that data collection and analysis are intricately interwoven. Third feature, on the other hand, is the advantage to purposefully select study sample within grounded theory. A sample that promises necessary richness in data set should be selected in grounded theory since the theory will be derived during the research process involving simultaneous data collection and analysis. The correct answer is Choice E.

If the aim of a research is to determine how standpoints about an event or a phenomenon vary from one participant to another, and if the event or phenomenon is conceived to be influenced by an individual’s personal features (such as political thoughts, socio- economic status, etc.), then maximum variation sampling could be the right technique to select participants. The correct answer is Choice E.

Participatory observation is a data collection technique that entails direct participation into the target setting or the daily routines of the target group via interaction with the members of that group. The correct answer is Choice B.

For narrative research design, on the other hand, Riessman’s (2005) classification is utilized in general: thematic analysis, structural analysis, interactive analysis, and performative analysis. According to this classification, in thematic analysis, a researcher gathers many narrations and concludes findings by grouping the data conceptually via an inductive approach. As for structural analysis, what matters more than narration is the form of narration, and it is a suitable approach to provide details in case studies and to compare more than one narration. Interactive analysis focuses on the dialogue between the narrator and listener. The focal point of a performative analysis is not the words spoken, but gestures, mimes, and moves accompanying narration, and the effort to convince listeners. The aim of data analysis in grounded theory research is to develop an inductive theory based on the data set. Accordingly, data is analyzed via a process called constant comparison (Glaser and Strauss, 2006), in which the researcher first divides the data set into manageable parts and then compares each part with each other in terms of similarities and differences. The correct answer is Choice D.