Synergies and tensions in using multiple methods to study vulnerability - asking questions

1. Paper presented to Research Methods Programme Conference, Manchester: Mixed-methods: identifying the issues 27th October 2005 Synergies and tensions in using multiple methods to study vulnerability - asking questions Jane Fielding, Jo Moran-Ellis, Victoria D. Alexander, Ann Cronin, Hilary Thomas Department of Sociology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH.

2. Applied setting – Local government • ‘evidence’ based policy in a local setting • Use variety of data sources to plan and deliver their policies • National statistics • Commissioned surveys and qualitative research eg interviews, focus groups • Audits and mapping exercises • Consultation • Citizen panels J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

3. Use the data sources to answer questions • Draw on research techniques • Use multiple methods to address complex questions • What is the relationship between question and the method(s) in this context? • Are there implications from this for academic use of multiple methods? J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

4. Basis of our contribution • PPIMs project included interviews with local government officers about their use of research in planning • Overlap in concept of vulnerability • Parallels in types of data sources used in PPIMs study and used by policy makers/planners J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

5. PPIMs studyPractice and Process in Integrating Methodologies 5 small-scale projects encompassing • Secondary analysis of existing quantitative data for the relevant neighbourhoods (Geographical/Area level data) • 3 sets of Qualitative interviews with individuals: • Whole Households: all household members • Solo living respondents • Homeless people • Visual methods: photographs and video data with individuals • Range of respondents derived from individual interviews J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

6. Vulnerability • Important for the business of local government • Who is vulnerable in Hilltown and can they be helped? • Do people living in this area feel it is a safe place to live? • Does current local housing policy meet the housing needs of minority ethnic people in this area? • Can be looked at using quantitative or qualitative approaches • Valuable to do both but each asks different sorts of questions… J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

7. Thinking about questions: • In academic terms issues concerning • Paradigms • Theories • Methods • Analytic approaches • Attempts to classify them and their relationship with methods/methodologies J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

8. Questions and methods Conventionally… • Quantitative questions – quantitative methods • Fixed, developed from theory • Directional…describe a relationship between variables often with a temporal causal ordering • Positivism • Qualitative questions – qualitative methods • Open-ended, RQs may evolve during course of study -emerging • Non-directional • Symbolic interactionism J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

9. Aim of quantitative questions • Descriptive: What? How many? • Relational : Comparing groups • Explanatory or Causal: Search for causes or effects/ test hypotheses J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

10. Aim of qualitative questions • Describe the experience (phenomenology) What? • How? Discover (grounded theory) Why? • Explore a process (case study) • Explain or seek to understand (Ethnography) J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

11. paradigms theories literature method Research Question(s) J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

12. Multiple methods/data • All this and… • elements intrinsic to multi-methods research additionally impact on the relationship with the questions addressed J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

13. Methods Different Paradigms Phenomena Different Different Similar Same Same Simultaneous Equal Interactive Unequal Sequential Status Sequencing Independent Inter-dependence J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

14. But does this capture what the relationship is in this applied setting? • No! in some ways it is less complicated • Could categorise • Quantitative and qualitative but • questions addressed better understood in terms of emic and etic perspectives J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

15. Emic • Inside; culture’s own terms • Etic • Outside; universal J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

16. Examples of etic questions and measures Demographic characteristics and relationship to ‘vulnerability’ Eg age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender “Who is vulnerable in Hilltown?” Vulnerability itself becomes specified as at risk of an external threat or negative event; defined at group level; aligned with quantification Eg Crime, ill-health, housing need, flooding J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

17. Types of data used for etic questions • Census data • National data sets (eg GHS) • National statistical returns (eg Crime statistics for HO) • Published research findings • Local surveys (primary data) • Local statistics (secondary/primary data) • Questions are • Specific • Determined at start • limited by what is available eg area; analysis unit J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

18. Examples of emic questions How vulnerability is experienced at an individual level, and how people manage their vulnerabilities Eg vulnerability as a contingent experience “do people living in Hilltown feel safe?” Vulnerability is left unspecified and is seen as a name for an experience arising out of the meanings and interpretations people make of situations in their lives or that they encounter. An individual level experience; aligned with qualitative data. Eg feeling safe. J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

19. Types of data used for emic questions • Qualitative interviews • Focus groups • ‘consultation’ • Visual data • Published research • Questions are • Not specific • Evolving over the course of the research • Limited by what is available eg funding (primary data) J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

20. What happens when brought together? • Synergies but also possible tensions! • Methodological • Differing findings • Unit of analysis • Political • Outside remit of LA • Preference/requirements of ‘audiences’ • timing • Practical • Time • Money • Age of data J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

21. Resolutions ‘on the ground’ • Etic measures of the emic? • Subordinate and dominate (emic to etic)? • Tendency to produce a particular kind of multi methods outcome? • etic ‘mode’ of local government J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas

22. What might this mean for academic research (if anything!)? • Emic and etic as a more productive way of thinking about methods and questions? • less rigidity about relationship? • clearer relationship between researcher and the research enterprise? J. Moran-Ellis; J.Fielding; V.D. Alexander; A. Cronin; H.Thomas