1. Giving Some Respect to
“Soft” Research
COM 300
February 2, 2015

2. What is Qualitative?
• Qualitative research is a method of inquiry
employed in many different academic
disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences,
but also in market research and further
contexts.[1] Qualitative researchers aim to gather
an in-depth understanding of human behavior
and the reasons that govern such behavior

3. Comparing Qualitative/Quantitative
Qualitative: Soft/To Describe Quantitative: Hard/To Measure
• Subjective/Interpretive
• What and Why?
• Early Phases of Research
• Few Respondents
• Observation/Conversation
• Coding of Responses
• Goal is Description
• Objective/Precise
• How Many?
• Later Phases of Research
• Sample Size Essential
• Reliable Snap Shot in Time
• Tabulation of Results
• Goal is to classify and count

4. Primary/Secondary Qualitative:
To Describe
• Ethnographic/ Field Research
• Focus Groups
• In-Depth Interviews
• Literature Research

5. President Obama SOTU Address
• Themes?
• Topics for Discussion?
• Emphasis?
• Nuances?
• Headlines?
• Intended Audiences?
• Reaction?

6. Qualitative Coding
• Open Coding: (Conceptual or Thematic):
Identify Possible Themes; Elicit Themes from
Data
• Axial Coding: Search for Concepts from data.
What is the causal relationship? (e.g., television
ads for prescription drugs; bypass the physician)
• Selective Coding: Identifying key concept:
storyline; Explain the situation rather than simply
describing it

7. Intercoder Reliability
• Ensure Consistency for Each Coder
• What are the key themes? (Open)
• What are the key concepts? (Axial)
• What is the storyline? (Selective)

8. Super Bowl XLIX Focus Group
• What was the Top Super Bowl Ad?
• Why?
• How Persuasive?
• How Credible?
• How Memorable?
• Reach Target Audience?
• 12 Participants; 6 Female; 6 Male
• Respect for Demographics
• No Experts
• Neutral Moderator

9. Super Bowl XLIX Sponsors

10. Coding the COM 300 Focus Group
• Open Coding: Common Themes?
• Axial Coding: Concepts; Potential Actions by
Participants?
• Selective Coding: Storylines of Responses by
Selected Super Bowl XLIX Ad Viewers?