@17703 module 3 qualitative research

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Module 3 Qualitative Research Assoc.Prof.Dr.Kamolrat Intaratat, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand E-mail address: kamolratchim@gmail.com

Lesson 3.1: Qualitative Research Overview Issues to be discussed: Topic 3.1.1 An Overview of Qualitative Research Topic 3.1.2 What is Qualitative Research?

Topic 3.1.3 Qualitative Research Design Lesson 3.2: Qualitative Research Components Issues to be discussed: Topic 3.2.1 Qualitative Method and Data Collection Topic 3.2.2 Sampling Methods in Qualitative Research Topic 3.2.3 Ethics Concerns in doing Qualitative Research

Lesson 3.3: Qualitative Research Analysis Issues to be discussed: Topic 3.3.1 Qualitative research analysis principle Topic 3.3.2 Qualitative research data Topic 3.3.3 Qualitative research analysis approach

Lesson 3.4: Qualitative Research Example

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Objectives: Module 3 will focus on Qualitative Research, its objectives are to: 1. Introduce students all holistic principles of qualitative research; 2. Give students an awareness of holistic qualitative research techniques; 3. Raise the issue of ethics and example of qualitative research.

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Lesson 3.1: Qualitative Research Overview Issues to be discussed: Topic 3.1.1 An Overview of Qualitative Research Topic 3.1.2 What is Qualitative Research?

Topic 3.1.3 Qualitative Research Design

3.1.1 An Overview of Qualitative Research In the field of social science, qualitative methods have enjoyed a growing popularity in the early 1990s, and have been rapidly gaining more recognition as a positive step towards a deeper understanding of social phenomena and their dynamics.

However, there is still a need for more sophisticated tools to facilitate explanations of social phenomena, conducting research and presenting data analysis. Qualitative research is an “Applied research” that “strives to improve our understanding of a problem, with the intent of contributing to the solution of that problem”. It is generally grounded in systematic and scientific methodology and is highly pragmatic in nature.

Applied research can, and often does, generate new knowledge and contribute to theory, but its primary focus is on collecting and generating data to further our understanding of real-world problems. Data can be retrieved through field notes, interviews, conversations, photographs, recordings, and memos, among others.

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3.1.2 What is qualitative research?

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. It aims to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior. In general, the qualitative method investigates the why and how of decision making, not just what, where, and when.

Hence, smaller but focused samples are more often used than large samples.

Qualitative research is a type of scientific research that:  Seeks answers to a question;  Systematically uses a predefined set of procedures to answer the question;  Collects evidence;  Produces findings that were not determined in advance;  Produces findings that are applicable beyond the boundaries of the study.

The strength of qualitative research is its ability to provide complex textual descriptions and provide information about human and social issues i.e. behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, opinions, and emotions, among others. Qualitative methods are also effective in identifying intangible factors, such as social norms, social phenomena, socio-economic phenomena, gender roles, ethnicity and religion, among others.

Advantages of Qualitative Research Methods: Qualitative techniques are extremely useful when a subject is too complex to be answered by a simple yes or no hypothesis. The broader scope covered by these designs ensures that some useful data is always generated, whereas an unproved hypothesis in a quantitative experiment can mean that a lot of time has been wasted.

Qualitative research methods are not as dependent upon sample sizes as quantitative School of Communicatio n Arts

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methods; a case study, for example, can generate meaningful results with a small sample group if well designed.

Disadvantages of Qualitative Research Methods: Whilst not as time or resource consuming as quantitative experiments, qualitative methods still require a lot of careful design, thought and planning, to ensure that the results obtained are as accurate as possible. Qualitative data cannot be mathematically analyzed in the same comprehensive way as quantitative results, so can only give a guide to general trends. It is a lot more open to personal opinion and judgment, and so can only ever give observations rather than results.1 Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods WATCH THIS VIDEO

Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X-QSU6-hPU 1

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Module 3 Qualitative Research

Quantitative and qualitative research methods differ primarily in: • Their analytical objectives;

• The types of questions they pose; • The types of data collection instruments they use; • The forms of data they produce;

• The degree of flexibility built into study design.

General Framework Quantitative

Qualitative

Seeks to confirm hypotheses about Seek to explore phenomena; phenomena; Instruments use more rigid style of Instruments use more flexible, iterative eliciting and categorizing responses to style of eliciting and categorizing responses to questions; questions;

Use highly structured methods such as Use semi-structured methods such as questionnaires, surveys, and structured in-depth interviews, focus groups, and participant observation, etc. observation, etc.

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Flexibility in Study Design Quantitative

Qualitative

Study design is stable from beginning to Some aspects of the study are flexible (for example, the addition, exclusion, or end; wording of particular interview questions); Participant responses do not influence Participant responses affect how and or determine how and which questions which questions researchers ask next; researchers ask;

Study design is subject to statistical Study design is not subject to statistical assumptions and conditions; assumptions and conditions; Dependent upon sample sizes as quantitative methods; a case study, for example, can generate meaningful results with a small sample group.

Can gain quick simple yes or no hypothesis.

Extremely subjects;

useful

with

complex

The broader scope covered by these designs ensures that some useful data is always generated;

Lengthy and resource consuming to Its research design is usually unique and cannot be exactly recreated, test a hypothesis. meaning that they do lack the ability to be replicated.

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Analytical objectives Quantitative

Qualitative

To quantify variation;

To describe variation;

To predict causal relationships;

To describe and explain relationships;

To describe characteristics of a To describe individual experiences, population or samples. group norms, context, etc.

Question format Quantitative

Qualitative

Closed-ended

Open-ended

Structured

Open structured, Semi structured

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Data format Quantitative

Qualitative

Numerical (obtained by assigning Textual (obtained from audiotapes, videotapes, field notes, etc.); numerical values to responses);

Cannot be mathematically analyzed in Cannot be mathematically analyzed, so can only give a guide to general trends. the comprehensive way.

It is a lot more open to personal opinion and judgment, and so can only ever give observations rather than results.

3.1.3 Qualitative Research Design Qualitative research design and methods originated in the social and behavioral sciences: sociology, anthropology and psychology. Scientists and researchers who study human behavior and habits use this research method extensively because it is probably the most flexible of the various experimental techniques, encompassing a variety of accepted methods and structures. Generally, there are several research designs. The most frequently used are as follow:

o Ethnographic Research Design: Methodology of the people

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WATCH THIS VIDEO

Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lIzz3DlEWQ  Ethnography literally means, “to write about a group of people” and its roots are grounded in the field of anthropology and the practices. It has evolved significantly since its formal emergence in the early 20th century. Many disciplines outside of anthropology now utilize an ethnographic approach, and its adoption in applied research has grown as well. An example of applied ethnographic research is the study of a particular culture and their understanding of the role of a particular issue in their cultural context and framework.  Visual Ethnography is the visual method of data collection, including photo, voice, photo elicitation, collaging, drawing, and mapping. These techniques have been used extensively as a participatory qualitative technique.

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ďƒ˜ Auto Ethnography is a method of qualitative research in which the researcher uses his/her personal experience to address any particular issue. o Phenomenology Research Design: The Study of a Phenomenon WATCH THIS VIDEO

Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uNp7okdc-E Phenomenology is a commonly employed approach in clinical psychology, and in this context, it is associated with a unique set of methods and procedures. Many of the ideas within the phenomenological field are embedded within qualitative inquiry.

This method describes the "subjective reality" of an event, as perceived by the study population; it attempts to understand individuals’ lived experiences and the behavioral, motive, and social meanings that these experiences have for them.

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o Historical Research Design Historical research design allows one to discuss past and present events in the context of the present condition, and allows one to reflect and provide possible answers to current issues and problems. Historical research helps us in answering questions such as: Where have we come from, where are we, who are we now and where are we going?

o Foundational Research Design Foundational Research design examines the foundations for a science, analyzes the beliefs, and develops ways to specify how a knowledge base should change in light of new information. o Grounded Theory Base Design WATCH THIS VIDEO

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Grounded Theory base design is a systematic generation of theory from data that contains both inductive and deductive thinking. One goal is to formulate hypotheses based on conceptual ideas. Others may try to verify the hypotheses that are generated by constantly comparing conceptualized data on different levels of abstraction, and these comparisons contain deductive steps. Another goal of a grounded theory study is to discover the participants’ main concern and how they continually try to resolve it.

The questions the researcher repeatedly asks in grounded theory are "What’s going on?" and "What is the main problem of the participants, and how are they trying to solve it?" These questions will be answered by the core variable and its sub cores and properties in due course.

Grounded theory research design and its method do not aim for the "truth" but to conceptualize what is going on by using empirical research. In a way, grounded theory method resembles what many researchers do when retrospectively formulating new hypotheses to fit data. However, when applying the grounded theory method, the researcher does not formulate the hypotheses in advance since preconceived hypotheses result in a theory that is ungrounded from the data.

If the researcher's goal is accurate description, then another method should be chosen since grounded theory is not a descriptive method. Instead, it has the goal of generating concepts that explain the way that people resolve their central concerns regardless of time and place. The use of description in a theory generated by the grounded theory method is mainly to illustrate concepts.

Important Terminology in Grounded Theory Design  Fit has to do with how closely concepts fit with the incidents they are representing, and this is related to how thorough the constant comparison of incidents to concepts was done.

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 Relevance. A relevant study deals with the real concern of participants, evokes "grab" (captures the attention) and is not only of academic interest.  Workability. The theory works when it explains how the problem is being solved with much variation.  Modifiability. A modifiable theory can be altered when new relevant data is compared to existing data. A Grounded Theory is never right or wrong, it just has more or less fit, relevance, workability and modifiability.

Grounded theory has further significance because: 1.

2.

3.

4.

It provides explicit, sequential guidelines for conducting qualitative research.

It offers specific strategies for handling the analytic phases of inquiry.

It streamlines and integrates data collection and analysis.

It legitimizes qualitative research as scientific inquiry.

Grounded theory has been found useful across multiple research areas and has earned its place as a standard social research method and influenced researchers from varied disciplines and professions as follows (applied from Wells 1995): 1. In Psychology, grounded theory is used to understand the role of therapeutic distance for adult clients with attachment anxiety; 2. In Sociology, grounded theory is used to discover the meaning of spirituality in cancer patients, and how their beliefs influence their attitude towards cancer treatments; 3. In Public Health, researchers have used grounded theory to examine nursing home preparedness needs through the experiences of Hurricane Katrina refugees sheltered in nursing homes; 4. In business, grounded theory is used by managers to explain the ways in which organizational characteristics explain co-worker support; School of Communicatio n Arts

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5. Engineers have used grounded theory to explore the relationship between employee perceptions of innovation and aspects of that innovation among product-focused firms; 6. In the field of Information Technology, Grounded Theory has been used to study the use of computer technology among senior citizen, out of school children, women and girls, etc.

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Lesson 3.2: Qualitative Research Components Issues to be discussed:

Topic 3.2.1 Qualitative Method and Data Collection Topic 3.2.2 Sampling Methods in Qualitative Research Topic 3.2.3 Ethics Concerns in doing Qualitative Research

3.2.1 Qualitative Method and Data Collection Generally, the qualitative research methods that are most frequently used are: participant observation, non-participant observation, in-depth interviews, focus groups, case studies, participatory and collaborative action methods, field notes, reflexive journals, structured interviews, semi-structured interviews, unstructured interviews, analysis of documents and materials, among others. Each method is particularly suited to obtain a specific type of data. Lets explain some of these methods: a) Participant Observation Participant observation is rooted in traditional ethnographic research. As qualitative researchers, we presume that there will be multiple perspectives within any given issue. We are interested both in knowing what those diverse perspectives are and in understanding the interplay among them. Generally speaking, the researcher engaged in participant observation tries to learn what life is like for an “insider” while remaining, inevitably, an “outsider.”

Researchers typically become members of a culture, group, or setting, and adopt roles to conform to that setting. In doing so, the aim is for the researcher to gain a closer insight into the culture's practices, motivations, and emotions. It is argued that School of Communicatio n Arts

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the researchers' ability to understand the experiences of the culture may be inhibited if they observe without participating. This method is appropriate for collecting data on naturally occurring behaviors that take place in their usual contexts.

b) The interviews the interview method is the most widely used method of data collection in qualitative research and a range of data can be collected including field notes, audio and video recordings, images or documents. The interview transcripts from open ended, focused, but exploratory interviews, the recorded observations (both video and participatory), the focus groups, texts and documents, multi-media or public domain sources, policy manuals, photographs, and lay autobiographical accounts, etc. the In-depth interviews are optimal for collecting data on individuals’ personal histories, perspectives, and experiences, particularly when sensitive topics are being explored. This method is designed to elicit a vivid picture of the participant’s perspective on the research topic. During in-depth interviews, the person being interviewed is considered the expert and the interviewer is considered the learner. The researcher’s interviewing techniques are motivated by the desire to learn everything the participant can share about the research topic. Researchers engage with participants by posing questions in a neutral manner, listening attentively to participants’ responses, and asking follow-up questions and probes based on those responses. They do not lead participants according to any preconceived notions, nor do they encourage participants to provide particular answers by expressing approval or disapproval of what they say. In-depth interviews are usually conducted face-to-face and one to one. Phone conversations and interviews with more than one participant also qualify as in-depth interviews. c) Focus Group Focus group is effective in eliciting data on the cultural norms of a group and in generating broad overviews of issues concern to the cultural groups or subgroups represented. The focus group technique involves a moderator facilitating Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University

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a small group discussion between selected individuals on a particular topic. This is a method in which one or two researchers and several participants meet as a group to discuss a given research topic. These sessions are usually tape-recorded, and sometimes videotaped. One researcher (the moderator) leads the discussion by asking participants to respond to open-ended questions – that is, questions that require an in-depth response rather than a single phrase or simple “yes” or “no” answer. A second researcher (the note-taker) takes detailed notes on the discussion. A principal advantage of focus groups is that they yield a large amount of information over a relatively short period of time. They are also effective for accessing a broad range of views on a specific topic, as opposed to achieving group consensus. Focus groups are not the best method for acquiring information on highly personal or socially sensitive topics; one-on-one interviews are better suited for such topics. d) Case Studies WATCH THIS VIDEO

Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuG8AzK9GVQ

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A Case study examines a phenomenon within its real-life context. Data is collected on or about a single individual, group, or event. The primary purpose of a case study is to understand something that is unique to the case(s). Knowledge from the study is then used to apply to other cases and contexts. This method often involves several in-depth interviews over a period of time with each case. Interviews explore the unique aspects of the case in great detail, more so than would be typical for a phenomenological interview.

e) Grounded Theory is an inductive type of research, based or "grounded" in the observations or data from which it was developed; it uses a variety of data sources, including quantitative data, review of records, interviews, observation and surveys (see more in Lesson 3.3.3)

f) Phenomenological study Describes the "subjective reality" of an event, as perceived by the study population; it is the study of a phenomenon. It attempts to uncover and describe the essential nature of grieving and represent it in such a manner that a person who had not grieved might begin to appreciate the phenomenon. The analytic methods that would be employed in these studies explicitly avoid cross comparisons and instead orient the researcher toward the depth and detail that can be appreciated only through an exhaustive, systematic, and reflective study of experiences as they are lived.

There are numerous forms of phenomenological research; however, many of the most popular approaches used. g) Ethnographic methods

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"methodology of the people" which applied ethnographic method to study a particular culture and understanding of each particular cultural framework. It derive from anthropology's tradition of interpreting the processes and products of cultural behaviour. Ethnographers documented such aspects of human experience as beliefs, kinship patterns and ways of living. When a researcher claims to have used ethnographic methods, we can assume that he or she has come to know a culture or group through immersion and engagement in fieldwork or participant observation and has also undertaken to portray that culture through text. Ethnographic analysis uses an iterative process in which cultural ideas that arise during active involvement “in the field� are transformed, translated, or represented in a written document. It involves sifting and sorting through pieces of data to detect and interpret thematic categorisations, search for inconsistencies and contradictions, and generate conclusions about what is happening and why. h) Narrative and Discourse analysis how to discovered the extent to which human experience is shaped, transformed, and understood through linguistic representation. Putting experience into words, whether we do this verbally, in writing, or in thought, transforms the actual experience into a communicable representation of it. Thus, speech forms are not the experiences themselves, but a socially and culturally constructed device for creating shared understandings about them. Narrative analysis is a strategy that recognises the extent to which the stories we tell provide insights about human lived experiences.

Discourse analysis strategies draw heavily upon theories developed in such fields as sociolinguistics and cognitive psychology to try to understand what is represented by the various ways in which people communicate ideas.

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3.2.2 Sampling Methods in Qualitative Research

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Sampling methods will depend on the research objectives and the population that the researcher is willing to study for his/her research project. There are three most common sampling methods:

1. Purposive sampling is one of the most common sampling strategies. A

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purposive sample, also commonly called a judgmental sample, is one that is selected based on the knowledge of a population and the purpose of the study.

The subjects are selected because of some characteristic. Field researchers are often interested in studying extreme or deviant cases – that is, cases that don’t fit into regular patterns of attitudes and behaviors. By studying the deviant cases, researchers can often gain a better understanding of the more regular patterns of behavior.

2. In Quota sampling researchers decide, while designing the study, how many people with which characteristics to include as participants. Characteristics might include age, place of residence, gender, class, profession, marital status, use of a particular contraceptive method, HIV status, etc. The criteria researchers choose allows them to focus on people they think would be most likely to experience, know about, or have insights into the research topic.

3. Snowball sampling, also known as chain referral sampling is often used to find and recruit “hidden populations,” that is, groups that are not easily accessible to researchers through other sampling strategies.

3.2.3 Ethics Concerns in doing Qualitative Research

WATCH THIS VIDEO

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Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbi7nIbAuMQ

When conducting qualitative research it is always important to think about ethics, especially, when researchers are dealing with people. Professional ethics also deals with issues such as collaborative relationships among researchers, mentoring relationships, intellectual property, fabrication of data, and plagiarism, among others.

Whenever research is conducted on people, the well being of research participants must be the top priority. The research question is always of secondary importance.

This means that if a choice must be made between doing harm to a participant and doing harm to the research, it is the research that is sacrificed.

Fundamental Principles in Research Ethics

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The Belmont Report has articulated the following core principles: 1. Respect for persons requires a commitment to protect people from exploitation of their vulnerability. The dignity of all research participants must be respected.

Beneficence requires a commitment to minimizing the risks associated with research, including psychological and social risks, and maximizing the benefits that accrue to research participants.

2. Justice requires a commitment to ensuring a fair distribution of the risks and benefits resulting from research. Those who take on the burdens of research participation should share in the benefits of the knowledge gained.

3. Respect for communities, an obligation to respect the values and interests of the community in research and, wherever possible, to protect the community from harm.

How do we achieve informed consent for qualitative research?

In general, informed consent procedures are based on national and international research ethics guidelines; a review of such guidance is an important part of ethics training. Research organizations and ethics committees often have their own specific guidelines as well. The first task in achieving informed consent is to inform people about the research in a way they can understand. This can be a multistep process.

For example, you may begin by approaching community leaders and explaining the research to them. The leaders may then facilitate a community forum where interested people can learn about the research and ask questions. You might distribute information sheets, advertisements, or brochures, or try to get local newspapers or School of Communicatio n Arts

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radio stations to do a report on the research. A community advisory board might be set up. Or the researchers might spend a week or two just talking with people one-onone. If the researchers will be spending a lot of time in the community setting, or if the research is potentially controversial or sensitive, such efforts can go a long way toward gaining trust as well as understanding. In some situations, it may be necessary to obtain formal permission from community leaders or gatekeepers before research can begin. In general, data collection activities that require more than casual interaction with a person require individual informed consent from that person, regardless of whether community-level permissions exist.

Examples of such activities include in-depth interviews and focus groups. The person should be told: 1. The purpose of the research; 2. What is expected of a research participant, including the amount of time likely to be required for participation; 3. Expected risks and benefits, including psychological and social ones; 4. The fact that participation is voluntary and that one can withdraw at any time with no negative repercussions; 5. How confidentiality will be protected; 6. The name and contact information of the local lead investigator to be contacted for questions or problems related to the research; 7. The name and contact information of an appropriate person to contact with questions about one’s rights as a research participant (usually the chair of the local ethics committee overseeing the research).

(Bernard HR., 1995) Lesson 3.3: Qualitative Research Analysis

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3.3.1 Qualitative Analysis Qualitative analysis is an analysis that based on unquantifiable information, such as quality of life, self –esteem, sustainable development, and ICT literacy, etc.

Qualitative analysis contrasts with quantitative analysis, which focuses on numbers that is normally found as table, graph, percentage, etc. Most of the Qualitative analysis is more concerns about social and experiential realm rather than the mathematical one.

Qualitative research is a generic term that refers to a group of methods, tool to analyses data which needs to interpret, explain and sum up that particular event, phenomena, etc.

Qualitative researchers usually work with text when analyzing data; data can be transcribed in entirety or focus on selected sections such as the observations or samples’ descriptions. The challenge for qualitative researchers is to present a cohesive representation of the data, which needs to make sense of diverse viewpoints or complex issues. The process of data analysis is to assemble or reconstruct the data in a meaningful or comprehensible fashion, in a way that is transparent, rigorous and thorough, while remaining ‘true’ to the selected samples.

However, there are commonalities across approaches. Data analysis is an interactive process, where data are systematically searched and analysed in order to provide an illuminating description of phenomena.

Data analysis is an iterative or recurring process, essential to the creativity of the analysis, development of ideas, clarifying meaning and the reworking of concepts as new insights ‘emerge’ or are identified in the data.

So, this is why most of the qualitative analysis is more on describing any kind of non-mathematical which needed to be well consider with its all relevant contexts.

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http://www.investopedia.com/video/play/qualitative-analysis/

3.3.2 Qualitative data

Qualitative data come in various forms refer to anything that is not quantitative, or rendered into numerical form. Some qualitative researchers operate from a similar philosophical position, most recognize that the relevant reality as far as human experience is concerned is that which takes place in subjective experience, in social context, and in historical time. Thus, qualitative data often more concerned about uncovering knowledge about how people think and feel about the circumstances in which they find themselves than they are in making judgements about whether those thoughts and feelings are valid.

3.3.3 Qualitative research analysis approach Although qualitative researc analysis is inductive and focuses on meaning, approaches in analyzing data are diverse with different purposes and ontological (concerned with the nature of being) and epistemological (knowledge and

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understanding) underpinnings. One of themain way to understand qualitative data analysis is to consider the processes involved.

Qualitative research analysis approaches mostly divided into four groups: 1) Content analysis; the use of frameworks or matrices such as a framework approach and thematic analysis; 2) Interpretative approaches that include interpretative phenomenological analysis and grounded theory

3) Sociolinguistic approaches such as discourse analysis 4) Conversation analysis or normally called as the “Narrative and Discourse analysis� which already mentioned in 3.2.1

Lesson 3.4 Examples of qualitiative research Research title : An integrated approach towards ICT4D By : 1)Abraham Gert van der Vyver, Monash SA : South Africa 2)Kamolrat Intaratat, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University,Thailand

Abstract

The avalanche of developments that followed the advent of the Internet as well School of Communicatio n Arts

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as the growth of social networking exponentially enlarged the need for ICT access amongst disadvantaged communities. ICT access was seen as the Holy Grail to all kinds of development especially the economic empowerment. Now after more than a decade of developments in the ICT4D domain, the majority of these expectations have still not been realized while the needs of the disadvantaged groups have increased.

Researchers openly question the potential of ICTs to act as a catalyst for improvements especially in the field of economic growth. The role of telecentres and other public access facilities feature prominently in many critical analyses of ICT-driven economic growth models. This paper contains some of the results of a study that was mostly conducted in Thailand on a unique development model that links the sustainability of telecentres to the market activities of small and medium enterprises.

The findings that were generated from a number of case studies that were conducted in Bangkok and in the North of Thailand pointed to the fact that the integrated approach or partnership approach with all its contextualized dimensions holds the key to the modeling of sustainable telecentres.

Keywords Telecentres, case studies, empowerment, economic development, integrated approach, disadvantaged communities Introduction The commercialization of the Internet in 1995 triggered an avalanche of new technology and applications. These innovations created colossal expectations regarding job creation and economic opportunities however the majority of these predictions failed to realize the anticipated results.

Although governments as well as the private sector have during the last decade launched a wide array of initiatives aimed at the provision of ICT access to disadvantaged communities who could not afford to pay for it, the digital divide remains Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University

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a major lagging factor preventing the empowerment of disadvantaged communities Telecentres, multi-purpose community centres and information kiosks are but a few of these sponsored facilities.

Sustainability proved to be the biggest stumbling block in the way of the operational success of these facilities. By linking telecentres with the Thai OTOP-model, Thai communities succeeded to achieve satisfactory levels of sustainability for these centres. The government-driven OTOP-model is aimed at assisting municipal subdistricts in the cities, as well as towns in the rural areas to specialize in the production of goods or services that are unique to that region. According to Tuamsuk, Phabu and Vongprasert (2013:361) the government set the following objectives for the OTOP-initiative:  creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to access capital sources;  developing products and innovations; and  developing marketing, both domestically and internationally, to build competitiveness through initiated and continual mechanisms.

The model has evolved to the point where OTOP has become a prominent brand for products and services that are produced in terms of this model. Incentive schemes and award programs have been introduced by government to stimulate entrepreneurship. “Although the government has been running the OTOP project for many years, the amount of research on the OTOP project is small and studies in this respect are still limited (Tuamsuk, Phabu and Vongprasert (2013:365). In the final stage of this research project that has been running since 2010, the researchers completed a critical analysis of this economic growth model based on these telecentre

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hubs. The study took the form of a compilation of small case studies in the cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand.

Literature review Rao (1998) defined the role of telecentres in India in the following comprehensive manner. “Telecentres, known more popularly as community information centres, are public-access information and communication initiatives that serve as a community-gathering place where people can access communication technology and applications, learn new skills, tackle local social issues, face common challenges and empower their neighbours. Since the Rao-definition was formulated in 1998, it does not make provision for telecentres to offer Internet access. In a more recent definition a typical telecentre is described as a place providing ”connectivity and access to information via a range of information and communication technologies including phone, fax, computers and the internet” (Bailur, 2007:62). The role of the telecentre as a training platform should under no circumstances be negated. A telecentre can only be developed into a business hub if the users are properly trained to use the facility. Training is the catalyst that can give members of a disadvantaged community access to jobs. Plou (2009) relates the following hearsay account of the use of telecentres in the African state of Mali. “Alima tells me about a young woman from Kati who has just been hired as a secretary at a local organisation thanks to the computer courses she took at the telecentre.”

The researchers responsible for this study did include Internet access as a prerequisite for a viable telecentre. Since a number of telecentres in Thailand are

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formally or informally embedded in some form of integrated business model, these linkages were also investigated.

Economic development in Thailand is driven by the creation of small regionalized subeconomies based on one product range/service for which that region/district is known. This concept however did not originate in Thailand. “The ‘One Village One Product’ (OVOP) movement was initiated in Oita Prefecture, Japan, in the late 1970s, and aimed to vitalise the prefecture’s rural economy. The original concept of OVOP was to encourage villages in Oita each to select a product distinctive to the region and to develop it up to a nationally and globally accepted standard” (Natsuda, Igusa. Wiboonpongse, Cheamuangpan, Shinghkharat & Thoburn, 2011:1). “OVOP development is seen as a way of enhancing local communities’ entrepreneurial skills by utilising local resources and knowledge; creating value adding activities through branding of local products; and building human resources in the local economy” (Natsuda et al. 2011:1-2).

Thailand followed in the footsteps of the Japanese and introduced their own initiative named One Tambon, one Product (OTOP). “Initially, it was the government under Prime Minister Thaksin that officially launched the OTOP Development Policy in 2001 as a measure to revitalize and diversify the rural economy as a part of national economic restructuring” (Kurokawa, Tembo & te Velde, 2010:10). Curry and Sura (2007) explained OTOP in the following way:” local communities form private sector enterprises that produce and market finished products made from local resources and made by local workers whose skills are improved with assistance that increases their technical and marketing attributes. It is a publicly inspired program that depends upon whether private agricultural and forestry enterprises are successful in terms of profitability and market survival.” “The central government played an active role in providing funds, awards and trainings, conducting OTOP product championship for

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brand-making, and in building web sites for OTOP groups (Kurokawa, Tembo & te Velde, 2010:10). In the same vein as the OVOP-model, the OTOP-model centers around a prominent product or service of the tambon to anchor economic development in that region. Noknoi, Boripunt and Lungtai (2012) confirmed that OTOP uses local wisdom and community skills, and aims to support unique locally made products, by utilizing the indigenous skills and craftsmanship of the community combined with available natural resources and raw materials. Six product categories have been identified in the OTOP policy, namely (1) fresh and processed food, (2) alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, (3) clothes and garments made of natural and mixed fibers.

(4) ornamental products including hats, scarves, bags and necklaces, (5) decorative and handicraft items produced from Thailand's forest resources and (6) herbal products made of natural ingredients (Curry & Sura, 2007). The success of the OTOP initiative moved government to utilize it as a national brand. (Noknoi, Boripunt & Lungtae, 2012).

A network of OTOP shops has been established spanning all over Thailand from small rural villages to elaborate product exhibition areas at all the Thai airports.

The researchers were guided by the following challenge posed by Andersson and Hatakka (2013:294): “In order to move forward we need to focus the development outcomes by using theories that more explicitly draw our attention to the connection between technology and development.” The challenge is embedded in one of the most comprehensive, if not the most comprehensive, analysis of ICTD4D theories.”

From a theoretical viewpoint it is clear that the OTOP network meets all the criteria of classical contextualism. “Contextualism is defined as the localization process of a program being implemented. It indicates “mechanisms by which actors adapt a

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policy design to fit a situation” or “mechanisms for fitting the program to the local context” (Lejano & Shankar, 2013:83).

The investigation of linkages between telecentres and OTOP activities are also in line with formulated partnership theory relating to ICT4D. Park and Lejano (2013:40) pointed out that Global Knowledge Partnership (2003) has defined ICT4D partnership as “alliances between parties drawn from government, business and civil society”.

They linked this statement to the pronouncement of Stewart and Gray (2006) that ‘partnership’ is interpreted as “work[ing] with society.”

Methodology The researchers strung a number of case studies together. The inclusion of multiple case studies in one research design is supported by Yin (1994:14). Eisenhardt and Graebner (2007:25) explained that “each case serves as a distinct experiment that stands on its own as an analytic unit.”

Yin (1994:13) defines the case study research method as “an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context; when the boundaries between the phenomenon and the context are not clearly evident.” “The central notion is to use cases as the basis from which to develop theory inductively.

The theory is emergent in the sense that it is situated in and developed by recognizing patterns of relationships among constructs within and across cases and their underlying logical arguments” (Eisenhardt and Graebner, 2007:25).

The problem statement addressed in the study is validated by a statement of Karanasios (2013:45) who alluded to the fact that “(w)hile there is mounting evidence on the positive national level economic benefits of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in developing countries, one area where knowledge could be School of Communicatio n Arts

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improved is how ICT and information has led to a re-orientation and transformation of human activity. That is, changes in activities in terms of how they are conducted, the actors, actions and laws/norms and the labour that contributes to the activity and how ICT introduced in one activity impacts on other activities and the creation of new activities.� The researchers are of the opinion that the forging of a linkage between a telecentre and an OTOP activity, whether achieved by pre facto design or post facto business process reengineering offers a researchable contribution in this field.

The researchers used four of the six recommended sources of evidence that Yin (1994:80) recommend i.e. documentation, interviews, observation and participant observation. They visited a number of telecentres in Bangkok and Chiang Mai during the period 2010-2013. These telecentres all offered Internet access as well as a training facility. Although some of the telecentres served the general community, a significant number of them were aimed at serving special interests, i.e. the disabled, the aged and the prison population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with telecentre operators, users and other stakeholders. Interviews were conducted at the following telecentres: Type

Owner

City

Interviews & Language

Presentation & Language

Telecentre for the Disabled

Foundation of Disability Empowerment

Bangkok

2 Managers, 2 residents (T)

-

Telecentre for the Aged

The Family Development Centre

Bangkok

2 Managers

1xT

Klongprem Prinsoner Jail

Bangkok

Telecentre in the Female Prison

(E & T)

2 Managers

-

(E & T)

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Type

Owner

City

Interviews & Language

Presentation & Language

Telecentre at the School under the tree

Pakdee Community Telecentre

Bangkok

1 Manager & 3 learners (T)

Telecentre linked to silverware industry

Pradittorakarn Artisan Telecentre

Bangkok

1 Manager (T)

Telecentre at school

Kotharam Temple Telecentre

Bangkok

2 Managers (T)

Telecentre that are linked to recycled plastic industry

The Family Development Centre / the Garbage Bank Centre

Bangkok

2 Managers (T)

-

Telecentre at training centre for young ladies

Foundation of Young Girls Development

Chiang Mai

1 Manager (T), 1 Sponsor (E)

-

Multi-purpose telecentre linked to longan industry

Prathat Ha Duang Temple Telecentre

Lee

1 Mayor (T)

1 x 7 Officials

1 Manager (T)

(T)

Telecentre for young Buddhists

Prathat Hariphoonchai Temple

Lamphun

-

-

-

Cases The cases are categorized according to the type of telecentre and/or special interest that are served by the telecentre.

Multi-purpose telecentre

The researchers visited one decentralized example of such centre in the town of Lee in the North of Thailand. The visit was preceded by a meeting with the town council, chaired by the mayor. The mayor explained through an interpreter that the council is fully committed to an integrated approach where the telecentre will be directly linked to the OTOP model. The mayor not only took personal charge of the integrated process, he also featured as the face of the project in/on promotional material for the

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project. The researchers also visited a construction site where the building that will host the joint OTOP/telecentre activities is at present being constructed. The telecentre will serve as a marketing and liaison hub for the marketing and distribution of the OTOP products identified for this region. The region is famous for religious tourism as well as an exotic fruit known as the longan. A special brand of coffee and cacao is manufactured from this fruit. It is sold from an OTOP centre which is at present situated next to the main road but will form part of the integrated business centre that is at present under construction.

Numerous spectacular Buddhist temples stocked with meaningful artefacts are also situated in this area. The OTOP/telecentre model is ideally suited for marketing these temples by way of web sites and e-commerce. It can also serve as a training and gathering point for tourism guides.

designed according to the integrated business model. All the others required an intervention in the form of business process reengineering.

This case study is the only one that the researchers encountered that was pre-

Religious telecentre

In the town of Lamphun that is also situated in the Northern part of Thailand the researchers were taken to a telecentre that was set up to train young monks. It is called “the Monk School�. This telecentre is situated in the educational zone of the temple.

Across from the telecentre in the temple is a large OTOP-facility that has a wide array of arts, crafts and dried food on sale however this facility lacks a telecentre connection. Since there is a large unused area in the facility, the researchers perceived this as a a major opportunity as well as a future challenge for the community to further empower more traders at this OTOP facility.

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Training telecentre focusing on disadvantaged females The researchers attended a workshop for young entrepreneurs at a training centre in the outskirts of Chiang Mai. This training centre called the Foundation for Young Female Development had been established to offer training to disadvantaged young females including girls from the remote rural villages as well as the urban poor.

The telecentre where the training took place is equipped with all the relevant ICTs. The workshop for 40 people between the ages of 15 and 25 was fully sponsored by Microsoft, ASEAN Foundation, TheThailand Research Center of Communication and Development Knowledge Management CCDKM, and the Asian-Pacific Telecentre Network (APTN). The course content for this week-long event consisted of a number of business and IT modules. Product selection, marketing, basic database development as well as website design formed part of this impressive initiative. A qualified systems designer from a local company took charge of the training.

School-based telecentre During 2011 the researchers visited a school-based telecentre on the outskirts of Bangkok. During the week the computing facilities were used for formal scholastic activities but during weekends it were used for the provision of affordable ICT training for members of the communities. Volunteerism proved to be the most important variable in the model. A local lawyer who happens to be an ulumnus of the school heads up the training program. He made his services available at no cost whilst a local radio station announced the upcoming courses free of charge. “Word of mouth� plays an important role to inform the local communities of the activities of the telecentre with children attending the school acting as main message carriers. Members of the local community who attended the courses have to pay a nominal fee. A website administered at the school offers opportunities to the local business fraternity to get

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involved in e-commerece.

Culturally-driven telecentre

The researchers visited an example of such a telecentre in the centre of Bangkok. This centre, The Family Development Center is run under the auspices of the Ministry of Human Security and Welfare Development. The centre that is well supported by the aged focused and cultural activities like dancing, cooking, and the manufacturing of cultural artifacts. Dancing lessons in traditional as well as Western styles were offered as well as classes in traditional Thai cooking. The telecentre not only offered computer training to the local community, it also served as an information hub from which the centre’s activities were promoted. Cultural aritfacts which consisted mostly of handcrafts could be purchased at the centre.

Telecentre for the disabled One of the best examples of the use of a telecentre for the empowerment of the disabled is situated in central Bangkok. The Foundation of Disability Empowerment which is only one of two whose main objective is the empowering of disabled people especially the physical disabled. This small telecentre offer ICT skills training on all levels. It also served a very effective marketing platform for the handcrafted articles that the disabled produce during working hours.

Telecentre for prisoners During 2012 the researchers paid a visit to a telecentre that was situated within a prominent female prison in Bangkok, the Klongprem Jail. The telecentre served as an ICT training facility for all stakeholders and the prisoners who their terms is going to be over. The main function of this telecentre is acting as a marketing hub for handcrafts and other products that were produced by prisoners during their time of incarceration. The telecentre was unfortunately closed down soon after the researchers’ visit when prison officials discovered that certain illegal activities (drugSukhothai Thammathirat Open University

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trafficking) were co-ordinated from the telecentre. This telecentre has recently reinstated its fundamental functions such as ICT training and service as well as online marketing for all the prisoners’ products and services (traditional massage, health care, etc.).

Manufacturing-driven telecentre This type of telecentre supports an industrial cluster consisting of home-based workers, vocational groups, small and medium enterprises operating in a tambon or larger region. The researchers visited one in suburban Bangkok known as the Praditorakan Artisan Community. It is linked to the silverware industry. Silverware varying from small trinkets to large candelabras are manufactured in small plants and cottage industries. The telecentre act as a business centre from where manufacturing, marketing, order taking are co-ordinated. Representatives who serve the numerous flea markets in Thailand and surrounding countries gather at this telecentre to formulate and implement business plans. An interactive website serves as a platform for e-commerce. This model is also applied for the marketing of various medicinal, cosmetic and herbal products that are unique to the Thai society.

Community centre-based telecentre Although most telecentres have been established to serve their community in one way or the other, some centres form part of general community centres. It is situated on the same premises as sports and other recreational facilities. It is during a visit to such a centre that the researchers came across a remarkable school-under-atree. The researchers conducted informal interviews with 8 girls who set up their own school at a table under a tree. Since the telecentre did not offer 24/7 connectivity, they used the downtime to discuss aspects of the curricula they followed. During the times that the telecentre did offer connectivity they accessed the Internet in order to download their course material. The girls even wore similar school uniforms in order to motivate them to take their project serious. All the girls came from backgrounds that School of Communicatio n Arts

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did not allow them to enroll into the formal schooling system.

Findings

Curry and Sura (2007) reiterated the following caution that was issued in 2004 by the Office of the Prime Minister of Thailand: Although it is becoming more successful, OTOP program is not a "silver bullet" that can eradicate completely rural poverty in Thailand. The program has four serious limitations and can succeed only if these basic conditions exist. First, local agriculture and forestry resource bases are substantial and readily accessible, second, communities are well organized and experienced and comfortable with cooperative activities, third, local people have strong workplace attributes, and fourth, communities are experienced in gaining "outside" financial and technical assistance from government and more advanced private companies.

It is against the backdrop of this sensible set of comments that the researchers considered their findings. After careful consideration they reached the following findings.

Telecentres linked to OTOP activities have a better chance to become sustainable. Such telecentres don’t function as standalone business entities and therefore don’t only rely on ICT activities to balance the books. The telecentre theoretically becomes a division of the OTOP business unit and is funded as such. It contributes to the marketing and promotion of the OTOP products that anchor that particular business unit.

Telecentres can play an important role in the empowerment of the disabled communities. The telecentre activities co-ordinated by the Foundation of Disability Empowerment in Bangkok support this finding.

Telecentres can also contribute a great deal to add value to the lives of

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disadvantaged communities. The case studies dealing with the telecentres for the aged as well as the one for female prisoners validate this finding.

Telecentres can be implemented to serve major social responsibility causes. By linking a telecentre to the recycling industry through The Garbage Bank, a major environmental cause is served.

Telecentres can serve as hubs for local development activities. Stakeholder partnerships negotiated within the local context provide solid platforms for addressing local needs and circumstances. The case study in Lee proved that co-ordination of local interests can work to the benefit of all the stakeholders involved.

Volunteerism plays an important role in successful telecentre utilization.

Telecentre champions often have day time jobs. They dedicate their weekends to teach at telecentres. This phenomenon was detected at Kotharam Temple Telecentre on the outskirts of Bangkok.

The researchers are of the opinion that the Young Entrepreneur Program that was recently launched in North of Thailand and Bangkok has got huge potential to become one of the strong drivers of SME initiatives in Thailand. They found that the course content is ideally suited to serve as a launching pad for young people who want to enter the SME business environment. The mix of technology and business skills that are taught in the curriculum met all the requirements for sensible market entry while the sponsorship from Microsoft bodes well for the expansion of the training program.

The researchers are of the opinion that this program, like the OTOP model, has got the potential to be exported to other developing countries.

Recommendations

The embedding of a telecentre in the OTOP-model will undoubtedly improve

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the chances of an OTOP-initiative to become sustainable. This feature, albeit present in a number of isolated cases, is by no means part of the present OTOP planning model. Since the Thai government is actively involved in the promotion of the OTOP brand, it will be to their benefit to incorporate telecentres in their promotional drives.

The Young Entrepreneur program can become the future bedrock of the OTOP initiative. The telecentre network can be used as a training platform for this program.

The Young Entrepreneur program as well as the whole OTOP initiative has got huge potential to be exported to other countries.

Volunteerism proved to be one of the fundamental pillars of such an integrated approach. It is important to note that volunteerism doesn’t always happen spontaneously. It needs to be stimulated and engineered. Competent individuals need to be informed of opportunities to contribute. Invitations to experience the activities in telecentres often trigger involvement in the form of volunteerism.

An integrated approach based on holistic contextualism and making provision for broad stakeholder involvement can serve as a platform for successful sustained economic development and growth initiatives. The political will to get involved in development initiatives as well as constructive involvement of the private sector and the local communities seem to be the variables that determine the ceilings of success.

Stakeholder partnerships as well as volunteerism need to be actively promoted in order to maximize positive outcomes.

It is recommended that the OTOP/telecentre model as well as the Young Enrerpreneur program are used as flagship export models by the Thai government. If these intitiaves can be constructively integrated they offer a uniqueness that is well worth taking note of.

Conclusion

The findings of this study underscore the viewpoint of Park and Lejano (2013) Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University

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that successful ICT4D implementation needs a wide range of requirements, and this can be only satisfied through strategic alliances.

The researchers are of the opinion that the model in which a telecentre is linked to some form of market activity offers a highly sustainable option for economic empowerment of the disadvantaged communities. Although the researchers found little proof that this model has been formalized in the policy domain, it would be in the interest of Thai policymakers and politicians who are responsible for the stimulation of the Thai economy to develop and introduce this telecentre/OTOP model in their framework of development planning. OTOP activities not only relieve the economic burden on the linked telecentre to generate enough income to break even, it create the proverbial win/win or integrated platform of cooperation.

The Young Entrepreneur program, if introduced on a national scale, can play an important role in guaranteeing sustainability to the OTOP success story.

References Andersson, A & Hatakka, M. What are we doing? Theories in ICT4D Research, in IFIP Working Group 9.4: 12th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries.

Bailur, S. (2007) Using Stakeholder Theory to Analyze Telecenter Projects. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Technologies and International Development. Volume 3, number 3, Spring 2006, 61-80.

Curry, R.J. Jr., Sura, K. (2007). Human Resource Development (Hrd) Theory And Thailand's Sufficiency Economy Concept And Its "OTOP" Program, in Journal of Third World Studies, 24 (2), pp. 85-94.

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Eisenhardt, K.M. & Graebner, M.E. (2007).Theory Building form Cases: Opportunties and Challenges, in Academy of Management Journal, 50(1): 25 - 32.

Karaniosis, S. (2013) Framing ICT4D research using activity theory: A match between the ICT4D field and theory, in IFIP Working Group 9.4: 12th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries.

Kurokawa, K., Tembo, F. & te Velde, D. 2010. Challenges for the OVOP Movement in Sub-Saharan Africa – Insights from Malawi, Japan and Thailand. JICA-RI working paper 18 of 2010. Jica Institute.

Lejano, R.P., Shankar, S. (2013). The contextualist turn and schematics of institutional fit: Theory and a case study from Southern India. Policy Sciences. 46(1), 83-102.

Office of the Prime Minister (2004). OTOP Information (Mimeographed): pp. 1-3.

Park, S.J. & Lejano, R.P. (2013). ICT4D Partnership: A Review and Reframing, in IFIP Working Group 9.4: 12th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries. Mona, Jamaica: University of the West-Indies.

Natsuda, K., Igusa, K., Wiboonpongse , A., Cheamuangpan A., Shinghkharat, S. & Thoburn, J. (2011). One village, one Product – Rural Development Strategy in Asia.

The Case of OTOP in Thailand. Retrieved from http://www.apu.ac.jp/ Noknoi, C., Boripunt, W. & Lungtae, S. (2012). Key Success Factors for Obtaining a One Tambon One Product Food Five-Star Rating in Phatthalung and Songkhla Provinces, in European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences, 48 (2012), pp. 96 -103.

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Plou, D.S. 2009. Fighting poverty from telecentres in Mali and Colombia. APC News, 30 March.

Rao, S.S. 2008. Social development in Indian rural communities: Adoption of telecentres. International Journal of Information Management. 28(6): 474-482.

Tuamsuk, K., Phabu, T. & Vongprasert, T. (2013). Knowledge Management Model of Community Business: Thai OTOP Champions, Journal of Knowledge Management, 17(3): 363-378.

Yin, R.K. 1994. Case Study Research. Design and Methods. London: Sage.

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Bibliography Earl Babbie (2008) The Basics of Social Research, 4th ed. Thomson Wadsworth Bernard HR. Research Methods in Anthropology, Second Edition.

London: Sage Publications, 1995. Denzin NK, Lincoln YS (eds.).

Handbook of Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications, 2000.

Marshall PA. Human subjects protections, institutional review boards, and cultural anthropological research. Anthropol Q 2003; 76(2): 269-85.

McLafferty E, Farley AH (2006). Analysing qualitative data using computer software. Nurs Times.

Joppe, M. (2000). The Research Process. Available at: http://www.ryerson.ca/~mjoppe/rp.htm

Reynard, John C. (2001) Introduction to communication research, 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill

Smith J, Cheater F, Bekker H (2011). Theoretical versus pragmatic design Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University

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challenges in qualitative research.

Strauss, Anselm L. and Corbin, Juliet M. (1998). Basics of Qualitative

Research, SAGE Publications Wimmer, R.D. & Dominick, J.R. (2006). Mass media research: An Introduction, 8th ed. Thomson Wadsworth.

Key Video Lectures Please watch all the videos included in this study guide:

a. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X-QSU6-hPU

b. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lIzz3DlEWQ

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c. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2DyB-hGX-Q

d. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuG8AzK9GVQ

e. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dn4u9DPmDs

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f. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbi7nIbAuMQ

g. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uNp7okdc-E

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Recommended Readings Denzin, N.K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2011). The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research.

SAGE: Los Angeles. https://books.google.co.th/books?id=AIRpMHgBYqIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=qualitative+research&hl=en&sa=X&ei=gRdjVfXsGuKmwWmyYDgAg&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=qualitative%20research&f=false

Silverman, D. (2010). Qualitative Research. 3rd ed. SAGE: London https://books.google.co.th/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ljpdBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=qualitative+research+&ots=CyaK7_Bi-L&sig=Z17UbbPpTu4LnTr_92h1NyGIAM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=qualitative%20research&f=false

Assignment (Option 2) Read this short study conducted by Facebook: “Experimental evidence of massivescale emotional contagion through social networks� (2012).

Then, compare the views of researchers (on that study) expressed in this article published by The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/30/facebook-emotion-study-breached-ethicalguidelines-researchers-say

Do you think the Facebook emotion study was ethical or unethical? Explain your answer.

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