Selected Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Statistical Methodology of Qualitative Research in Information Systems
Proceedings of the International Conference on ICT Management (ICTM 2012), September 2012
17 Pages Posted: 12 Feb 2014 Last revised: 5 Dec 2016
Date Written: September 16, 2012
Abstract
Information technology (IT) is one of the fields of science (including computer hardware and software used to create, transmit, display and secure information), combining telecommunications, utilities, and other technology-related information. It provides to the users the tools by which they can obtain information, select it, analyze, process, manage and communicate to other people.
Information technology media may support very well the qualitative research, which is often essential and special in developing economies and transition circumstances. Special conditions and activities are needed to identify the situation, market, individual analysis and diagnosis. Simple structured surveys and questionnaires give not always full and accurate answers. Users may find good theoretical approach in information systems (IS) concerning qualitative research and tools helpful in research interpreting.
In the presented below article there appears a review of qualitative methods with respect to informative, statistical and philosophical aspects. One can find here the idea of qualitative research, including consideration over some methods of its application, evaluation and verification with the use of classic statistics and statistical optimization methods. Thus, on one side, the article serves as a review but on the other it is a proposal of how to utilize statistical methods (if its considered a matter of its own merits) in a qualitative research. The question – ‘Can one apply quantitative methods and statistics in qualitative research?’ is a subject matter in various discourses concerning methodology and ethics of qualitative research at different conferences as well as in literature. Ethics of qualitative research is connected with methodological, psychological (in reference to respecting the rights of research participants) and other aspects linked to use of the results in a social circulation.
Keywords: Information systems (IS), qualitative research, methodology of qualitative research
JEL Classification: J00, J20, J30, J39, J40, M00, M50
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation