This chapter introduces the Dedoose platform, describe key features, and illustrates how these features have been capitalized upon in research projects using an exemplar research project. Therefore, authors turned their attention to families who demonstrated higher levels of home literacy environments (HLE) activity in multiple areas. Using the Dedoose filtering capabilities, they identified the families within each language group that showed high quality HLE activities across all topical sets of activities explored in the study. These features were developed in response to our understanding of how contemporary researchers and evaluators wish to view their data as well as recommendations they received from the Dedoose user community. Dedoose visualizations (e.g., charts, tables, and plots) are intended to provide representations of the data in visual form to expose variation in code applications and/or code weighting on any media excerpts as a function of various characteristics of the study participants.

In this article, we explore the learning experiences of doctoral candidates as they use qualitative data analysis software (QDAS). Of particular interest is the process of adopting technology during the development of research methodology. Using an action research approach, data was gathered over five years from advanced doctoral research candidates and supervisors. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was then applied as a theoretical analytic lens for better understanding how students interact with new technology. Findings relate to two significant barriers which doctoral students confront: 1. aligning perceptions of ease of use and usefulness is essential in overcoming resistance to technological change; 2. transparency into the research process through technology promotes insights into methodological challenges. Transitioning through both barriers requires a competent foundation in qualitative research. The study acknowledges the importance of higher degree research, curriculum reform and doctoral supervision in post-graduate research training together with their interconnected relationships in support of high-quality inquiry. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1603117

This study offers a theoretical construct for better understanding how experiential learning enables student teachers to acquire social and cultural variation skills, develop cultural empathy in the K-12 classroom, and the transference of these skills to new educational situations. An Australian and United States research team used a phenomenological approach to explore the connections between the skills student teachers acquire and the application of these newly developed skills to professional practices. Participants were a group of United States pre-teachers who enrolled in a 5 week teaching experience in Australia. Findings show that participation in cultural based events is part of a complex decision making process. The variety of cultures that now exist in schools requires new teachers to obtain and apply a skillset that promotes manoeuvrability through, and an understanding of the many definitions of culture. A better understanding of this process may strengthen curricula and improvements in teacher education program delivery and further enhance higher education study-abroad international partnerships.

This paper discusses the application of qualitative theory in finance research. Six qualitative theoretical orientations are presented to demonstrate a range of philosophical perspectives which a researcher may consider when conducting qualitative inquiry. Finance examples are provided for applied ethnography, content analysis, social constructivism, grounded theory, systems theory, and critical change theory. By aligning and bringing theory into practice, researchers engaged in qualitative inquiry may investigate specific social actions so as to make credible sense of complex circumstances.

This paper provides an overview of qualitative research to encourage finance researchers to apply a more diverse approach to current research practices. Social science researchers recognize that research questions should determine what research paradigm is best for each study. Imagine the benefits to finance if we expand our empirical sources of data to include what people have to say, which then allows us to explore the complex reasoning behind these conversations. It is the intent of this paper to enhance our current research practices in finance through the use of qualitative methods and to view this approach as an invaluable supplement or prelude to existing practices.

When we implement changes in learning, such as blended learning, we wish to judge the impact of the reform. Evaluation is a process by which we make judgments about the worth of an educational development. The difference in learning is subtle and deep and may be unexpected by those implementing the changes. Ways to explore these deep processes in learning include interviews, observations and open-ended questionnaires targeting all concerned in the process such as students, teaching, administration and technical staff. This generates a mass of qualitative data that many are unaccustomed to analysing. This paper will discuss the process of evaluation; give an example of evaluation and show how to analyse qualitative data. We will discuss the use of the software tool NVivo to assist with the analysis. Papers that use results of qualitative analysis of student learning in mathematics and statistics include Petocz and Reid, (2001); Petocz and Reid, (2003); Reid, Petocz, Smith, Wood and Dortins (2003). These papers show that students in classes have qualitatively different ways of experiencing mathematics and statistics and that this affects their learning. Kaczynski and Kelly, (2004) describe a course that incorporates qualitative methodologies and analysis.