During my second week of research, I have learned even more about qualitative research. As I prepare to conduct interviews and have tangible data to work with, I’ve been getting to know all the work that goes behind these types of studies. Through reading Doing Qualitative Research and using online resources, I have learned about setting the right sampling frame, writing consent forms, setting up an in-person interview with the correct equipment, informant recruitment, as well as correct interviewing etiquette.
It’s still a bit of a learning process, but I have enjoyed getting to learn as I develop my own project. It almost feels like I am taking a class in quantitative research and my mentor, Tom, is my professor. He forwarded some of his past qualitative research studies to me; which have given me a clearer understanding of what my deliverables, such as my paper and poster, should look like.
I now understand the importance of choosing a mentor who is willing to teach and truly cares about his research. Tom will spend his day squeezing in meetings with his whole team to make sure we each feel confident in the work we are doing and to clear up any questions we have. Just in this short time, he has become an example of a patient leader and mentor, which are values that I admire as a Laidlaw scholar.
The next step in my project is piloting my interview guide. As I wait for IRB approval and to start collecting data, I will be interviewing friends and team members to practice the flow of the interviews; something that experts spend years trying to perfect. I’m excited to conduct these mock interviews and figure out what questions from my draft translate well into a face-to-face interview in order to produce meaningful results.
Needless to say, I look forward to next week and the more there is to learn!