Foundations of Qualitative Research Worksheet

Exercise 1

1. Read the four articles listed below, which are located in the Week 1 University Library Readings. Each qualitative journal article adopts a different interpretive lens.

Queer Theory	Adams, J., Braun, V., & McCreanor, T. (2014). "Aren't labels for pickle jars, not people?" Negotiating identity and community in talk about "being gay." American Journal of Men's Health, 8(6), 457-469. doi:0.1177/1557988313518800
Social Constructivist	Brown, J., Sorrell, J. H., McClaren, J., & Creswell, J. W. (2006). Waiting for a liver transplant. Qualitative Health Research, 16(1), 119-136. doi:10.1177/1049732305284011
Postpositivist	Churchill, S. L., Plano Clark, V. L., Prochaska-Cue, M. K., Creswell, J. W., & Onta-Grzebik, L. (2007). How rural low-income families have fun: A grounded theory study. Journal of Leisure Research, 39(2), 271-294.
Transformative	Job, J., Poth, C., Pei, J., Carter-Pasula, B., Brandell, D., & MacNab, J. (2013). Toward better collaboration in the education of students with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Voices of teachers, administrators, caregivers, and allied professionals. Qualitative Research in Education, 2, 38-64. doi:10.4471/qre.2013.1

1. Complete the table below by providing detailed explanations and examples that demonstrate how the different philosophical assumptions are represented (implicitly or explicitly) in the selected journal articles.

		Ontological Assumptions	Epistemological Assumptions	Axiological Assumptions	Methodological Assumptions
Interpretive Frameworks	Queer Theory Adams et al. (2014)
Social Constructivism Brown et al. (2006)
Postpositivism Churchill et al. (2007)
Transformative Job et al. (2013)

1. Discuss how the philosophical assumptions differed between the interpretive frameworks. Why is it important for researchers to understand the connection between philosophy and interpretive frameworks?