How Open-Ended Survey Questions Can Aid in Rigorous Qualitative Research Design

• In Event: 21.060 - Fairmont Royal York Roundtable Session Two
  In Roundtable Session: 21.060-2 - Extending Mixed-Methods Research and Its Application to Schools

Abstract

Using open-ended survey questions is a common method for data collection in education research. However, stand-alone, free-text responses to survey items may not generate as credible and rich narratives as data obtained from well-designed qualitative research studies. Using early analytical insights from an ongoing, large-scale, sequential, mixed-methods research study, free-text response from more than 500 surveys (phase 1) were leveraged to conduct rigorous qualitative research through interviews (phase 2) in three ways: 1) By efficiently screening for potentially eligible interview participants and achieving a high sample size quickly, and hence generating themes on a relatively understudied topic, 2) By developing probing/ice-breaker questions, and, 3) By developing new questions not considered a priori.

Authors

• Devasmita Chakraverty, Indian Institute of Management

• Donna B. Jeffe, Washington University in St. Louis