Rapid Qualitative Inquiry (RQI): Field Guide to Team-Based

Assessment

James Beebe

CENTER FOR RAPID QUALITATIVE INQUIRY

September 2014

SECOND EDITION

Rowman and Littlefield have announced a release date of mid-October for the Second Edition. It can be preordered from Rowman and Littlefield or from Amazon.com

The Rowman and Littlefield web site includes prepublication reviews and other updates.

https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780759123212

Rapid Qualitative Inquiry

A way to investigate complicated situations: Where issues are not yet well

defined.Where there is not sufficient time

or other resources for long-term, traditional qualitative research.

Rapid Qualitative Inquiry

Is Qualitative Research.Shares many of the

characteristics of case study and ethnography.

Differs from traditional qualitative research

INSTEAD OF LONG-TERM FIELDWORK

Uses intensive, team interaction.Explicitly divides time between

data collection and data review/ analysis before additional data collection.

Rapid Qualitative Inquiry and participatory research

RQI is anapproach to Participatory Action Research (PAR).

Both PAR and RAP/RQI share the goal of finding out about local situation, pay attention to context, are facilitated by outsiders, and recognize local people as the main actors and source of understanding.

Rapid Qualitative Inquirydiffers from participatory research

Participatory research focuses more on the empowerment of local participants who have responsibility for changes that meet local needs.

Rapid Qualitative Inquiry focuses more on methodological rigor and producing results for outside decision makers.

Differences are a matter of degree.

RQI/RAP

is a team-based, applied research method that (a) focuses on getting the insider’s or emic perspective, (b) uses multiple sources and triangulation, and (c) uses iterative data analysis and additional data collection to quickly, usually in less than several weeks, develop a preliminary understanding of a situation.  

RQI/RAP cannot be done by one person.

The objective of RQI is to develop understanding as opposed to finding a single truth.RQI uses many of the techniques associated case study and ethnography.

RQI/RAP can be used

• to make preliminary decisions about interventions or changes.

• to make decisions about additional research.

• for monitoring and evaluation.

Usually RQI/RAP should NOT be used

for estimating numbers or percents.

Results can be produced in

• as few as about five days, • but usually requires several

weeks.• Longer time in the field

produces better results.

Definitions of rap that apply to RQI

To talk freely and frankly.To communicate with participants

using their vocabulary and rhythm.

Stories NOT Answers

The goal is to get the insiders to tell their stories and NOT answer the questions of the outsiders.

RAP/RQI as a Case Study Case studies seek to provide an in-

depth understanding of a case or a comparison of several cases.

Cases have identifiable boundaries. Cases can be an individual, several

individuals, a program, an event, or an activity.

RAP/RQI as a Case Study

Cases are selected to show different perspectives on the problem.

Purposeful sampling is used to select cases.

Data typically is drawn from multiple sources including observations, interviews, documents, physical artifacts.

RAP/RQI as a Case Study RQI/RAP analysis often focuses on

specific aspects of a single case. The goal is to increase understanding

and produce lessons learned from the case that are sometimes called assertions, patterns, or explanations.

The RAP/RQI and Purposeful Sampling

As part of Purposeful Sampling, the team should seek out:• the poorer, • less articulate, • more upset, and • those least like the members of

the RQI/RAP team.

Teamwork

The success of RQI depends upon the quality of the teamwork.

Intensive teamwork

Intensive teamwork for both the data collection and analysis is an alternative to prolonged fieldwork.

Intensive teamwork

Intensive teamwork helps produce an improved preliminary understanding of a situation from the insider’s perspective.

Team interaction

• Team interaction is critical for having multiple approaches to data collection.

• Team interaction is critical for understanding the insiders’ categories and definitions.

Team interaction

• The RQI team should be together most of the time.

• All team members should be involved in data collection and data analysis, including the preparation of the report.

Team interviewing

RQI uses group discussion involving the entire team and the local participants (team interviewing),

NOT sequential interviewing by individual members of the team.

Teams should be composed of insiders and outsiders.

• At least one team member of the RQI team should be an insider.

• After the rest of the team leaves, the insider continues to be called upon to clarify results, resolve pending issues, and help organize local responses.

Cultural differences and diversity

• Sensitivity to cultural differences is essential.

• Team diversity improves cultural sensitivity and helps establish credibility with local communities.

Flexibility critical for use in a variety of situation.

Some specific techniques have proven to be especially effective, but they are NOT the only techniques that can be used.

Flexibility critical for use in a variety of situation.

Relaxed, semi-structured interviewing that provides respondents with time to think is often effective in eliciting stories.

Several hour-long or shorter interviews are usually more productive than single interviews that are very long.

Flexibility critical for use in a variety of situation.

There may be limited situations when interviews or other data collection is done by less than the full team. These situations should be documented.

Data analysis and the write up of results should be a team effort.

Audio recording of interviews

• Usually interviews should be audio recorded.

• Recorders should be expected to fail.

• Digital recorders allow overnight transcribing.

Technology to Improve Quality and Speed

Social media Transcribing software Analysis software File collaboration Document capture Video

SMART PHONES

RAP Sheet

• A “RAP Sheet” should be used to document what was done.

• A RAP Sheet allows the reader of a RAP report to judge the quality of the work.

Successful RQI

Members of the RQI team need to recognize:

• They don’t know enough to ask questions,

• They don’t know enough to provide the answers, but

• They do know enough to want to empower others to solve their own problems.

Iterative Analysis and Additional Data Collection

Time is divided between • blocks used for collecting information

and • blocks when the team does data

analysis and considers changes in the next round of data collection.

Iterative Analysis and Additional Data Collection

Team interaction before each new cycle of data collection is essential.

Analysis

Analysis begins with the first round of data collection.

Analysis involves:• Coding the data,• Displaying relationships in the data,

and• Drawing conclusions.

Field Notes: Critical beginning point for analysis

“Jottings” or “memos” by RQI team members to recall memories.

Notes taken in the field to capture details about events, people, places, meaning attributed to interactions, and researcher reflections.

Need to differentiate observations from reflections.

Text as proxy for experience: Transcripts of interviews as data for

analysisWhen transcripts are not

available, the first step is consolidating the field notes from all team members.

When transcripts are available, the first step is review by the entire team and the addition of information from field notes.

Transcripts are more useful

If typed, double-spaced with every sentence beginning on a new line.

With VERY wide margins on both sides

Often codes are placed in the left margin and comments in the right margin.

Coding

Coding involves dividing what participants have said into thought units and applying a few labels to selected units.

Some techniques for understanding data

• Identifying patterns and themes• Seeking plausibility• Clustering• Metaphor making, and• Counting

Member checking

Sharing conclusions before they are final with the people who have provided the information is a critical part of the iterative analysis process.

Ethical Issue: Involving outside decision makers

RQI assumes non-local decision makers should be part of the research effort.

Even when outside decision maker are not part of the team, research should be designed with sufficient rigor to inspire confidence in the results.

Ethical Issue: Shifting Burden

Excessive focus on local participation can lead to shifting of the burden onto the poor and the relinquishing by outsiders of their responsibilities.

Ethical Issue: Unrealistic Expectation

Research can raise unrealistic expectations about future actions.

Ethical Issue: Bogus Empowerment

Encourages people to falsely believe that their input will be acted upon.

The RQI team needs to keep their promises and make promises that they can keep.

The RQI team needs to avoid the temptation of engaging in hyperbole about the democratic nature of the situation.

The major challenge

Confusing rapid with rushed.

RQI/RAP is an idea whose time has come.

?Only if it not oversold and only if it

is implemented rigorously.

Learning to RAPMini-RAP

A Mini-RAP is not research, inquiry, or a way to collect or analyze information.

A Mini-RAP is an educational activity for learning how to do a RQI/RAP.

Learning to RAPPractice Team Interview

Practice team interviewing before doing the Mini-RAP.

Participants are divided into teams with at least three members. One member becomes the person being interviewed. A topic is agreed to. A topic that often works has to do with changes in how gender equality is defined in institutions.

The Mini-RAP

ONE POSSIBLE MODEL Team of two or three people. 15 minute interview with two individuals

(Informed consent, etc.). A minimum of two cycles of data collection

analysis, with review of process. Identification of one or two VERY

TENTATIVE conclusions.

Distinguishing Features of theSecond Edition

Focused exclusively on rapid, team-based qualitative research.Provides practical advice on options for doing rapid research from beginning the process through utilizing the results.Designed to be accessible to both practitioners and students who may not have a background in qualitative research and minimizes use of technical English.

Distinguishing Features of theSecond Edition

Makes available numerous tools for navigating the material in the book including a detailed Table of Contents, figures that identified page numbers for additional information, “Main Points” for chapters, additional readings for most chapters, glossary, subject and author indexes, and more than 75 text boxes that focus on issues in the text.

Distinguishing Features of theSecond Edition

Includes numerous examples from both the United States and developing countries and from a variety of fields.Builds upon ethnography and case study approaches to qualitative research with attention to changes that have and are occurring in these approaches.Takes a nuanced approach to issues with identification of some of the controversies.

Distinguishing Features of theSecond Edition

Introduces technology that can improve and speed up the process.Focuses on the ethics of research with special attention to the relationship between the research team, the funding organization, and the local people.

The Second Edition

The second edition of the book reflects changes in qualitative research and the experience of more than a decade of use including insights based on the review of 165 articles or reports that made explicit reference to the first edition of the book.

new chapter on the insider’s perspective

The Second Edition expanded reference to the contribution of

case study and ethnography approaches expanded and updated references and

other resources a new chapter on the use of technology significant expansion of the chapter on

the RQI family tree to provide context a final chapter organized around key

points relating to rigor and some thoughts about the future of RQI.

Additional Information

Visit the web site: http://rapidqualitativeinquiry.com/

Contact me:beebe@gonzaga.edu

Facebookhttp://facebook.com/rapidqualitativeinquiry

Blog http://rapidqualitativeinquiry.blogspot.com/