During the development of the study, as a group we were able to construct a strong proposal which sought to cover our aims, our inspiration (literature review), our methodology and our ethics.
By grouping each element of our study into one continued proposal, this makes our research easier to understand, provides accurate context and also makes it easier for us, as a group to reflect back on our own work. To provide a feel for our proposal, an extract of my own contribution (our methodology) is presented below:
“With the intention of gathering data regarding how tourist morality is influenced by law, the process of gathering valid data in a suitable manner respectful of ethical considerations and appropriate context is critical within such a study.
When designing the research and comparing other pieces of literature on the topic, notable issues were addressed. These shaped our research question and allowed us to consider our content further. These were:
1. Addressing the philosophical concept of what we were defining as ‘morality’, as the fundamentals of what this encompasses were discussed. The concept of morality was particularly difficult to operationalise, however consulting relevant literature and creating a standardised definition that remained consistent across the study benefitted us in maintaining an objective study whilst considering ‘morality’ and other broad, subjective concepts.
2. Considering ontology and subjectivity of participants. By discussing the issue of ontological security, we became aware that people may decide to favour certain answers to fit their sense of order or bias. Giddens (1991) was consulted, who referred to ontological security as a stable mental state, derived from continuity in a person’s life. This was considered in our own study, as we became aware that people may be biased towards their perceived sense of morality that they believed to be ‘true’ to fit a personal philosophical agenda.
When undertaking any form of qualitative social research, it is also important to consider the interpretivist approach, and its underlying philosophy within the social world. Cao Thanh (2015) explains a close connection between the interpretivist paradigm and qualitative methodology, justifying its importance in employing qualitative methods to study social phenomena. This is explained using an interpretive paradigm to utilise unique studied experiences to interpret and construct valid understanding from gathered data. This justifies our own use of qualitative methods, as it is argued that more quantitative methods neglect the importance of subjective experience and the holistic qualities that come with interpreting expressed thoughts and feelings.
We began assessing methodology through careful consideration of the best suited techniques in relation to gathering the most valid data possible. In relation to interpretivist philosophy we believe that the best suited research technique would involve the use of qualitative, semi-structured interviews.
When considering the use of this technique, its core features ran parallel to our own aims. We therefore decided that the use of qualitative interviews would produce the most valid and representative results for our area of study. These included:
- The interactional exchange of dialogue
- A thematic, topic-centred, biographical or narrative approach where the researcher has topics, themes or issues they wish to cover, but with a fluid and flexible structure.
- A perspective regarding knowledge as situated and contextual, requiring the researcher to ensure that relevant contexts are brought into focus so that the situated knowledge can be produced. Mason (2002:67)
By gathering data using standardised semi-structured interviews within a repeated measures design to gain moral understanding amongst 5 British tourists both within the UK and then abroad to assess changes in attitudes, we retain the ability to maintain a practical and ethically considerate framework whilst gathering rich and in-depth knowledge of our participants, producing an accurate snapshot of contemporary attitudes within a natural setting. This data can then be coded to assess any trends and themes. Although this research methodology paired with the employment of qualitative techniques sacrifices high rates of generalisability, objectivity and reliability, we are able to prioritise a highly valid and holistic study, and one that embraces the importance of subjectivity. We also plan to interview a further 5 independent UK tourists in Amsterdam to assess whether their morality has also been influenced.
With intentions to establish a valid study, we ensured that the sampling method represented the values of our required outcome. To enhance representativity and minimise bias (without sampling error), the most appropriate method of sampling was the use of an opportunity sampling strategy. Using this method, we can fairly represent each of our participants within a naturally occurring group. As our target population is tourists, this sampling strategy is also very constructive due to ease of access, lack of monetary constraints and time efficiency.”
Although this is just one section, it is crucially important to clearly state what we intend to do within our field work project, and ensure it is as accurate as possible.
Whose Law is it Anyway? 