Document Type

Contribution to a Book

Publication Date

2015

Publication Title

Enhancing Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research with Technology

Editor

Shalin Hai-Jew

First Page

105

Last Page

124

DOI

10.4018/978-1-4666-6493-7.ch004

Abstract

In this chapter, the author describes the technologies she employed while conducting an Ethnography of Communication on Eloqi (pseudonym), a for-profit start-up company that built and operated a proprietary Web-based, voice-enabled platform connecting English language learners in China with trainers in the United States. While Eloqi existed, its unique platform not only connected trainers and students for short one-to-one English conversation lessons but also brought together the company admins, trainers, and students in a virtual community. This chapter describes the technologies that the author used to carry out the qualitative study from start to finish, including the steps of online participant observations, online and offline interviews, qualitative coding, and qualitative data analysis. Because the author studied a virtual community, technologies played a critical role in how she collected, managed, and analyzed the dataset, which was completely electronic. The chapter concludes with tips and advice for fellow researchers using technologies to support qualitative studies of communication, whether online or offline.

Comments

This is the Version of Record, and has been used with the permission of IGI Global, under their Fair Use Policy.

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