I had the same requirement to use data in a research assignment for my
Doctorate. if it is a requirement, it's a requirement regardless of whether
it fits into your area of interest. There are data sets around than can
provide information about disability. How this data is used is the most
important consideration. For an assignment on the disclosure of mental
health of tertiary students I needed to establish that the amount of people
that had disclosed a mental illness (to receive academic support) at their
higher education institution was significantly lower than the amount of
students who actually have a mental illness and may require or benefit from
such support. I couldn't just use a hunch based on my own
observations. Not only did I need to prove that support services were
under-utilised but I also had to bring attention to the alarming disparity
between those who have a mental health condition and those who have
disclosed their condition and thus receiving support. One of the variables
I needed to use for this was "the degree of disability experienced". I
needed to use this to show that I was only using prevalence data concerning
those students who reported a moderate to high degree of disability (days
out of role) and thus, the potential for the need for support, which was
really important for my argument. This data was available from a National
Survey on the Mental Health of Australian Adults through the Australian
Bureau of Statistics. Using various cross tabulations etc I was able to
show the huge discrepancy and thus support the significance of and need for
the qualitative study that was undertaken. I don't see how this use of
quantitative data is oppressive in any way. However, it COULD be used
badly, depending on the researcher's motivation or ignorance.
Do you need to develop some sort of measurement tool for this assignment?
If so this blurb has probably not been useful so apologies.
At 08:36 AM 27/11/2002 +1300, you wrote:
>Sarah, I don't think you need to do quantitative work in order to
>critique what has already been undertaken.
>
>What you do need is a firm understanding of theories of knowledge, so
>that you can apply these to the critique of the literature, whatever
>tools have been used to gather evidence. It seems to me that you are
>letting the method and methodology drive the research, instead of
>starting from the question: given what I want to investigate, what are
>the appropriate tools? I understand that your doctorate has specific
>requirements - but these requirements appear to be highly problematic
>for your area of interest.
>
>Regards, Betty-Ann
>
>Sarah Supple wrote:
> >
> > HI, I shall reply to all of you so I don't have to keep explaining myself.
> > Undertaking a quantative piece is a requirement of my doctorate. My aim is
> > to do a 'proper' quantative piece so that I then have a strong position
> from
> > which to critique other reductionist quantatative work. I figure I need to
> > do this in order to move from being a student with an opinion to a
> > researcher who has done both qualitative and quantatative work and can
> > comment on both. This quantatative research often makes me wince but I feel
> > I need to do it well to satisfy myself and be able to criticise it well
> > also. regards, Sarah Supple.
> >
>--
>
>Betty-Ann Kelly
>Senior Policy Analyst
>
>Ministry of Social Development
>Private Bag 12 136
>Wellington
>New Zealand
>
>
>Phone: 0064 4 916 3963
>Fax: 0064 4 918 0060
>
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Best Regards
Laurence Bathurst
University of Sydney
School of Occupation and Leisure Sciences
PO Box 170
Lidcombe NSW 1825
Australia
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Work for a living - Leisure for a life
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