Supervisor Meeting #11 (year 2) - 23 April 2020

Andrea McSwan PhD Research Year 2

Exploring 3D Animation and Virtual Reality, to Represent the Perceptual-Experiences of Artists with Sight-Loss

Supervisor Meetings:

Date: 23 April 2020

Meeting no: 11 – Virtual via Teams

Present: Phillip Vaughan (1^st) Fraser Bruce (2^nd) Caroline Erolin (3^rd) Andrea McSwan (Student)

Tasks set and completed since last meeting:

·         Design Journal PhD report submitted

·         Blog updated and current, including all activities

·         BAFTSS conference in St Andrews April 2020 cancelled. But PhD poster Shortlisted. Didn’t win

·         Abstract submitted to Graduate Women Scotland 15th annual Research Presentation Day on 18 April 2020. Zoom call this past weekend with some of the people who were involved

·         TMC No:2 held 23^rd April 2020 with Graham Pullin and Chris Lim

Planned and in Progress:

·         Review of data analysis literature

·         Data analysis of transcripts

To be discussed:

·         Dilemma in using either Thematic Analysis (TA) or Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as a qualitative analytic method.

·         If TA then going to select Reflexive Thematic Analysis, where the researcher codes and actively searches for themes which come from the codes. Rather than seeing themes as buried treasure that simply emerge. Coding is done across the entire data set – in this case all three case-studies – simultaneously.

·         However, usually 5 or more participants in Thematic Analysis –  is 3 participants enough? Don’t wish the practice output to become unmanageable.

or

·         If IPA, the researcher codes one data set at a time. Developing emergent themes within that data item. The researcher searches for connections across emergent themes (within a data item) and generates superordinate themes (with emergent themes nested within them). Producing a figurative or tabular representation of analysis. Maybe my themes could be turned into a figurative map and projected into the VR experience – for example over the London tube map? Process is repeated over other data items.

·         “IPA researchers seek to generate a purposive, fairly homogeneous sample” Can be ideographic ( small sample?)

Notes (inc supervisor's comments)

• Look at academic preferences and recent parallel analytic methods, in addition to Braun and Clarke.
• Find creative practice and how IPA is used and how it could relate to my work
• Write about the differences between TA and IPA and possibly content analysis, as this may solidify thoughts and reasoning.
• Maybe look at something entirely different as TA and IPA analytic methods are similar. Might be good to analyse the data with two entirely different approaches.

·        My upgrade stated that I would use narrative analysis. However, this seems to focus more on what was actually said. Is that correct?

·         Braun and Clarke state make sure there a good ‘fit’ between the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of the research and the specific type of TA.

·         My upgrade simply said my approach would be ‘interpretive’. I am thinking of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis as an approach as well as a qualitative analytic method. Have I understood this correctly?

·         Phenomenogolgy has two expressions of approach Ethnomethodology or constructivism. Ethnomethodologists must be competent practitioners of the social phenomena they study. Phenomenology requires the researcher to adopt a creative or speculative stance rather than act as an observer. There is a strong chance of researcher bias. However, as I am a creative-practitioner and so are the participants, I think that this is potentially interesting?

• Possibly - agreed

·         In the event of interviewing, my interviews were unstructured. I didn’t interrupt or punctuate the flow of the participant’s dialogue by reading the questions during the interview and instead immersed myself in what the participants revealed, which I believed to be far richer than some of the questions would have revealed. Most questions were inadvertently answered. Just wanted to check if I should send the participants any questions that I felt weren’t answered?

• Good relationship with participants so should be fine.
• Wait for now, as more or other questions may evolve

·         Concerned that, if I don’t have enough data I could research data on the internet about my participants and can use that secondary data, for further data analysis?

• Possibly - agreed

·         Case studies require multiple data collection methods, whose results hopefully converge, in order to establish construct validity. including: · direct observation of activities and phenomena and their environment; · indirect observation or measurement of process related phenomena; · interviews - structured or unstructured; · documentation, such as written, printed or electronic information about the company and its operations; also newspaper cuttings; · records and charts about previous use of technology relevant to the case

·         Good strong example of case-study STRENGTHS Excellent detail on implementation process. Clear research objectives stated. Possible explanations were provided for the outcomes measured. Causal links between outcomes were suggested. WEAKNESSES . Lack of detail about data collection methodology, e.g. interview questions were not listed out. Poor explanation of site selected for research. Inadequate explanation of where research lies in the knowledge building process, and therefore inadequate explanation of research purpose. The use of triangulation to increase reliability of results was seldom encountered. Longitudinal methodologies seldom used. Research objectives seldom and poorly stated. Lack of detail about data sources used.

• May find, as the term case-study brings with it requirements, that my participants are not termed as 'case studies'. Talk about who they are, why I chose them, why they are successful. Can discover more through secondary data.
• Look at auto-ethnographic approach 

·         Coding memos – on blog to record my thoughts?

• Additional considerations:  Following TMC earlier today and the discussion about participants already fully using technology, that there may be an opportunity to maximise the COVid Pandemic and to incorporate the limitations of it, in a positive way, into the public engagement element of my PhD project. Possibly virtual public engagement experience.
• Look at how other institutions are utilising virtual engagement
• Abertay have an online presence and a positive press release
• Talk to Lauren Baker and the channels she's using.

  Example of my initial coding below – same for TA or IPA

Next meeting….