A study note on qualitative research as an emergent process: for MBA and Housing Studies students (information from perplexity.ai)
My question 1: "With reference to the idea that qualitative research is an emergent process, please advise on how dissertation supervisors should engage with their supervisees to go through the dissertation process, especially with regard to 4-month part-time MBA and Housing Studies dissertation projects."
The reply: "Qualitative research as an emergent process means that the research design, questions, and methods often evolve during the course of the dissertation. For supervisors guiding students on part-time MBA or Housing Studies dissertations (often with tight time frames like 4 months), this emergent nature requires a flexible, supportive, and structured engagement approach.
Here is advice for dissertation supervisors in this context:
Recognize the Emergent Nature: Qualitative dissertations follow an emergent design, where research questions and processes may evolve as the student collects and analyzes data. Supervisors should be prepared to adapt their guidance as the project unfolds rather than expecting a fixed plan from the outset.
Provide Clear Initial Guidance and Structure: Because part-time MBA and Housing Studies students often have limited time, supervisors should help students formulate clear, manageable research questions early. This especially helps in the emergent qualitative context to keep research feasible and on schedule.
Frequent and Regular Meetings: Regular supervision meetings tailored to the evolving needs of the student are crucial. Frequent check-ins help keep the project on track and allow supervisors to give timely feedback on emerging findings and methods.
Offer Prompt and Detailed Feedback: Providing prompt written feedback on drafts helps the student improve their work iteratively and prevents accumulation of unresolved issues near the deadline.
Supervisory Expertise and Support: Supervisors should be comfortable with qualitative methods and emerging designs. A willingness to support students through uncertainty and complexity of qualitative research is important, as many supervisors initially feel "thrown in at the deep end" when supervising qualitative projects.
Balance Prescriptiveness and Flexibility: Supervisors might suggest topic areas or methodologies to help students get started and avoid delays, especially when time is limited. However, they should still allow students some freedom to pursue their genuine research interests within this framework.
Role in Topic Approval and Feasibility Checks: In Housing Studies dissertations, supervisors also ensure the topic is approved and suitable given word limits and course requirements. Early engagement in selecting the research focus is vital to meet the specific program standards and timelines.
Facilitate Practical Research Training: Supervisors can guide students on qualitative techniques such as grounded theory or ethnography, which align well with emergent qualitative designs fitting a 4-month part-time schedule.
In sum, dissertation supervisors for part-time MBA and Housing Studies dissertations involving emergent qualitative research should engage in a flexible, iterative, and supportive manner, emphasizing clear early planning, regular feedback, supervisory expertise, and responsiveness to the evolving research process. This approach can help students complete quality dissertations within tight timelines while respecting the emergent nature of qualitative research."
My question 2: "Please provide a few illustrative examples to further clarify your advice further on our topic of discussion."
The reply: "Here are a few illustrative examples clarifying how supervisors can engage with their supervisees in emergent qualitative research dissertations within a 4-month part-time MBA or Housing Studies context:
Early Topic Scoping and Feasibility Check
A supervisee in a Housing Studies dissertation proposes exploring the lived experience of low-income renters in public housing. The supervisor helps narrow the focus by suggesting a specific locality or housing policy aspect, ensuring the topic is researchable within 4 months.
The supervisor and supervisee co-develop initial interview questions but agree these will evolve based on pilot interviews, reflecting the emergent research process.
Flexible Research Design Adaptation
An MBA student begins with a plan to use thematic analysis on interviews with small business owners. After initial data collection, new themes arise, prompting a shift to grounded theory methods to better capture the evolving business challenges.
The supervisor encourages and supports this shift, helping the student revise their research proposal and timeline accordingly.
Regular, Iterative Feedback Cycles
The supervisee submits a draft chapter on data collection methods. The supervisor reviews quickly and provides detailed comments on both content and writing style, specifically noting areas where justification of emergent qualitative choices could be clearer.
This iterative feedback continues throughout the dissertation, preventing piling up of issues and enhancing the project steadily.
Balancing Guidance and Autonomy
The supervisor suggests some relevant literature and methods for a Housing Studies qualitative project but encourages the student to explore these further and choose what fits best.
When the student encounters challenges in recruitment for interviews, the supervisor advises strategies for outreach but lets the student manage practicalities, supporting independence within structured guidance.
Managing Time and Milestones
The supervisor helps the MBA student create a timeline dividing the 4-month period into proposal finalization, ethics approval, data collection, analysis, and writing stages.
Each stage has clear deliverables and check-in points, allowing the emergent aspects of qualitative research to unfold while ensuring project completion on time.
These examples illustrate how supervisors can approach emergent qualitative research sensitively and pragmatically, tailoring their engagement to the demands of tight timelines and part-time study contexts while maintaining academic rigor."
My question 3: "What additional advices on our topic of discussion can be provided to supervisors and supervisees from the perspectives of (1) the action research, 2) the case study research [of the Robert Yin's version) and the ethnographic approach."
The reply: "Here is additional advice for supervisors and supervisees on emergent qualitative research dissertations in the contexts of action research, Robert Yin’s case study research, and ethnographic approaches:
Action Research Perspective
Supervisors should emphasize the cyclical and participatory nature of action research, where students actively engage with real organizational or community problems, iterating between planning, action, observation, and reflection.
Encourage students to integrate theory with practical problem-solving and to maintain reflective journals or logs documenting each cycle.
Supervisors act as co-learners or facilitators, modeling action research values such as collaboration and democratic inquiry rather than just authoritative guidance.
For part-time MBA students especially, link action research topics closely to their workplace contexts to enhance relevance and feasibility within limited time frames.
Robert Yin’s Case Study Research Perspective
Teach students the importance of carefully defining the case, setting clear case boundaries, and using multiple evidence sources like documents, interviews, and observations.
Help supervisees develop a case study protocol including objectives, data collection procedures, guiding questions, and procedures for maintaining a chain of evidence to enhance reliability and validity.
Encourage the use of theoretical frameworks to guide case selection and data analysis, aiming to either test or build theory through the case.
Advise on maintaining a detailed case study database (field notes, transcripts, memos) and an audit trail to support the rigor of the emergent process.
Supervisors may need to assist supervisees in managing scope and focus to fit the case study within the 4-month timeline.
Ethnographic Approach Perspective
Supervisors should guide students to prioritize immersive, in-depth understanding of cultural or social groups through participant observation, interviews, and recording detailed field notes.
Emphasize ethical considerations, including building trust with participants and obtaining informed consent, especially in vulnerable populations such as in housing studies.
Encourage students to develop rich, thick descriptions and to link ethnographic insights to broader social theories.
Help supervisees plan for flexible timelines and recognize that data collection in ethnography is often emergent and iterative, requiring adaptability.
Supervisors should support reflective practice and regular discussions on emerging findings to shape the analysis and ensure relevance.
This combined perspective ensures supervisors and supervisees engage meaningfully with the emergent and iterative nature of qualitative research, tailored for high-quality, timely dissertations in MBA and Housing Studies contexts."
A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.
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