JBD_Bull_Cover:420 x 280mm 10/25/13 2:52 PM Page 1 ISSBD Bulletin (Print) ISSN 2040-5235 ISSBD Bulletin (Online) ISSN 2040-5243 S B S D I ISSBDBulletin Number 2 Serial No. 64 Supplement to International Journal of Behavioral Development Volume 37 Issue 6 November, 2013 Contents ISSBD SPECIAL SECTION QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS Page Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods COUNTRY FOCUS 1 Karina Weichold and Deepali Sharma Parenting Strategies and Children’s Development: 40 A Decade of Research in Nigeria (2003-2013) Qualitative Research in Developmental Psychology - 2 Esther Foluke Akinsola Principles, Procedures, Perspectives Carolin Demuth and Günter Mey SOCIETY Notes from the President Wolfgang Schneider On the Qualities, and Quality, of Qualitative 43 6 (Developmental) Research: Some Semi-Random Minutes of the ISSBD Executive Committee Meeting 46 Reflections Frank Kessel in Seattle, USA Katariina Salmela-Aro Using Multiple Methods to Conduct Qualitative NEWS 9 Research Nollaig Frost ISSBD Elections Katariina Salmela-Aro 56 Narrative Inquiry for Human Development News from the Early Career Representative 13 56 Colette Daiute Julie Bowkers The Qualitative Interview: A Privileged Way to Major Conferences of Interest 18 57 Knowledge? Anne Ryen REPORTS FROM THE LAB Negotiating Academic Landscapes: Experiences of 22 Students from Diverse Backgrounds at an Indian University Avinash Kumar and Shailaja Menon In Search of Feminine Identity: Recollections from 27 the Childhood Experiences of Hijras in Bangalore, India Tissy Mariam Thomas and Shirley Ruth Robert Ethnotheories on Sub-Optimal Child Development 35 at the Kenyan Coast: Maternal and Paternal Perspectives Amina Abubakar, Anneloes Van Baar, Ronald Fischer, Joseph Gona, Grace Bomu and Charles Newton Main Editor Co-Editor Karina Weichold Deepali Sharma ISSBD Bulletin ISSBD Bulletin Department of Developmental Psychology Department of Psychology CADS – Center for Applied Developmental Science Christ University University of Jena, Am Steiger 3/Haus 1 Bangalore 560029 D-07743 Jena, Germany Karnataka, India Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] 2013 BULLETIN Number 2 Serial No. 64 Special Section: Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods Karina Weichold science (Demuth and Mey) and discusses qualities (and University of Jena, Germany quality) of qualitative research (Kessel). Furthermore, most E-mail: [email protected] commonly used qualitative methods will be introduced, and i.e., multi-method approaches (Frost), narrative interview (Daiute), and qualitative interview (Ryen). In the section Deepali Sharma Reports from the Lab, we introduce three labs and their Christ University, Bangalore, India empirical studies while applying qualitative methods for E-mail: [email protected] data gathering and analyzing. One focuses on academic landscapes as experienced by university students (Kumar Three years ago, we edited an ISSBD Bulletin special section and Menon). The second paper communicates findings on on ‘‘Innovative approaches to longitudinal data analysis’’ ethnotheories on sub-optimal child-development based on and received many positive echoes from the society’s a sample from Africa (Abukabar et al.), while the third lab members. For the current issue, we decided to follow up report applies qualitative methods to the investigation of on introducing research methodologies by focussing on Indian Hijras (transgender individuals) in search of femi- qualitative methods within behavioral sciences. Although nine identity. qualitative methods became more popular during the last This Bulletin also includes a country focus, reflecting decades within developmental science, they had been often on a decade of research on parenting strategies and chil- criticized because of their open format character and high dren’s development in Nigeria (Akinsola). In addition, complexity of data gathering, low standardization, small Wolfgang Schneider contributes the ‘Notes from the Pres- samples, and the interpretative and subjective character of ident’ to inform members on current and upcoming efforts data analysis (as compared to quantitative research meth- and activities of the society, and Katariina Salmela-Aro ods). Contrary to that, several controlled methodological summarizes the Minutes from the past ISSBD EC Meeting tools, such as Grounded Theory or Qualitative Content in Seattle, USA. In the news-section, we remind readers to Analysis allow us to analyse qualitative data while consid- contribute to the upcoming elections; we also edit a com- ering aspects of standardization and criteria of quality in ment from the Early Career Representative (Julie Bowker), order to gain a holistic view of developing individuals. The and give a list of upcoming conferences. special section of this Bulletin will introduce such ways of We thank all authors for their contribution to this bulle- qualitative data gathering and analyzing, and give illustra- tin, Wolfgang Schneider for his continued support, and tive examples of qualitative research with the hope that SAGE for their patience. We hope that the special section besides the common focus in behavioral sciences on quan- of the Bulletin is well received (a considerable number of titative research methods, more and more scientists will members wished to see methodological aspects in the spe- consider qualitative methods an interesting supplement cial section of the Bulletin), and that it stimulates further (or alternative) to their current methodological focus. discussion in the field. Please let us know if you have ideas The special section of this bulletin aims at giving a broad for upcoming special sections or any comments on the overview on qualitative methods within developmental ISSBD Bulletin. We will be happy to respond to them. •1 International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development Qualitative Research in Developmental Psychology – Principles, Procedures, Perspectives Carolin Demuth Postulate of foreignness. This principle prohibits the Aalborg Universitet, Denmark researcher from (self-evidently) equating his or her own E-mail: [email protected] concepts (of development) with those of the culture, group or person studied. This is an essential principle in cultural and developmental psychology and childhood studies where Gu¨nter Mey the difference between children and adults becomes evi- Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal, Germany dent when the ‘‘culture of the child’’ meets the ‘‘culture of E-mail: [email protected] the adult’’ (see Burman, 2008). To take an explicit position of ‘‘foreignness’’ deters researchers from confusing their own experiences and concepts with those of the partici- Qualitative research is gaining increasing popularity in pants under study. developmental psychology. Some of the most influential developmental theories are derived from qualitative Principle of communication. This principle is based on the research [e.g., Erikson’s theory of psychosocial develop- assumption that all data is jointly constructed by researcher ment (1959), Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, and participant. This requires also a much stronger reflec- Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, Vygotsky’s theory tion of the role of the researcher and consequently the con- of higher cognitive functions]. Today, qualitative research ditions under which scientific knowledge is generated is a vast and heterogeneous field rooted in diverse theoreti- (Mruck & Breuer, 2003). Rather than being eliminated, the cal traditions. Qualitative methods are not simply a set of influence of the researcher should be systematically tools but constitute different methodologies that need to included in the analysis. Any research situation needs to be understood within the relevant epistemologies and be understood not as unit but as sequence of events taking ontologies of these traditions. In this respect it is also impor- place between those (researchers and researched) involved. tant that procedures of data assessment fit the logic of data analysis and that both are concurrent in their epistemology. A genuinely qualitative research style aims at overcoming Procedures for data assessment an abstract notion of development, as defined by the Interviews. Interviews are the most commonly used meth- increase or decrease of specific abilities or by the transition ods in qualitative research and developmental psychology. from one hypostatized development stage to another (Val- There are a number of qualitative interview variants avail- siner, 2000). It pursues a holistic view of abilities and func- able that have proved fruitful for developmental-psycholo- tions within a developing person and between a developing gical research ranging from special interview techniques and actively constructing person in a developing environ- which support the dialogue between interviewer and inter- ment. It is committed to the following three general and viewees to more one-sided and open Narrative interviews central principles of qualitative research (see also Mey, (see Flick et al., 2004 for an overview). Specifics of conduct- 2010; Flick, von Kardorff, & Steinke, 2004). ing interviews with children have been discussed e.g., by Greene & Hogan (2005). Principles Written data. Existing written documents can be used to get insight into developmental processes. Analyzing diaries was, for instance, a prominent way to study the emotional Principle of openness. Qualitative research follows an life and