Talking about Outcomes in Qualitative Research
Jan Nespor, Ph.D.
Professor of Educational Foundations, Technology, & Qualitative Inquiry
The Ohio State University
Qualitative research often focuses on explicating processes - how things happen - in ways that acknowledge the contingency and open-endedness and human experience. Increasingly, however, the key audiences for social research are interested in studies that link those processes to specific consequences, outcomes, or results.
One response is to appropriate outcomes as defined by the organizations and institutions we study (test scores, etc.). The other is to explore ways of defining outcomes that differ from or add to official measures. The problem here is not just making causal arguments, but how we conceptualize and study outcomes and consequences.
The keynote address will explore how qualitative methods can help shape outcomes research, considering both theoretical and practical implications.
About the Speaker
Dr. Nespor serves as professor of educational foundations, technology, and qualitative inquiry at the Ohio State University. Prior to this appointment, he spent 20 years at Virginia Tech, including service as professor and chair of the department of teaching & learning. Nespor is an anthropologist, having earned his B.A. from the University of Chicago and Ph.D. degree from the University of Texas at Austin in anthropology in 1985. He has authored three books, dozens of journal publications, and presented papers at over 60 research conferences. Dr. Nespor's classroom teaching background, including both in qualitative and ethnographic research, also contributes to his expertise in providing the keynote address. View Nespor's curriculum vita.