Qualitative Transnational Research: Addressing the Methodological Challenges

Presenter Information

Mohammed Ahmed Gharawi, Institute of Public AdministrationFollow

Location

3034

Format Type

Paper

Format Type

Paper

Start Date

January 2016

End Date

January 2016

Abstract

All steps of inquiry in transnational qualitative research (TQR) involve additional challenges that researchers have to consider and deal with. This paper aims to provide insights into these challenges and proposes strategies to mitigate their influences. The paper introduces three transnational research projects in which the author has participated either as a team member or primary investigator during the past five years. These projects explored three transnational knowledge networks that each involved participants from at least two different nations. Also, all three projects applied case study methods were primary data collected through semi-structured interviews. Drawing on the experience gained while working on these projects and based on extensive review of pertinent literature on qualitative research methods and cross-national research, the paper presents a set of pitfalls encountered during preparation, execution, and presentation of TQR and discusses possible strategies to overcome such challenges.

Comments

Introduction

Transnational phenomena are, by their very nature, phenomena that cross nation-state borders. While many researchers have suggested that transnational research lends itself well for understanding cross-border’s phenomena (Mazzucato, 2009), all steps of inquiry in this type of research continue to be challenging and involve additional pitfalls that researchers should consider before deciding to embark on this type of research.

During the past few years, a new line of transnational research focusing on the flow of knowledge and information across government agencies has emerged due to the increased engagement’s level of government agencies in Transnational Public Sector Knowledge Networks (TPSKNs). These networks represent a novel approach to critical global concerns such as environmental quality, public health, international trade, disaster relief, and terrorism. They also provide governments with opportunities to build and diversify their capacities in various domains. Following this line of research, the researcher participated as a member of the transnational research team that studied AIRNow-I initiative. He also conducted two additional transnational case studies: The Hajj-MDSS case, and the distance training committee of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

AIR-Now-I relates to air quality area and involves the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center (SEMC), and several other US and Chinese partners. AIRNow-I was studied by group of researchers at the Center for Technology in Government at the State University of New Network. Author’s participation as a member of this research group shaped his interest in transnational research and triggered his attention toward some of the transnational research challenges. However, most challenges were not visible since data collection was planned and conducted by other members of the team who were representing the countries involved in the case.

Transnational research challenges became obvious as researcher starts his PhD dissertation. The dissertation was based on a case study of the Hajj-MDSS initiative. Hajj-MDSS relates to public health area and involves the Saudi Ministry of Health and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In this case study, all steps of inquiry were conducted by the researcher under the supervision of his dissertation committee. Data were collected from different nations who have distinct IRPs processes. Also, data were planned to be collected through semi-structured interviews with individuals who speak different languages and resides in different countries. This work provided deep experiences on the complexities surrounding transnational research.

Recently, the researcher studied the distance training committee of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. The committee was established in 2003 and continues its work up to date. The main goal of the committee is to share knowledge, information, and experiences in the area of distance training among several agencies of the Arab States of the Gulf: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates. In this case study, the challenges encountered were less compared to the Hajj-MDSS case as researcher had already gained experience in transnational research. Also, participants in this case study were sharing similar culture and language that facilities data collection process and made it easier. However, some additional challenges in this case study were present due to the high turnover in government and the multiplicity of involved countries.

Based on pertinent literature on qualitative research and the experiences gained through these research projects, the paper presents a set of the methodological challenges associated with transnational research. The challenges are organized into three categories. The first represents challenges encountered during the preparation for transnational research such as the identification of the right person toward obtaining clear approval for the research and the additional requirements of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). The second category corresponds to the execution challenges. These challenges include the nonequivalence of key concepts, the language of data collection, translation, the matching of samples, the timing of data collection, the consistency of the research process and instruments, and the contextualizing of the transnational case being studied. The last category exemplifies the challenges associated with the presentation of the results of this type of research.