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Thank you for such a thoughtful comment! It’s so true - critical reading and analysis often come more from experience than formal instruction. I’m glad the video was helpful to you. Keep up the great work!

We're making more videos about all things conceptual and theoretical as we speak! In the meantime, we have a playlist of similar videos you might enjoy, I will link to it below! th-cam.com/play/PLytDBu8ga0AqW7kScQjTKQjUflp8s2AP6.html&si=cG9yuCArmbxdL6Cc

Great question! Here are some practical steps you can take: 1️⃣ Check your research questions / aims: Does they align with the theories you’ve selected? If not, refine your theory choices to better fit your focus. 2️⃣ Look at similar studies: Check dissertations, articles, or theses using thematic analysis and an interpretive paradigm in your field. Note what theories they’ve used and why. 3️⃣ Ask your supervisor: They might have insights into theories commonly used in your area of research. 4️⃣ Revisit your data: As you analyse, ask if the theories you’ve chosen help explain your findings or if you might need to draw in additional ones. Let me know how it goes!

Glad you enjoyed it! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

That's so great to hear, pleased the video helped!

No problem! You're very welcome :-)

You're very welcome, thanks for watching!

You're welcome, hope the video helped!

I hope you found the video helpful! Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Thank you so much for your kind words! 💖 I'm so glad the video helped shift your mindset - it’s tough in the 4th year, but you’re doing amazing! You’ve got this!

Simmel’s take on social stability and trust is such a fascinating lens to view this through. It’s definitely worth discussing how these exercises balance educational value with ethical considerations - thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Thank you for your kind words! I’m so glad you found it helpful 😊 Let me know if there’s any other topic you’d like me to cover!

Great question! Starting with a clear research question can be tricky but makes a huge difference. A question like 'What barriers do older people experience around healthy ageing and exercise?' keeps it broad enough to allow themes to emerge naturally, while 'What role does stereotyping...' could guide you toward a specific outcome. I'd recommend beginning with the broader question and refining it as you analyse your data. That way, you reduce bias but can still explore specific ideas if they emerge. I’ll link to a video about research questions that I did recently below - it might help clarify things even more. Best of luck! th-cam.com/video/4RvIOVkJDlc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=sbhFG6v9QaM9JSZ9

You're very welcome, thanks for watching!

I'm so glad you enjoy the videos! All the best with your studies!

Thanks for your question! It's possible to analyse focus group discussions by listening and coding without transcription, but it's important to document your process clearly. This could include how you identified key themes and managed language challenges. Some journals may require further explanation or validation, so be prepared to justify your approach. Good luck!

Great question! Thematic literature reviews focus on organising and analysing existing research around key themes or concepts, often used to provide context or identify gaps in a field. Thematic analysis, on the other hand, is a method of analysing qualitative data to develop themes from your dataset. They share a focus on themes but apply to different parts of the research process. Hope that helps!

Thanks for your comment! For coding, try starting with broad descriptive labels based on the data, and as you refine make the names more specific. Don't worry if the names feel clumsy or awkward at first - only you will see the first version of the name!

More on the way! In the meantime, do check out the playlist that this video belongs to, you may enjoy some of the other videos in there too 🤓 Here’s the link: th-cam.com/play/PLytDBu8ga0AqW7kScQjTKQjUflp8s2AP6.html&si=BZhhk6hg-Ke2wjSS

Oh no! Sorry to hear this! Have a quick check in your junk folder and if you still can't see it, send us an email at support@thedegreedoctor.com and we will forward you the PDF.

Supper video

Thank you for your kind words, glad you enjoyed the video!

Thanks - we will add this to our list of videos to make!

Sure, we have a video on this, here is the link: th-cam.com/video/m0Gp7hj-4ng/w-d-xo.html

Thank you so much for your kind words! It’s amazing to hear the videos are helping you finish your PhD after 12 years - and we feel very honoured to be part of your journey!🎉

You're very welcome, glad you enjoyed the video!

That’s such a thoughtful and specific research focus! Your dedication to defining your scope clearly is inspiring - keep up the great work! 😊 If you have any specific challenges, feel free to share, and I’ll do my best to help!

@@DegreeDoctorthanks, it has made me very focused where as many of my 2nd yr peers are still un decided about a number of areas of their research. As noted I’m doing a multi method study, phenomenology in the form 1-1 interviews, then Phenomonography with surveys. Im undecided as to weather I’ll use interpretative phenomenology or descriptive phenomenology. Might you consider doing a video?

@@JBBourne1984 We’ll certainly add those video ideas to our list, watch this space!

Thanks for commenting! We don't offer consultations but send us an email with some further details at support@thedegreedoctor.com and we can make some suggestions.

Thank you, Alison! That’s a great suggestion for a video topic - I’ll definitely add it to my content plan. In the meantime, here are a few quick tips: A thesis abstract is designed for examiners and focuses on the entire scope of your research, including methodology and results. A conference abstract, on the other hand, is tailored to the specific audience attending the conference - it needs to grab attention quickly, highlight the significance of your work, and focus on what’s most relevant to the conference theme. Keep it concise, engaging, and aligned with the conference’s goals. Stay tuned for a detailed video soon! 😊

Great question! The most important research gaps often depend on your field and research goals. Think about areas that are underexplored or need fresh perspectives - those are usually worth focusing on!

It can sometimes be easier to spot a research gap in a novel topic, but novelty also comes with challenges like limited existing literature. It's a tricky balance to strike!

Sounds like you're making great progress! Keep up the good work and feel free to reach out with any questions!

Pragmatism is a research paradigm that prioritises practical solutions and focuses on "what works" to address research questions, regardless of specific ontological or epistemological commitments - check out my video on pragmatism below and feel free to reach out with questions! th-cam.com/video/QRJ134WOUJw/w-d-xo.html

Your confidence will come in time - the main thing is that you're taking action and learning about the theories, which is great! Keep up the good work and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

@@DegreeDoctor Thank you so much for your feedback

Thank you for the suggestion, we may make a video on this in the future so stay tuned! In the meantime, check out channels from @DrAndyStapleton and @DrAminaYonis as they may have videos covering this.

Sure! We have a few videos on this, try this one to get started with: th-cam.com/video/V40DNTD0NkM/w-d-xo.html

@ thank you 🌸

So glad it was helpful, even a year later! Thanks for watching and taking the time to share your feedback 😊

@@DegreeDoctor Update: Thanks, it worked! I finally got a response even though this campaign (feels like one) began on 12/4/24. The first email I understood was around the holidays, but with next two emails seemed odd. I started to take it personally because I am not as assertive/aggressive as other students and it's a disadvantage here in the U.S. because you are overlooked. This has always been my problem.

Sure, it's this one from the TH-cam music library: th-cam.com/video/4dGrsZdApIc/w-d-xo.html

Thank you for your kind words! I’m so glad you enjoyed the video 😊.

Hi Robert! When searching for keywords, try breaking your topic into its main concepts and brainstorming synonyms or related terms for each one. Tools like Google Scholar’s advanced search can also be helpful. Let me know if you'd like more tips!

Great question! A conceptual definition explains the idea or construct broadly (what it is), while operationalisation is about how you measure or apply it in your study (how it’s observed).

Hope it's going well! Let me know if you have any questions about it!

Sounds like an important area of study! Best of luck with your work - qualitative research is so well-suited for understanding personal and complex experiences like this.

Sorry for jumping for a question. It is very interesting lesson. Thank you very much.

Sure! Pragmatism is a paradigm, as it provides a framework for understanding how we approach research, focusing on practical outcomes and "what works." On the other hand, ontology and epistemology are not paradigms themselves - they are foundational concepts that underlie paradigms. I hope this helps!

Thank you for such a rich and reflective comment - and for subscribing! 😊 I really appreciate the depth of your engagement with these paradigms and the thoughtfulness of your questions. Let me try to unpack and address your points step by step. It sounds like you're navigating an ontological realism with a constructivist epistemology - a fascinating combination that aligns closely with what we’d call critical realism. Critical realism acknowledges an independent reality (ontological realism) while emphasising that our knowledge of it is inevitably mediated by human constructs, interpretations, and models (epistemological constructivism). It doesn’t deny the existence of objective truths, but it does argue that our access to them is shaped by context, culture, and perspective, which aligns with your stance. Your critique of constructivism's tendency to overextend its epistemological concerns into ontological claims is a valid one, and I think many critical realists would agree with you. They argue that while our understanding is indeed mediated by "small world models" (a great term, by the way), this doesn’t mean the world itself is fragmented or unknowable - just that our perspectives are incomplete and often context-dependent. I highly recommend Roy Bhaskar's foundational works on critical realism, starting with "A Realist Theory of Science" if you're interested in the philosophical roots. For a more applied perspective, Andrew Sayer’s work could also help you bridge the gap between theoretical concerns and practical application in qualitative research. Another perspective that might resonate with your position is pragmatism, particularly as explored by Charles Sanders Peirce or William James. Pragmatism shares some overlap with critical realism in that it focuses on the usefulness of models and acknowledges their stance-dependence without veering into full-blown relativism. The application of these ideas to your field of professional chaplaincy and spiritual health is fascinating. It’s a field that naturally calls for grappling with complex constructs and multiple layers of meaning. Constructivist grounded theory might feel like a good fit because it provides a way to theorise these constructs while respecting the subjective experiences of participants, but your critical realist leanings could add valuable depth to your analysis. For example, you could frame your work as aiming to uncover shared underlying patterns (the "real") in how spiritual health is conceptualised, while remaining sensitive to the constructed and contextual nature of these interpretations. In summary, it sounds like you’re most aligned with critical realism, though I’d encourage you to explore the intersections of pragmatism as well. Both can provide a philosophical foundation that respects your realist ontology while accommodating the constructivist epistemological concerns that are so important to your field. Thanks again for such a thought-provoking comment and welcome to the channel!

@@DegreeDoctor This is incredibly helpful, thank you. I'll be watching your video on critical realism then very soon, and I'll definitely pick up Bhaskar's and Sayer’s works. I'd not thought about the pragmatist angle, but that also works well for a medical context. The thing these days is "evidence based practice," which isn't exactly what you're talking about, but I can see a connection. If adopting a critical realist perspective works and gives us something that will help, then we should do so unless and until something else comes along. Perhaps Peirce and/or James will provide a good reference for the dissertation. As you know, there's a premium put on the philosophical assumptions (especially related to epistemology) for GT studies, and mine will be no exception. If anything, I want to say a bit more about them just because I think that the assumptions themselves help motivate a GT study on spiritual health. Again, thanks for answering. I'll definitely be enjoying more of your content!

You're so welcome. Enjoy this journey of discovery, and let me know how you get on!

You're so welcome, and you CAN do this, keep going!

You're most welcome, I hope the video was helpful :-)