Course: Research Methods
Bracketing in qualitative research is the practice of setting aside personal beliefs to better understand a phenomenon.
“Bracketing,” you ask? This term may sound unusual, but it’s crucial in the world of qualitative research. Remember when you would “put on hold” your favorite video game to finish your homework? You could think of bracketing in a similar way. Researchers put their own ideas, beliefs, or biases on hold to understand something from a fresh perspective. It’s like pressing the pause button on your thoughts!
Exploring Bracketing in Different Fields
Let’s see how bracketing looks in various fields. We’ll explore criminal justice, social work, and political science.
Criminal Justice: Setting Aside Biases
Imagine a researcher in criminal justice. They’re studying the experiences of people who’ve been in prison. The researcher has personal beliefs about prisoners, formed by their upbringing, the media, and society. However, they use bracketing to set these beliefs aside. They aim to understand the experiences of these individuals without preconceptions. By doing so, they can gather honest, unbiased data.
Social Work: Maintaining Objectivity
In social work, a researcher might study the impact of poverty on mental health. The researcher could have strong views about poverty and mental health. However, they practice bracketing. They put their personal opinions to one side. This allows them to collect data and analyze it objectively. They want to ensure their own thoughts don’t color their understanding of the issue.
Political Science: Acknowledging Personal Beliefs
A political scientist could be studying the effect of political campaigns on voter behavior. The scientist, being human, has political opinions. However, they use bracketing during their research. They acknowledge their personal beliefs, then set them aside. This lets them analyze the data without being influenced by their own political preferences.
The Purpose of Bracketing
By now, you’ve got a feel for what bracketing is all about. In each case, researchers acknowledged their beliefs. They then set them aside, or “bracketed” them, to not interfere with their research. This practice increases the reliability of the study. It ensures the findings reflect the reality of the subject matter, not the researcher’s personal biases.
A Tool for Honesty
Bracketing is like a tool in a researcher’s toolbox. It’s there to help keep the study honest and clear. Without bracketing, our personal beliefs could color our work. But by consciously setting these aside, we can come closer to the truth. That’s why bracketing is so important in qualitative research. Remember, next time you hear “bracketing,” think about setting aside biases for clearer understanding.