Qualitative Formula Experssion Help!

Who Knows?

Hi,

I am currently writing up my research and I wanted to summarise some of the qualitative findings in a formula-like expression. However, the problem I am having is whether I can describe it as a formula if the variable are quantitative in nature. For example (not actual expression but gives you an idea of the qualitative nature of the findings....), if I was looking as political value, I may say that:

Value = Opportunity – Resistance

Can I use such "expression" or what area should I be looking at to get a better idea on this area. These variables are not 'tangible' per se, but I felt it summarises some of the main findings. This is not my strongest area and I was hoping I could get your thoughts on this? What area should I be exploring to refine such expressions (if they even exist?)? I do not have a maths backgrounds, so if you have any simple sources to follow, I would much appreciate it.

Apologies in advance if this is a 'strange' query....
Many thanks in advance for your assistance.

baby and crumble

Why would you want to do this? The value of qualitative research is its openness. Also, ascribing these kinds of quantitative expressions to your findings which, if it's a qualitative study, will have had a non-representative sample, is getting into dangerous territory- you'd be ripped apart in a viva for ascribing statistically significant results to qualitative data. At least I'd imagine so.

Who Knows?

Thanks for your reply.

I guess I was considering a way to provide a snapshot of overall findings. I am using emripical data to explain a new area of research and I thought it 'could' be a nice summary?

So, in short, you are saying this is not done in qualitative research and a dangerous tactic?

As my research methods, I carried out observations, online surveys, interviews, and secondary data analysis. Sample of 100.

Ostrom

As above

Include it as a general statement (in non-equation form) if you must, but that level of formalisation is unsuitable for your type of data

edit: last bit of your post - the area to read up on this would be measurement theory, but there is little you can do at this stage

Chapter four of this book gives a good introduction to measurement in political research if you want to include some commentary on possible procedures involved. If you wanted to specify such a model with quantitative data, you would need a good degree of precision with your measures

baby and crumble

Well I mean I would just be wary of those kinds of measures being seen as absolute, and with qualitative data you just can't be absolute.

COuld you maybe come up with some kind of graphic to illustrate your points? Rather than Value = Opportunity – Resistance perhaps a circular graphic of some kind would be useful...