Online qualitative research techniques for the geography of economic development /
This case study discusses the use of three online research tools to supplement face-to-face interviews for a qualitative study in the field of economic development. It explores the use of online trade journals, podcasts, and webinars in the study of the geography of "Ports to Plains," a fr...
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
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London :
SAGE Publications, Ltd.,
2022.
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| Series: | SAGE research methods: doing research online.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | This case study discusses the use of three online research tools to supplement face-to-face interviews for a qualitative study in the field of economic development. It explores the use of online trade journals, podcasts, and webinars in the study of the geography of "Ports to Plains," a freight transportation corridor in West Texas. I devised the project's original research plan prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was based largely on in-person interviews of stakeholders in the proposed freight corridor, including elected officials, officials of economic development corporations in communities along the corridor, and marketing officials of three rail companies whose lines intersect with the corridor. Pandemic-related workplace changes necessitated a modest redesign of the research plan to include more online sources. Trade journals provide detailed insights by experts in freight and cargo movement that go beyond that which academic articles typically provide. Podcasts are easy to access and provide insights into general trends in US-Mexico trade and freight movements. Webinars generally offered the opportunity to pose questions directly to the expert participants, making them very good resources, often the equivalent of focus-group interviews. Although the research project specifically covers transportation geography and economic development, research in other disciplines can benefit from the three types of online research sources. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource. |
| ISBN: | 9781529601626 1529601622 |