International Journal of Qualitative Research

Artificial Intelligence in Psychological Qualitative Data Analysis: Is It a Balance Between Efficiency and Originality?

2025-08-20T07:48:21+07:00

Technological advancements have ushered in significant changes in the way activities are carried out across the world, including within the research domain. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly being applied to support a range of research tasks, such as data analysis. This has received both enthusiasm and skepticism. The purpose of this scoping review was to explore the benefits and drawbacks of using AI tools in analysing psychological qualitative data to establish if there is a balance between efficiency and human originality. Eight studies formed the sample, as there is limited research that utilised AI tools in analysing qualitative psychological data. Findings show that AI tools have the potential to make data analysis accurate, efficient, and scalable, improving behaviour prediction and giving nuanced and objective analysis. On the other hand, it was noted that these tools may perpetuate inherent biases, raise some ethical concerns, lack transparency, and may generate misinformation. To create a balance between efficiency and human originality, cognisance must be given to the fact that these tools must not come as a substitute for traditional qualitative analysis of psychological data, but must be used in a hybrid form of approach. Of importance, training data for these tools should always be updated to avoid bias and possible violation of human rights.

Collaborative Autoethnography Qualitative Study on Essential Tips for Successful Graduate Dissertation Writing: Insights from Academicians in Higher Education

2025-08-21T17:09:16+07:00

The graduate dissertation is a crucial milestone in academic studies, serving as a definitive demonstration of a student's research maturity. However, recent research reveals that many graduate students face significant challenges during the writing process. Drawing from the personal experiences of two supervisors from Tanzania and the Philippines, each with years of experience in higher education, this study provides essential, experience-driven tips to help post-graduate students navigate this complex endeavor. The study synthesizes systematic observations of recurring challenges, misconceptions, and struggles that students encounter across diverse academic disciplines. It offers practical guidance on key aspects, including familiarization with institutional guidelines, strategic topic selection, effective proposal writing, coherent data presentation, analysis, discussion of findings, and proper citation and referencing. By following the tips outlined in this study, post-graduate students can enhance their chances of producing high-quality work that meets institutional standards and showcases their academic abilities, ultimately improving their success during the dissertation writing process. This research addresses a critical gap in existing literature and suggests that future studies should explore the applicability of these strategies in various institutional contexts.

Stakeholder Dynamics and the Implementation of Immigration Policy: Insights from Durban Harbour

2025-08-19T17:00:20+07:00

Immigration control at key ports of entry, such as Durban Harbour, does not occur in isolation; it is shaped by how well government agencies communicate, coordinate, and cooperate in practice. The researchers examined the dynamics of stakeholder management and inter-agency cooperation in the implementation of immigration policies at one of South Africa’s busiest harbours. Using a qualitative case study design, in-depth interviews were conducted with senior officials from the South African Police Service (SAPS) to explore how stakeholder relationships influence policy execution. Although formal arrangements, such as Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and the Local Seaport Core Command (LSCC), are in place, the findings reveal persistent institutional silos, weak enforcement of collaborative frameworks, and limited accountability mechanisms. Agencies were found to prioritise internal organisational objectives over collective action, undermining the effectiveness of immigration policy enforcement. The researchers call for a national framework to strengthen inter-agency coordination and establish clearer operational roles for enhanced national security. The research contribution lies in offering empirical insights into how cooperation, or the lack thereof, shapes immigration governance, with broader implications for public management and stakeholder theory in complex, multi-actor environments.

Towards Inclusive Tourism Governance: Social Inequality and Community Representation in Soppeng Tourism Villages

2025-07-20T15:56:36+07:00

This article analyzes social inequality and community representation in the governance of tourism villages in Soppeng Regency, South Sulawesi. The research used a qualitative approach with an exploratory case study design in three tourist villages: Lompulle, Bulue, and Mattabulu. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation, then analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis techniques. The results showed that local social structures play a central role in determining policy direction, benefit distribution, and tourism decision-making. Community participation is collective yet hierarchically structured, while informal mechanisms such as customary deliberations serve as a means of conflict resolution. The involvement of women and youth tends to be limited to operational functions, not at the strategic level. These findings show that the seemingly participatory governance of tourism villages is actually still trapped in patronistic logic and structural exclusion. Therefore, this study recommends the importance of policy interventions that strengthen inclusive representation and equitable distribution of power to support sustainable tourism development based on social justice.

Good Governance Indonesian Forestry: A Fair Justice System

2025-11-03T15:14:56+07:00

Many studies have identified the relationship between corruption and the socio-economic life of society. Generally, the results of research indicate that corruption is detrimental to the economy and society. Corruption can create burdens for society, companies, and the government. Therefore, the impact of corruption is calculated as a state loss. Corruption in the form of embezzlement occurs frequently in both the public and private sectors. Bribery and extortion are common in the public sector. Several studies related to corruption have identified the effects of corruption on social and economic life. Other studies have identified the implementation of corruption in the public and private sectors. This study will discuss the law enforcement of corruption. It identified decisions of law enforcement at the Supreme Court, specifically regarding corruption in the forestry sector. This study used content analysis to identify Supreme Court decision documents. The results indicate that a significant amount of corruption results from illegal land transfer and forest land ownership. The content analysis indicated that the Supreme Court's judicial system, particularly regarding corruption in the forestry sector, is quite fair. However, further analysis is needed regarding the sentences given to the defendants to decrease corruption.

Unraveling Tobacco Tax Evasion in Bangladesh: Evasion Tactics and Prevention Challenges

2025-07-27T19:55:38+07:00

Despite having a high tax rate, tobacco products in Bangladesh are purchasable at lower prices due to tax evasion and avoidance compared to the rest of the world. Therefore, this study intends to explore the ways of tobacco tax evasion and challenges within the current tax system to prevent tax evasion in Bangladesh. A qualitative approach has been adopted, involving 30 in-depth interviews with retailers and 10 key informant interviews with key stakeholders. While conducting IDIs, tobacco products were also observed to identify tax-evaded products. Secondary data was gathered from relevant reports and journal articles. These were analyzed employing a thematic analysis approach. The study reveals that tax evasion in Bangladesh primarily occurs through the use of counterfeit tax stamps, illicit trade, fraudulent financial reporting, and illegal production. It also highlights the misuse of the tax tier system and the weak enforcement and monitoring system as key challenges of the current tax system in Bangladesh. These findings underscore the importance of a centralized digital monitoring system using tools such as digital tax stamps or QR codes and scanners to detect tax information to enhance tobacco tax compliance and prevent tax evasion in Bangladesh.

Digital Activism and Protest Movements in Indonesia, Analysis of Collective Action 2014-2024

2025-11-17T20:36:04+07:00

This study examines protest dynamics in Indonesia from 2014 to 2024, analyzing patterns of collective action across five distinct actor categories: political parties, societal groups, labor unions, civil society organizations, and students. Drawing on comprehensive protest data from the Indonesian National Police, we identify key temporal patterns, triggering events, and actor-specific mobilization trends. Our findings reveal three significant protest waves (2014, 2016-2017, and 2020) corresponding to electoral cycles, economic reforms, and contentious legislation. Analysis demonstrates that different actor groups respond to distinct mobilizing factors: political parties to electoral opportunities, labor unions to economic reforms, students to democratic concerns, and civil society to governance issues. The study contributes to social movement theory by providing empirical evidence of how political opportunity structures, resource mobilization, and frame alignment manifest in an emerging democratic context. These findings enhance understanding of contentious politics in Indonesia and offer insights into the evolving nature of democratic participation in Southeast Asia.

Building Educational Resilience through Education 4.0 in Africa

2025-08-06T21:10:51+07:00

This paper aims to describe the digitalization in Educative system in Côte d’Ivoire according to the Education 4.0 paradigm to promote digital appropriation and build social resilience in a challenging context. Through a multisite ethnography case study in Côte d’Ivoire, a West African country, observation, interviews, and focus groups were used to collect data from a convenience sample of 20 participants (students, educators, parents, administrators) settled in 3 cities of the country. Based on Education 4.0 lenses, findings underlined the benefits and challenges of techno-pedagogy and technology integration according to Educative institutions' capacities in terms of Competencies, Learning methods, Information and communication technologies (ICT) categories, and Infrastructure levels. Moreover, participants show the integration of 21st century learning as an approach to support digital as a tool of educative resilience. As recommendations, an educative system approach including techno-pedagogy and 21st century pedagogy is a strategic approach for an effective educative system in Côte d’ Ivoire in this changing world, according to SDGs and internationalization of education trends.

“A Blessing and a Curse”: Challenges, Strategies, and Needs of International Graduates in the Midwest USA

2025-07-21T19:52:27+07:00

International graduate students are among the most vulnerable populations in university settings due to diverse academic, social, and mental health challenges. Despite this, few studies have examined how they navigate these difficulties. This study explored the mental health experiences and coping mechanisms of international graduate students at a large, research-intensive university in the Midwestern United States through a resilience-informed lens. Using a descriptive qualitative design, nine participants were recruited through purposive sampling, and semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three main themes emerged: (1) the ups and downs of stress, describing the fluctuating nature of students’ emotional well-being; (2) finding ways to thrive, highlighting diverse coping strategies and personal growth; and (3) the need for proactive services, emphasizing students’ calls for tailored institutional support. While existing services were acknowledged, participants identified gaps in culturally and contextually relevant resources. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on international students’ mental health, coping mechanisms, and service needs in higher education.

Embracing the Benefits of an Online Learning Approach: Exploring the New Teaching Set-up in the Academic Sphere

2025-10-29T07:32:19+07:00

The study explored the benefits of the online learning approach as a new setup of teaching modality. Specifically, it examined the benefits as experienced by the students. Qualitative in-depth interviews were utilized in this study, and purposive sampling was used to select the participants. The participants were students invited from one of the universities in the Philippines. Thematic analysis was employed to extract themes from the transcribed interviews of the participants. The study revealed six themes: Self-Directed Learning, Breaking the Culture of Being a Dependent Learner, Online Learning Broadens Academic Horizons, Online Learning Improves Academic Performance, Online Learning Offers Students the Accessibility of Time, and Opportunity to Pursue a Degree from Home. The findings suggest that this new setup of teaching should be adopted by all universities to cater to the needs of students who are unable to attend school due to certain circumstances and who wish to complete their college degrees.