Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods & Analysis
2025-2026 Webcast Lecture Series
Strategic Data Collection for Qualitative Studies
Dr. Bess Rouse
Friday, October 3 | Noon – 1:15 PM EDT
Abstract
An effective strategy for conducting high-quality qualitative research under academic publication pressures begins with deliberate choices about what data to collect and how to collect it. In this talk, we’ll explore strategic approaches to designing qualitative data collection that enhance analytical potential and methodological rigor. I’ll present practical strategies for context selection, sampling, and design choices that leverage variance and process. We’ll discuss how to design studies for meaningful contrasts and comparisons, and develop research protocols that generate rich, comprehensive data. This session emphasizes the critical front-end decisions that determine what data you have available and how they enable the development of compelling theoretical insights. Participants will gain practical tools for establishing a foundation for logical, persuasive methods sections that demonstrate scholarly rigor.
Dr. Bess Rouse
Biography
Bess Rouse is an associate professor of management and organization and a Hillenbrand Family Faculty Fellow at Boston College. She received her PhD from Boston College and her bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on collaboration at work, creative processes, and how creative workers psychologically attach to and detach from the products they make. Methodologically, much of her research is inductive, qualitative, and process-focused in nature. She has studied contexts such as entrepreneurship, video game design, modern dance, advertising, and product development and design. Her articles have been published in various outlets including Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Discoveries, and Academy of Management Collections. She is currently an outgoing associate editor at Academy of Management Journal.
