Reply to Study: "Discussions of D.C. public school options in an online forum" (yes, this one)

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Reply to "Study: "Discussions of D.C. public school options in an online forum" (yes, this one)"

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[quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous]YIKES! Just read Jeff's blog on the front page, and then the study. As a sociologist familiar with content analysis (including qualitative analysis software like NVivo), I'm appalled at the methodology (and lack of its discussion) of this report.  The whole thing should be retracted. If the authors tried having this peer reviewed properly by submitting to a decent journal, they would get some (free) lessons on how to properly design a qualitative study using anonymous Internet forums as a source.

I can also highly recommend this textbook:  
https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-handbook-of-online-research-methods/book245027 [/quote]

It has become clear to me that the methodology was a sideshow. They just wanted enough data to serve as window dressing. All that was important to them were the main conclusions that DCUM posters support segregation. The data just needed to be sufficient to get others to talk about that top line, and it has mostly worked for them. Very few people are rejecting the conclusions because the analysis is bad and most don't even care to examine it.

It is interesting that they conclude:

[quote]The conversations on DC Urban Moms illustrate what other research has also shown: When privileged parents choose, they tend to choose segregation.[/quote]

But then Williamson told the Washington Post:

[quote]Williamson said that the study does not reach any quantitative conclusions on how the forum may contribute to school segregation. [/quote]

So which is it?

DC public schools face a horrendous number of obstacles. But among the most disappointing is the tremendous number charlatans who are making a living off the poorly-educated children of DC.

[/quote]

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