QIKJS-Part.IV.J Qualitative Inquiry of Korean Judicial System Kiyoung Kim Professor of Law and Public Policy Dept. of Law, Chosun University Gawng-ju South Korea Relating to the Methodology: The Role of Researcher The General Role The primary role of researcher is to determine which type of interviews will be used, how the interview is prepared in terms of efficient productive protocol, how the interview questions will be detailed, and what the role of researcher is in conducting the researcher (i.e., whether he will employ an assistant or interview expert instead of self-engagement). There are three types of research interviews, what we call unstructured, structured and semistructured interview. It is generally advisable and also my case that the semi-structured interview often considered most suited to most adequately serve the value of ordinate and flexible data collection. The structured interview would be tight with verbally administered questionnaires – a list of predetermined questions with little or no variation, as well as no scope for follow up questions or further elaboration. The open-ended questions are typical in the semi-structured interview, which ensures a depth beyond the simple kind of literacy or numeracy problems. Given the nature of qualitative studies, the type of interview seems most appropriate although the structured interview is relatively quick and easy. Unstructured interviews occur when the researcher simply asks one and most immediate or main question, which bases his further interaction or elaboration with the interviewees. This type may be used if significant depth is required or there is virtually nothing known in the subject area. In this use, therefore, no preconceived theories or ideas are presumed or reflected in advance and the performance would be challenging to be usually time-consuming, difficult to manage, and little guided nor organized without a preparation. The most advantage lying within the semi-structured interview, in my view, is that the discovery or elaboration of information previously un-thought, but pertinent to the research, is possible thorough an interactive process with the participants. The next role of researcher is to prepare the interview protocol and interview questionnaires since the interviews are decided to be conducted by myself. In preparing these, the general advice and guide had been respected to perform efficiently, ethically, and productively. Negotiating the working relationships between the interviewers 2 and interviewees as well as establishing rapport are important that the researchers have to elaborate to assure. I believe that the role of research in the data collection procedure should be more or less structured to ensure the economy and flexibility as well as validity of research (Kim, 2015a,b,c,d,e). More structured approach can bring a timely or economical result to complete the research. Unduly tightly structured approach may impede the nature of qualitative studies, which is inductive and rigorous to respond with the continual dynamics of field. In other words, it may be preordained that the researchers should have to miss the emerging ideas that have to be incorporated into themes or concepts. On the while, the less structured approach may lead to inefficiency and disintegration that the researcher may float without a focus or planned framework of data collection. This is problematic in terms of satisfactory completion of research project in any ordinate way concerned of time and money plan, although they may gather a tack of fresh information in the forms of diary, journal writings, memos and on. Once I attributed the inductive research by comparing a dwarf with the giant. A due extent of data collection is necessary to make the qualitative studies creative and evidenced that the context of dwarf-like living – observational, sensitive and sanguine – is necessary, but certainly not the entirety of research operation. It needs to be constantly communicated with the literature or theory, at least with its terms or concepts thought to be relevant and chosen for that reason in order to color the empirical data with the highlight of scholarly character. This interaction between a dwarf and giant, often called influence in the academia, needs to be adequately performed for a successful research project. Hence, the role of researcher in the data collection is basically dual, in which his faithful devotion and skills on the interview or focus group meeting is most important. The faithful devotion seems most relevant with archiving of data and their result of analysis into Nvivo. My description for the role of researcher, therefore, is concerned firstly of the archival or storage of data that deals with the necessary structural thought according to the information of national data archives, one notable in Danish case. I also consider other practical points, say, what we actually do in the data collection procedure, such as interviews and focus group meeting. Some Specifics over the Stages The role of researcher, in order to faithfully execute his field work into any meaningful data or document, is crucial that results in a different quality of research outcome. Therefore, he or she needs to appreciate what occurs over the stage of research operation and shall perform important points to the convenience and validity of research (Kim, 2015a,b,c,e). A thematising requires the researcher as directed to the purpose of research that prepared him with the understanding of background for carrying on fieldwork, analysis and reporting. Designing needs to be considered for planned and prepared research operation that he answers the different steps interrelated, time schedule, selection of respondents – such as number or criteria of inclusion or exclusion. Interviewing has to be minded with an explicit decision about the outline of theme and interview coverage, tape or video-recording, 3 supplemental field notes, storage of data as text files, and recalling.1 A transcribing requires the research to do some additional interpretive work or specific comments, such as respondent's remarkable enthusiasm at some point of interview process. It needs to be noted that the transcripts in the qualitative data is not similar to those of quantitative ones, meaning "transcripts are not copies or representations of some original reality, they are interpretive constructions...." The role of researcher needs to be viewed in terms of analyzing, verifying and reporting. In the dimension of analyzing, the researcher concerns the naming and categorizing of phenomenon through a close examination of data, cohesive and integrative coding of data to one overall analysis and comprehensive narrative at all or web of meanings and use of his personal knowledge and experiences – his unique impressions intangible and undocumented. A verifying of the data is another important role of researcher concerning the generalizability, the reliability, and the validity of findings. The researcher at all stages of the research process tests them, which is inevitable before reporting findings.2 Reporting is final stage of archival to present his findings as peer students complete his dissertation that can be searched through the Walden library and ProQuest. In this stage, it is needless to mention that the researcher's influence is significant, for instance, judging the voice of respondent to be represented in amount and tones, respondent's remarks and the ways of their understanding, the amount of context in relation to specific respondents and etc. The researcher has to plan on the times and locations of interview which are most suitable for the participants. The area should be free from distractions. It is also the responsibility of research that he has to be prudent to ensure the process more natural and less rehearsed. It falls within the talent of researcher that comprehensive and representative data are collected during the interview,3 who promotes the environment for the participants to recount their experiences as fully as possible. In my qualitative research, the focus groups will be used since (i) it relates to group norms, meanings and process, (ii) it helps to clarify, extend, qualify or challenge data collected through other methods, (iii) it can feedback results to research participants. The role of researcher in conducting the focus groups is to decide a group composition and size, which is critical to get the best quality of discussion. According to the generally permissible range, I will use around ten-participants focus group.4 The researcher 1 Although recalling is an insecure way of collecting data, it has advantage when the researcher wants getting non-verbal information as well. 2 In practice, there hardly ever seems that any explicit evidence is required that verification takes place. 3 The respondent's body language sometimes can be meaningful that he may adopt nodding, smiling or other open and emotionally neutral body language into any implicit information. 4 Stewart and Shadsani suggest (i) slightly over-recruitment and management of a slightly larger group that can 4 is responsible to prepare the interview schedule in compliance with two general principles (i) questions more general to more specific (ii) relevance to the importance of issues. Since the researcher will participate as a moderator, his role during the session has to be reflected implicitly before the group meeting. Fruitful discussions will be resulted that the participants have valuable views and are active, positive and respectful. The role of moderator is to guide a discussion meaning that he has to care not to express his own views. This can discourage the participants that may lose confidence to be open and honest. The moderator is prepared for unpalatably critical viewpoints, perhaps important to the research topic. The moderator needs to be comfortable and natural, which is critical to ensure the relaxed mood of session. lead to a later cancellation of session or an unsatisfactory discussion (ii) optimum range is six to eight participants (three and as many as 14 can be successful). 5 References Kim, Kiyoung, An Attempt on the Methodological Composure: Between the Number and Understanding, Nature and Construction (December 12, 2015a). K. Kim, An Attempt on the Methodological Composure: Between the Number and Understanding, Nature and Construction, Chosun University, 2015. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2702701 Kim, Kiyoung and Ju, Hyun-Meong and Khatun, Marium, A Reflection on the Research Method and Exemplary Application to the College and University Rankings (October 23, 2015b). Kiyoung Kim, Hyun-Meong Ju, Marium Khatun. A Reflection on the Research Method and Exemplary Application to the College and University Rankings. Education Journal. Vol. 4, No. 5, 2015, pp. 250-262. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20150405.23. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2686045 Kim, Kiyoung, Concerning the Research and Science (April 10, 2015c). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2592858 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2592858 Kim, Kiyoung, On the Method: Quantitative Reasonsing and Social Science (April 17, 2015d). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2595633 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2595633 Kim, Kiyoung, The Research Design and Methodologidal Deliberation (December 23, 2015e). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=