Thoughts on J. Maxwell's Chapter 4: The Research Question

Thoughts on J. Maxwell's Chapter 4: The Research Question

After reading this chapter, I feel like I have a pretty good handle on understanding the role of the research question. I am hoping that after I engage in his exercise at the end of the chapter, I will have an even better grasp of how to write research questions or at least engage in the beginning steps of this process. After all, Maxwell suggests that in the beginning we merely have preliminary questions. As qualitative researchers, our research questions evolve over time from a combination of our data and preliminary questions. In that way, we are able to remain true to our intention and answer the "right" questions in our study.

One particular quote that stuck out at me and about which I would like to discuss deals with the realist versus instrumentalist perspectives on perceptions and beliefs. The quote is:

"...from a realist perspective, perceptions and beliefs are real phenomena, and neither is something that can be inferred with certainty from interview data (p. 74)."

If I understand it correctly, instrumentalists focus on that which can be observed. Because perceptions and beliefs are not directly observable, they are not considered phenomena. Realists, on the other hand, disagree. They find merit in such phenomena and give such objects merit. The part that is confusing me is the second part of the quotation, "...neither is something that can be inferred with certainty from interview data." I am wondering then how they can be inferred. Could one argue that so long as espoused platforms and platforms in use are aligned, one could observe beliefs through the actions of the participant? If however, a discrepancy exists between the two and the participant does not act in accordance with his/her inherent beliefs, then such behaviors would not be observable. They would "counteract" the data. (Counteract is not the word for which I am looking, but I cannot at the moment think of a better one. I'm searching for something that means "goes against" or "in opposition." I'm thinking that invalidates is too strong of a word, too. It will come to me.) If we are dealing with perceptions, wouldn't we have to get such information from interviews? How else would we uncover a participant's perceptions? I guess that part is where I am struggling. Since perceptions and beliefs cannot be obtained with certainty from interviews, then how would we as qualitative researchers obtain such information? Would it require a triangulation of some kind between interview, participant observation, and member checking data perhaps?