Acquisition of qualitative video data: methods and reflections in PER

Abstract

Video Data is commonly collected in PER to allow for insights into how learning and teaching unfold over time. One might think the collection of video data is straightforward, but there are key decisions about gathering video that can profoundly impact the entire project. Here we take a microscope at the common practices of gathering video data in PER. Through two existing cases in the qualitative PER literature, we describe how and why PER scholars made those key decisions. We open the black box of research planning and decision-making when video data is being collected. By increasing transparency, we aim for the community to better understand the decisions made behind the scenes in the research process, which may strengthen other PER scholars' future research endeavors.