42. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Flashcards
- Briefly list a few characteristics of Qualitative Research.
- it is subjective
- it is based on interviews
- it focuses on the stories and words of participants
- it is non-numerical
- it makes use of less participants
- each participant provides a large, thorough amount of
information
- What is Qualitative Research?
- it is the collection and analysis of data
- this data consists of words
- it is not quantitative, numerical data
- What is the aim of Qualitative Resreach?
- to help researchers understand why something is the
way that it is - to help us understand phenomena in depth
- How large is the number of research participants that are used in Qualitative Research?
- it makes use of a small number of Research patients
THIS KIND OF STUDY DOES NOT AIM TO PRESENT:
- generalisable results
IT AIMS TO PRESENT RESULTS:
- that are specific to a group of people
- this helps us to understand the group of people in
depth
- helps us to see what these individuals go through
- helps us to understand why they go through this
- What is a necessary aspect that is needed in Qualitative Research?
- a Research question
- Define a Research Question?
- this is a question that can be addressed by Conducting
Research - this is done by collecting data
THE RESEARCH QUESTION:
- should be very specific
- this is so that we can collect the most appropriate
research
- What do Researchers start with when they are doing a Qualitative Research Study?
- they start with a general topic
- they read the relevant literature on the topic
- this helps them to refine their research question
- they then try to fill in the gaps in the research
- Can Qualitative Research stand alone?
- YES
- this allows it to answer specific Research Questions
IT CAN ALSO:
- offer support to Quantitative Research
- What are three examples of Stand-Alone Qualitative Research?
- Experiences of stigma amongst AIDS patients
- How patients react to Breast Cancer
- How doctors view working with different patients
- How do Researcher’s explore Stand-Alone Qualitative Research topics?
- they make use of the patient’s words
- What is this an example of?
- Qualitative Research that is supporting Quantitative
Research
WE CAN SEE THAT THIS IS A QUANTITATIVE FINDING:
- it gives us a good idea of what the average results are
in a general population
- it does not gives us an understanding of the findings in
depth
IN ORDER TO DO THAT:
- the researchers have to ask the men and women in
that age group a series of questions
- this will combine the Quantitative research with the
Qualitative Research
- this helps us to understand much more about what is
going on in the study
- What do Researchers have to do before they can analyse the Qualitative data?
- they have to collect it
- this is done through asking questions
- or through observation
- What are the three main methods of collecting Qualitative Data?
- Interviews and Questionnaires
- Focus Groups
- Observations
NB:
- these can be done one by one
- they can also be done simultaneously
- Define: Interviews.
- these are a form of conversation
THE RESEARCHERS:
- will pose questions
- the research participant is expected to do most of the
talking
THE DURATION OF THE INTERVIEW:
- can be short
- or long
(such as an hour to an hour and a half)
THE INTERVIEW
- is usually recorded
- it is transcribed in verbatim
- the emotions of the participant can also be noted
- How many participants and interviews are usually conducted by Researchers in a Qualitative Research study?
- 10 interviews
THE RESEARCHERS STOP THE INTERVIEWS:
- when they feel that saturation is achieved
- this is when the researcher has all the information they
need
- they have enough data to answer and understand the
research question
- What is the purpose of Interviews?
- to gather enough data
- to understand a phenomenon in depth
- or to answer a question adequately
- What are the two types of interviews we can have?
- STRUCTURED
- the interviewer leads completely
- they have all their questions written and prepared
beforehand
- the interview is guided and rigid - SEMI-STRUCTURED
- this is when the researchers comes with some specific
questions beforehand
- they continue to come up with new questions over
the course of the interview
- these new question are based on the participants
previous answers
- Define: Focus Groups.
- this is a group discussion
- it works like an interview with numerous participants
- it helps to study many people at once
- this makes it more convenient
FOCUS GROUPS:
- are less expensive
- What are the advantages of Focus Groups?
- It helps the Researcher to get an idea of the situation
before they set up a larger study - It makes sense of Qualitative Results
- It can be a stand-alone Research Method
- given that there is a specific research question to
answer
- given that the data saturation is checked - Researchers can organise as many focus groups as
they need
- to get a sufficient amount of information
- Define: Observation.
- this is a systematic and long observation of behaviour
- this is observed in its natural environment
EXAMPLE:
- going to observe the treatment and procedure for a
specific disease
- observing the patient’s reaction to this procedure
- Which fields make large use of Observations?
- Social Anthropology
- Sociology
- Education
- What is the purpose of Observations?
- to understand the rationale of behaviour
- What are the three kinds of Observations that we can have?
- Overt
- Cover
- Participant
- What is an Overt Observation?
- the participants know that they are being observed
- this is the most common
- it is the most ethical
- What is a Covert Observation?
- the participants do not know that they are being
observed
- What is a Participant Observation?
- the research is done by participating in the study and
making observations - this is an active form of Research
- the researcher is part of the participants
- demands that the researcher simultaneously plays two
different roles
- What happens during an Observation?
- THE RESEARCHER
- writes everything they have observed on paper - ALL THE INFORMATION
- is coded and analysed - THE OBSERVATION IS OFTEN COMBINED WITH
INTERVIEWS
- this allows us to compare what the participants say
with what they do
- this depends on the topic and what you want to
explore
