chap 7

Question 1

why conduct qualitative research

Answer 1

allows researchers to explore, examine and describe people’s lives using their own words can further our understanding of patient experiences and interpretations, determine processes of human experience, and reveal socio-cultural elements in everyday health care.

Question 2

big Q vs little q

Answer 2

Big Q
• Stand alone qualitative studies
• Studies part of multi-methods research
Little q
• Non-numerical (string) data in quantitative research (e.g., open-ended answers from a questionnaire)

Question 3

somme essential of qualitative research

Answer 3

The researcher and subjects (participants) are actively engaged in the research process:
• Researcher as ‘reflexive instrument’ • Participant as ‘consultant’
• It follows an inductive process that is not necessarily linear/straightforward.
• It describes phenomena (experiences, processes) as they occur naturally.
• No attempt is made to manipulate the situation under study.

Question 4

quantitative paradigm vs qualitative paradigm

Answer 4

quantitative: research Q -> collect data -> analyze data -> produce + share finding
qualitative: collect data -> analyze date -> collect date + research Q -> produce + share finding

Question 5

what are the 5 traditions of qualitative inquiry

Answer 5

Phenomenology: To describe/understand a persons perception of the meaning of an event or phenomena
• Grounded Theory: To generate a theory of explanation/description grounded in a phenomenon under study.
• Ethnography: To understand a group or culture, usually presented through the emic perspective
• Narrative: To explore the life history of an individual and organize chronologically
• Case study: To describe an entity that forms a single unit (case) such as a person, organization or institution.

Question 6

what is qualitative description

Answer 6

Qualitative Description: To discover and understand a phenomenon, a process, or the perspectives of the people involved
• Provides straight,but rich description of phenomenon
• Low inference comparison to traditional qualitative approach
• Provides a comprehensive summary of an event in the everyday terms of those events
• Can have ‘hues’ from other methodologies

Question 7

what is interpretive description

Answer 7

Seeks to identify patterns and themes
within data to generate findings that are pertinent and clinically useful
• Generate a better understanding of complex experiential clinical phenomenon
• Questions‘ from the field’

Question 8

what are the sampling type

Answer 8

Sampling Type
Purposeful Snowball
Convenience
Theoretical
Confirming / Disconfirming
Purpose

Participants that are good informants
Participants in the study recommend others
Participants that are available to the researcher
Participants selected based on the emerging theoretical scheme
Participants that can elaborate initial analyses

Question 9

why asking open -ended question during data collection

Answer 9

Emphasis on asking open-ended questions to encourage
participant input versus researcher input -> “how…” & “why…”
• Interview probes provide opportunity for in-depth discussion and
establishing description clarity

Question 10

where does participation observation take place, involve who and guided by what

Answer 10

Typically takes place in a natural setting for the participant:
• Nurses/Doctors: hospital units; Families: in their home; Communities
• Can involve the observer observing only or observing plus participating in participant-based activities.
• Guided by an observational protocol:
• To record participant information, the physical setting, particular events and activities, and researcher reactions.

Question 11

which document to use as source of info in data collection

Answer 11

Using participant pictures or diaries as sources of information.
• Using other historical documents (e.g., patient records, organizational information) as sources of information.

Question 12

what are the step for the recording in data collection

Answer 12

Recording the data: audio-taping / video-taping, field notes, pictures.
• Transcribing the data: ‘putting words to paper’.
• Involves listening to the audio-taped data and transferring it to
documents (usually computer-based) to enable analysis. • Using a data management program:
• Qualitative software such as N-Vivo to store your raw data and analysis.

Question 13

what is the inductive approach in data analysis

Answer 13

Is inductive:
• Data are transcribed and analyzed as they are being collected.
• The inductive approach enables the researcher to consider different data collection strategies to best achieve the study objectives and/or research questions:
• E.g., new interview questions, different types of participants needed in the study.

Question 14

the flexibility during data collection and analysis allows researcher to what

Answer 14

• probe areas that are underdeveloped, • confirm data observations,
• clarify concepts/experiences.

Question 15

what is the thematic analysis

Answer 15

refers to the researcher identifying common consistencies and meanings in the data

Question 16

what are the 3 stages of constant comparative method

Answer 16

Constant comparative method: Involves 3 stages:

1. Coding: reflects the essence of the data
2. Categorizing: codes placed into broad categories.
3. Analysis: Coded data will be indexed and compared based on research question.

Question 17

what does critiquing qualitative studies involve

Answer 17

assessing methodological rigor, credibility of the findings and their clinical relevance.

Question 18

what it is neccesaire to established rigour

Answer 18

Methodological Congruence
• Appropriate Sampling Technique • Inter-rater Reliability Scores
• External Review
• Member Checking
• Memos
• Audit Trails

Question 19

what is procedural ethic

Answer 19

Similar process as studies of other design.
• Ethical principals of maximum benefit and minimal harm.
• Even if you’re interviewing patients you already work with, you must develop a research protocol and submit it to ethics!
• Answer all questions on the HREB form even if they seem irrelevant! Figure out how they relate to your study.

Question 20

what is situational ethic

Answer 20

The nature of ethical problems in qualitative research is often subtle compared to quantitative research.
• Think of administering drugs in an RCT compared to interviewing parents for a phenomenological study
• Researchers can develop a relationship of trust in research involving in-depth observations or discussions on sensitive topics.
• This relationship can be misunderstood as a doctor-patient relationship or friendship.

Question 21

what is situational ethic

Answer 21

Vulnerability during interviews
• When participants indicate discomfort or are distressed.
• How many questions to ask?
• Deciding how much to probe or ask during an interview; look
to your participant for cues. • Confidentiality
• Ensuring confidentiality during group interviews (focus groups); what if you know the participants or they know each other?!?

Question 22

what is relational ethic

Answer 22

Related to the ethics of care (think about your role in the health care system and to that patient)
• Consider who the participants are and how we should relate to them during research
• Remember, you are conducting research in this role, not care.
• The role is mutual and respectful: they can choose to not share or decline participation (be clear this research will not affect their care)
• How you establish your relationship will alter the research process