Chapter 12 Selecting a Qualitative Research Design

Question 1

Bracketing

Answer 1

1. Identification of any previous knowledge, ideas, or beliefs about the phenomenon under investigation (phenomenology).
2. A reflective self-assessment whereby the researcher articulates assumptions, knowledge, and ideas that are brought to the research project about the particular phenomenon.
3. The researcher is to suspend the identified assumptions for the purpose of approaching the lived experience under study from a fresh perspective.

Question 2

Category

Answer 2

Type of concept that is usually used for a higher level of abstraction.

Question 3

Coding

Answer 3

Process by which data are conceptualized.

Question 4

Confirmability

Answer 4

Method used to establish the scientific rigor of phenomenological research. It has three elements: auditability, credibility, and fittingness. Auditability requires the reader to be able to follow the researcher’s decision path and reach a similar conclusion. Credibility requires that the phenomenological description of the lived experience be recognized by people in the situation as an accurate description of their own experience. Fittingness requires that the phenomenological description is grounded in the lived experience and reflects typical and atypical elements of the experience.

Question 5

Constant comparative method

Answer 5

Form of qualitative data analysis that categorizes units of meaning through a process of comparing incident to incident until concepts emerge - grounded theory.

Question 6

Essences

Answer 6

Elements or structured units that give an understanding of the lived experience.

Question 7

Ethnography

Answer 7

1. A qualitative research approach developed by anthropologists, involving the study and description of a culture in the natural setting. The researcher is intimately involved in the data collection process and seeks to understand fully how life unfolds for the particular culture under study.
2. Examines the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of sociological units. The researcher becomes immersed in the subject’s way of life to understand cultural forces that shape behavior and feelings.

Question 8

Fieldwork

Answer 8

An anthropological research approach that involves prolonged residence with members of the culture that is being studied. Field notes are written as detailed descriptions of researchers’ observations, experiences, and conversations in the “field” (research setting).

Question 9

Grounded theory

Answer 9

1. Discovery of a theory from data that have been systematically obtained through research.
2. Based on the sociological philosophy of symbolic interaction.
3. The researcher collects, codes, and analyzes data simultaneously and identifies relevant variables, leading to the development of theoretical concepts that are “grounded” in observations. The purpose is to develop a theory that will explain what is observed.

Question 10

Lived experience

Answer 10

The focus of phenomenology. It consists of everyday experiences of an individual in the context of normal pursuits. It is what is real and true to the individual.

Question 11

Memos

Answer 11

Write-up of ideas about codes and their relationships as they occur to the researcher while coding.

Question 12

Participant observation

Answer 12

A technique in anthropological fieldwork. It involves direct observation of everyday life in study participants’ natural settings and participation in their lifestyle and activities to the greatest extent possible.

Question 13

Phenomenology

Answer 13

1. A philosophy and research method that explores and describes everyday experience as it appears to human consciousness in order to generate and enhance the understanding of what it means to be human. Phenomenology limits philosophical inquiry to acts of consciousness.
2. A descriptive, retrospective, in-depth reflective analysis of a conscious lived experience.
3. Purpose is to describe the intrinsic traits or essences of the lived experience (not simply to focus on themes).
4. Relies on narrative subjective experiences to study the essence of an experience as perceived by the individual.

Question 14

Purposive sampling

Answer 14

Selecting and interviewing participants who have actually lived and experienced the phenomena of interest - used in phenomenology.

Question 15

Saturation

Answer 15

Point when data collection is terminated because no new descriptions and interpretations of the lived experience are coming from the study participants (phenomenology).

Question 16

Symbolic interaction

Answer 16

Theoretical orientation to qualitative research; focus is on the nature of social interaction among individuals.

Question 17

Theoretical sampling

Answer 17

Process used in data collection that is controlled by the emerging theory; researcher collects, codes, and analyzes the data.

Question 18

Purpose of qualitative research

Answer 18

To examine individual experiences using a holistic approach that is concerned with the nature of “reality” as the participants understand it.

Question 19

Qualitative designs are approaches used to discover knowledge and understand rich descriptions of meanings from _ experiences.

Answer 19

Social.

Question 20

_ assesses and systematically relates human knowledge and experience from an integrating perspective.

Answer 20

Philosophy.

Question 21

In phenomenology, _ sampling is used, and data collection continues until _ occurs.

Answer 21

Purposive; saturation.

Question 22

Informed consent

Answer 22

The knowledgeable and expressed choice of an individual to participate in a research project without coercion, deceit, or duress.

Question 23

Some IRBs have an expedited review process for _ research proposals because restricting access to treatment and manipulation of the interventions are not part of these study designs.

Answer 23

Qualitative.

Question 24

Interviews conducted in phenomenology are usually _

Answer 24

Unstructured. (The researcher may rephrase the participant’s statements, ask follow-up questions, or request multiple interviews as needed to elicit a full description of the experience.)

Question 25

_ is not relevant in phenomenology because the data is contextual; no generalizations can be made.

Answer 25

Validity.

Question 26

A _ is usually not preceded by an extensive literature review and synthesis.

Answer 26

Phenomenology.

Question 27

A research approach that involves prolonged residence with members of a culture being studied is often referred to as _

Answer 27

Field work. (Residence of 5 months to 5 years in the culture.)

Question 28

A form of qualitative statistical analysis that categorizes unit of meaning through a process of comparing incident to incident is termed _

Answer 28

Constant comparative method.

Question 29

Qualitative research, especially a grounded theory approach, often generates _ theory.

Answer 29

Mid-level.

Question 30

The use of naturalistic settings is important because qualitative researchers consider the _ to be very important in understanding a phenomenon.

Answer 30

Context. (Reality is socially constructed, and we share beliefs and experiences around phenomena of interest, but reality is also linked to how each individual experiences reality in his/her own way - i.e., multiple realities.)

Question 31

Trustworthiness

Answer 31

The concern of research rigor in qualitative studies (rather than reliability and validity). Four components of interest:

1. Credibility: How truthful or believable are the findings? Was there extended time in the field? And member checks?
2. Transferability: Ability to transfer findings. Has sufficient information been provided about the context?
3. Dependability: Stability. Was there consistency of data in interviews?
4. Confirmability: Captures a sense of objectivity in the research. Was there use of audit trails and/or judge panels?

Question 32

Grounded theory uses _ sampling initially and _ sampling as data emerges.

Answer 32

Purposive; theoretical. (Theoretical sampling is specific to the grounded theory approach.)

Question 33

Four stages of field work

Answer 33

1. Focus on making contact, establishing relationships, trust, and rapport; adjustment to role.
2. Cultivates relationships with key informants - those individuals willing to express cultural information verbally.
3. Can raise more sensitive questions and obtain larger amounts of data; refine themes by validating data analyses, and broaden understanding of how representative the research findings are of members of the culture.
4. Post-field work - reviews and writes findings.

Question 34

Historical research

Answer 34

1. A qualitative research design in which data related to past events is systematically collected and evaluated to describe potential causes, effects, or trends related to those events.
2. Purpose is to describe and examine events of the past to understand the present and anticipate potential future effects.

Question 35

Which of the following describes the purpose of qualitative research? (It describes and answers questions about participants and contexts; It explores a phenomenon to better understand it; It answers questions and illuminates issues that cannot be answered by quantitative methods; All of the above.)

Answer 35

All of the above.

Question 36

Which of the following describes an important reason for exploring qualitative topics? (Qualitative research can identify differences in the meanings of activities and practices across situations that appear on the surface quite similar in nature; Qualitative research has the potential to provide insight into situations that increases our understanding of them; Qualitative research can provide understanding of a particular setting or contextually relevant situation; All of the above.)

Answer 36

All of the above.

Question 37

A qualitative research design seeking to describe and analyze all or part of the culture of a community is known as a(n) _

Answer 37

Ethnographic study.

Question 38

A qualitative research design in which data related to past events is systematically collected and evaluated to describe potential causes, effects, or trends related to those events is known as a(n) _

Answer 38

Historical study.

Question 39

The qualitative approach used by the authors in the mTBI study was _

Answer 39

Grounded theory.

Question 40

In the mTBI study, data was collected using _

Answer 40

Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews.

Question 41

In the mTBI study, theoretical sampling was demonstrated by _

Answer 41

Sampling subsequent interviews based on emergent theory drawn from analysis of collected data.