Chapter 2 Flashcards
What is a longitudinal study?
data collection over time-at several points in time
What is a cross-sectional study?
data collection at one point in time
cheaper
Ethics: What should you do before you begin the study?
Consider professional codes of ethics
application-institutional review board =REB
- study purpose & plan, participants, benefits & risks, consents etc
- UNBC REB guided by Tri-Council policy statement (tutorial)
- monthly meetings during academic year
- timing of application is important
- expect feedback/minor revisions/questions to answer
- FORM-INTERNET
select a site without vested interests
obtain permission to gain access- site & study participants
negotiate authorship-publishing
Ethics:What should you do at the Beginning the study?
identify a problem that will benefit participants
let participants know-purpose and sponsors
obtain informed consent-do not pressure
respect norms & charters
-of Indigenous & other cultures
Ethics : Things to consider when collecting the data
Respect the site – minimal disruption
Anticipate & consider
- Respect for vulnerable populations
- Risks for participants
- Avoid deception
- Avoid exploitation
- Potential power imbalances
Confidentiality
Interview with sensitivity
Make sure all participants receive the benefits
Ethics: Data Analysis
Avoid taking sides or disregard data that proves or disproves personal hypotheses
Full disclosure of results
-Avoid disclosing only positive results
Respect the privacy of participants:
-Protect anonymity of participants
Storing data & destroy it after a set time
Plan ownership of data
-not sharing data with others
Ethics: Reporting, sharing & storing
Communicate - clear straightforward, appropriate language :
- Share with stakeholders, participants
- Avoid disclosing information that would harm participants
Do not falsify authorship, evidence, data, findings or conclusions:
- Understand who owns the data
- Do not plagiarize
- Proof of compliance with ethical issues and lack of conflict of interest
Keep raw data and other materials for a reasonable period of time
What is the purpose statement?
First “signpost” to lead reader:
- Usually positioned at the end of the introduction
- Should be clear, specific & informative
Establishes intent of the research:
- why do the study and what will be accomplished
- Central controlling idea in a study:
- Sets objectives, intent, or major idea of a proposal or a study
The purpose statement is not…
The problem or issue identifying need for research
The question(s) to be answered by collecting data
What are the basic features of a QUAL purpose statement?
Focus - single phenomenon
-narrows study to one idea to be explored or understood.
A good qualitative purpose statement has:
-Central phenomenon – including working definition
-Emerging design used
-Language drawn from QUAL inquiry:
Starts with purpose, intent, or objective
Action verbs: Describe, explore, develop
Neutral words or phrases
Participants
Research site
what are the basic features of the QUANT purpose statement?
Differs from QUAL purpose statements in language & focus
QUANT language
Theory, model use
Focus on major variables used in study:
- Relating or comparing variables:
- Identifies Independent, dependent & any mediating, moderating, or control variables
- and how these relate to participants & site
3. Positions independent before dependent variable
Strategy of inquiry (e.g., survey, experiment)
Literature used to define key variables
What does a good MM purpose statement have?
Overall intent
Information about both QUANT & QUAL strands
Rationale – reasons - for MM study
Type of MM design:
1. A convergent design 2. Explanatory sequential design 3. Exploratory sequential design 4. Multiphase design
research question and hypothesis
Another important signpost for the reader of a study.
Narrows the purpose statement
-what will be learned or questions to be answered in a study.
What does QUAL research use?
Use research questions
- Not hypotheses - Not objectives
What are the 2types of QUAL research questions to focus a study’s purpose?
- Central question
- 1 or 2 Broad questions that asks for exploration of the central phenomenon
- Intent - explore general factors relevant to the central phenomenon. - Sub questions
- 5 -7 Questions that narrow the focus of the study
What does the QUAL research question begin with?
Begins with what or how – open & emerging design
- Nondirectional versus directional verbs used - Directional words are like affect, influence, impact, determine, cause and relate
what does QUANT researchers pose?
QUANT researchers pose research questions or hypotheses and objectives to focus the study’s purpose
What are QUANT research questions?
Questions about relationships among variables that the investigator seeks to know
What are QUANT hypotheses?
Predictions that the researcher makes about the expected relationships among variables
Predictions about a population values the researcher will estimate based on data from a sample
What are the QUANT research objectives?
Indicate a study’s goals
Used frequently in proposals for funding
What are different ways to write questions and hypotheses into a MM study?
- Write separate QUAL questions & QUANT questions or hypotheses:
- Emphasis on the 2 approaches
- At beginning or as they emerge in phases
- Write separate questions or hypotheses followed by a MM question:
- Highlights 2 approaches and combined strength
- Write only a mixed methods question:
- emphasizes integration and not the individual parts
Forms: Research questions
Specify descriptive questions for each important variable
Next, state inferential questions that relate variables or compare groups
Finally, add questions in which variables are controlled
Forms: Hypotheses
Hypotheses – use of consistent form:
1. Null hypotheses (predict no difference or no relationship)
- Alternative or directional hypotheses (predict direction of difference or relationship)
- Nondirectional hypotheses (predict a difference or relationship, but not its direction)
QUANT research questions and hypotheses
Questions or hypotheses, not both
Essentially 3 approaches to variables in a question or hypothesis:
- Compare groups
- Relate variables
- Describe responses
Based on theory if possible
Measure - independent & dependent variables separately
Demographic info - intervening variables
Consistent words & ordering - independent and dependent variables
Use of variables to do:
- An experiment or group comparisons - A survey that correlates variables - A descriptive study
Research questions or hypothesis:
- Logically follow from relationship among variables in a theory - May indicate cause and effect logic - do not write both
What is the criteria for evaluating research?
terminology
criteria for evaluating
How do you judge the quality of research?
various ways used to judge quality
-depending on Research Approach used
What are the four aspects of trustworthiness?
Truth value:
-confidence in the ‘truth’ of the findings
Applicability:
-Degree findings are applicable to other contexts, groups
Consistency:
-Whether Findings consistently found in similar context / similar groups
Neutrality:
-Degree findings are based on subjects / conditions of study – not on researcher
Aspects of trustworthiness: QUANT
Truth Value:
Internal validity
How: control variables, rule out other possibilities
Applicability:
External Validity
Generalizability
How: probability sampling( e.g. randomized, representative), establishes study as context free
Consistency:
Reliability
How: replicate studies
Neutrality:
Objectivity
How: insulate investigator eg. instruments used
Aspects of trustworthiness: QUAL
Truth Value:
Credibility
How: "prolonged" engagement
adequate referential material (transcripts, field notes)
member checks
peer debriefing
Applicability:
Transferability
How: purposeful sampling
thick description
Consistency:
Dependability
How: overlap methods (eg. interviews/ FGs)
audit trail
Neutrality:
Confirmability
How: triangulation (of data source, data methods)
reflexivity
audit trail
