Evaluate Quality in Qualitative Research

Question 1

Yardley (2000) proposed a set of flexible principles for evaluating the quality of a qualitative study, whilst remaining sensitive to the diversity of qualitative approaches

What are the 4 principles?

Answer 1

1) Sensitivity to context
2) Commitment and rigour
3) Transparency and Coherence
4) Impact and importance

Question 2

What is sensitivity to context?

Answer 2

Awareness of broader context that the research is conducted in

Question 3

Awareness of broader context that the research is conducted in

This is known as…?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 3

a) Sensitivity to context

Question 4

Considers the relevant literature and previous related empirical work

Which principle does this apply to?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 4

a) Sensitivity to context

Question 5

Considers ‘common sense’ concepts and assumptions (e.g. philosophical stance)

Which principle does this apply to?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 5

a) Sensitivity to context

Question 6

Considers socio-cultural setting (of all participants, including the researcher)
25/04/2021

Which principle does this apply to?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 6

a) Sensitivity to context

Question 7

What is Commitment and Rigour?

Answer 7

• The deep prolonged engagement with the topic and data
• The completeness of data collection

Question 8

• The deep prolonged engagement with the topic and data
• The completeness of data collection

This is known as…?

Answer 8

Commitment and Rigour

Question 9

Completeness of data collection

Which principle does this apply to?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 9

b) Commitment and rigour

Question 10

There is no magic number for Qualitative research. There’s no specific amount of interviewees or Ps there should be in a qualitative study

Which principle does this apply to?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 10

b) Commitment and rigour

Question 11

Samples are purposive – collect enough data to address the question. Quality of research can either be based on the number of recruited participants or how homogenous/heterogenous they are

Which principle does this apply to?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 11

b) Commitment and rigour

Question 12

Aim for data saturation – the point at which no new ideas are drawn from the data

Which principle does this apply to?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 12

b) Commitment and rigour

Question 13

There are 4 things that make up commitment and rigour. What are they?

Answer 13

1) Completeness of data collection
2) Completeness of analysis
3) Triangulation
4) Validation

Question 14

One of the problems with qualitative analysis is that themes become paraphrased data which lack analytic narrative

Which principle does this apply to?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 14

b) Commitment and rigour

Question 15

One of the problems with qualitative analysis is that themes are summaries of interview questions or accounts from a single interviewee rather than a description of the pattern across data sets

Which principle does this apply to?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 15

b) Commitment and rigour

Question 16

One of the problems with qualitative analysis is that themes are unrelated, overlap, vague, and not consistent with data examples

Which principle does this apply to?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 16

b) Commitment and rigour

Question 17

One of the problems with qualitative analysis is that alternatives are unconsidered (e.g. alternative interpretations of the data or negative cases within the data)

Which principle does this apply to?

a) Sensitivity to context
b) Commitment and rigour
c) Transparency and Coherence
d) Impact and importance

Answer 17

b) Commitment and rigour

Question 18

1) Themes paraphrase data without providing an analytic narrative

2) Themes are summaries of interview questions or accounts from a single interviewee

3) Themes are unrelated, overlap, vague, and not consistent with data examples

4) Alternatives are unconsidered (e.g. alternative interpretations of the data or negative cases within the data)

These are all common problems for…?

Answer 18

Completeness of analysis (Commitment and Rigour)

Question 19

In terms of commitment and analysis, what should qualitative researchers aim to do?

Answer 19

Aim for a complete interpretation that ideally addresses all of the variation and complexity observed in the data, and produces high-quality themes

It can require prolonged engagement with the data and iterative cycles of analysis phases

Question 20

What is Triangulation?

Answer 20

Combining methods of data collection and analysis to gain a multi-layered understanding of the research topic

Question 21

Combining methods of data collection and analysis to gain a multi-layered understanding of the research topic

This is known as…?

Answer 21

Triangulation

Question 22

What do researchers do in triangulation? List 2 things

Answer 22

1) They mainly collect data from 1 group of Ps and develop interpretations based on what they’ve said

2) They may even go further by thinking about which perspectives are important to consider when addressing the research questions

Question 23

What does triangulation involve? List 2 things

Answer 23

1) Might involve gathering data from various sources (e.g., patients, doctors, nurses)

2) Might involved combining analytic approaches (using more than one type of qualitative analysis)

Question 24

What is validation?

Answer 24

Checking the interpretation of the data with others can increase the credibility findings

Question 25

Checking the interpretation of the data with others can increase the credibility findings

This is known as…?

Answer 25

Validation

Question 26

What are the 2 types of validation in qualitative research?

Answer 26

1) Peer verification
2) Respondent verification

Question 27

What is peer verification?

Answer 27

Analysts work together to check that interpretations are plausible, consistent with the data and communicated clearly

Question 28

Analysts work together to check that interpretations are plausible, consistent with the data and communicated clearly

This is known as…?

Answer 28

Peer verification

Question 29

What is respondent verification?

Answer 29

Study participants reviewing analysis findings to comment on the fit between analysts’ interpretation and their experiences

Question 30

Study participants reviewing analysis findings to comment on the fit between analysts’ interpretation and their experiences

This is known as…?

Answer 30

Respondent verification

Question 31

What are the 2 main components of transparency?

Answer 31

1) Auditability
2) Reflexivity

Question 32

What is auditability?

Answer 32

When the methods section provides details of every aspect of the data collection process, the rules used to code data (e.g. semantic vs. latent), how stages of the analysis progressed

Findings also present excerpts of the textual data so the readers can discern the patterns identified by the analysis

Simply = Shows how the analyst constructs their findings and allows readers to understand how the data eventually became the eventual findings

Question 33

When the methods section provides details of every aspect of the data collection process, the rules used to code data (e.g. semantic vs. latent), how stages of the analysis progressed

Findings also present excerpts of the textual data so the readers can discern the patterns identified by the analysis themselves

Simply = Shows how the analyst constructs their findings and allows readers to understand how the data eventually became the eventual findings

This is known as…?

Answer 33

Auditability

Question 34

What is reflexivity?

Answer 34

A discussion of the experiences or motivations which led the researcher to undertake a particular investigation (their assumptions, intentions and actions in the research process)

Papers often include a reflexive statement

Question 35

What is coherence?

Answer 35

Findings present a coherent narrative that is
consistent with the quotations presented in themes

Simply = Linking quotations together and linking the quotations to each theme

Question 36

Findings present a coherent narrative that is
consistent with the quotations presented in themes

This is known as…?

Answer 36

Coherence

Question 37

What is considered good coherence in qualitative research?

Answer 37

1) The discussion links findings to existing knowledge

2) There is a good fit between the research question and the philosophical perspective adopted, and the method of investigation and analysis undertaken (decisions made throughout the research process must link together)

3) An analysis conducted from a critical realist perspective shows sensitivity to how interviewees construct meaning

Question 38

What is the impact and importance?

Answer 38

Discussion (and abstract) explains why the findings are important and their potential impact

Question 39

Discussion (and abstract) explains why the findings are important and their potential impact

This is known as…?

Answer 39

Impact and importance

Question 40

What are the 3 types of potential impact on research findings?

Answer 40

1) Theoretical impact
2) Practical impact
3) Socio-cultural impact

Question 41

What is a theoretical impact?

Answer 41

How do the findings influence how we view current things?

e.g. how should current theories be updated in light of the findings?

Question 42

What is a practical impact?

Answer 42

How should services and policies be updated in light of the findings?

Question 43

What is a socio-cultural impact?

Answer 43

What do the findings indicate about how we think about social problems? (explain why findings are useful)

Question 44

What do the findings indicate about how we think about social problems? (explain why findings are useful)

What impact is this?

Answer 44

Socio-cultural impact

Question 45

How should services and policies be updated in light of the findings?

What impact is this?

Answer 45

Practical impact

Question 46

How do the findings influence how we view current things?

e.g. how should current theories be updated in light of the findings?

What impact is this?

Answer 46

Theoretical impact

Question 47

How can the importance of qualitative research be demonstrated?

Answer 47

Transferability

Question 48

What is transferability?

Answer 48

The degree to which the results of qualitative research can be transferred to other contexts or settings with other respondents

Question 49

The degree to which the results of qualitative research can be transferred to other contexts or settings with other respondents

This is known as…?

Answer 49

Transferability

Question 50

How does a researcher facilitate transferability judgement by a potential user?

Answer 50

Through thick description

e.g. full description of the participants/their characteristics and socio-cultural setting and a full description of the methods used

Question 51

True or False?

Ultimately the ‘user’ of the research decides whether the findings are transferrable to their research problem

Simply = Transferability depends on how similar the context is and how similar the Ps involved in the research are

Answer 51

True

Question 52

Are quality principles in qualitative research rigid or flexible?

Answer 52

Flexible

Question 53

If you are reviewing a paper on qualitative research, what are the 4 things you must consider?

Answer 53

1) Have they explained their method and analysis in enough detail?

2) Have they been transparent about their assumptions (e.g. provided a reflexive statement)

3) Is their analysis convincing?

4) Why are the study findings relevant to your project/essay?