Exam I Flashcards
Grounded Theory
Qualitative research focused on analyzing data to find patterns and a core category and build a theory
Ethnography
A thick description of culture, provides an account of social activity out of which culture patterning can be discovered.
Generalizability
The extent to which a finding can be generalized to the population
Positivism
Reality exists and it is observable, measurable, and stable.
Post-positivism
Knowledge is relative rather than absolute, but it is still possible using empirical methods to distinguish between more and less plausible claims.
Constructivism
There is no single reality – our reality is constructed by experience. Interpretivism.
Pragmatism
The validity of ideas are measured by their natural consequences – anything is true if it works.
Phenomenology
An approach to knowledge based on unbiased description of immediate events, not reduced.
Coding
Assigning a shorthand designation to various aspects of your data so you can easily review specific pieces.
Reflexivity
The process of reflecting on self as researcher – explain your biases, dispositions and assumptions
Thick description
The complete, literal description of the incident or entity being investigated
Symbolic interactionism
Focuses on meaning and interpretation, especially that which people create and share through their interactions.
Inductive and deductive methods
Inductive methods build a thing from the data, whereas deductive researches attempt to test a thing already built using data
Phenomenological study
seeks understanding about the essence and underlying structure of the phenomenon
Critical qualitative study
Focuses on societal critique in order to raise consciousness and empower people to bring about change.
Bounded system case study
A case study of a single thing that can be fenced in: a single program or classroom, etc.
Participatory case study
A method of research that involves research participants more directly in the research process: conceptualizing the study, gathering data, writing up results
Descriptive case study
A case study whose end product is a thick description.
Heuristic case study
A case study that illuminates the understanding of the phenomenon under study. Can bring about new meaning, extend reader’s experience
Postmodernism
Rationality, the scientific method, and certainties of the modern world no longer hold
Critical race theory
Focuses on issues of power and impression through the lens of race
Feminist Theory
Focuses on issues of power through lens of gender
Queer theory
Focuses on mismatches between sex, gender and desire.
Evaluative study
Collects data on the worth or value of a program, process or technique.
Applied research
Research undertaken to improve the quality of practice of a specific discipline
Systematic inquiry
Inquiring into, or investigating something in a systematic manner.
Action research
Aims to address a specific problem in a specific setting, such as a classroom or an organization.
Logical empiricism
Seeks unity in science and asserts there are no logical differences between natural and social sciences.
Interpretative research
Assumes that reality is socially constructed.
Interpretivism
Synonym of constructivism.
Poststructural inquiry
Presents data playfully and creatively, emphasizing multiple points of view
Inductive process
Researchers gather data to build concepts, hypotheses or theories, rather than deductively proving hypotheses.
Constructionism
Learning can happen most effectively when people are experiencing making tangible objects in the real world.
Phenomenological reduction
Continually returning to the essence of the experience to derive the inner structure or meaning in and of itself.
Horizontalization
Laying out all the data for examination and treating the data as having equal weight.
Theoretical sampling
Where the analyst jointly collects, codes and analyzes data and decides what data to collect next and where to find them, developing theory as it emerges.
Naturalistic generatlization
Naturalistic generalization is a process where readers gain insight by reflecting on the details and descriptions presented in case studies. As readers recognize similarities in case study details and find descriptions that resonate with their own experiences, they consider whether their situations are similar enough to warrant generalizations
Casework
Social service: determining appropriate strategies for dealing with developmental or adjustment problems
Case method
An instruction technique in which the major ingredients of a case study are presented to students
Case history
The tracing of a person, group or institution’s past
Historical research
Investigating/describing a phenomenon over a period of time, from historical perspective.
Intrinsic case study
Research undertaken when the subject is intrinsically interesting, not trying to generalize.
Instrumental case study
Examined mainly to provide insight into an issue or redraw a generalization
Problem statement
A carefully crafted essay that lays out the logic of the research study. Context, gap identification, significance.
Purposive sampling
Selecting a sample from which the most can be learned
Probability sampling
Allows generalization, since each participant has an equal probabilty of having been chosen from the population.
Snowball sampling
Network sampling: interview a few key participants, and they help you find people of interest in their ‘network’
Typical sampling
One that is selected because it reflects the average person.
Neo-positive interviews
good qs, Minimizes bias, generates quality data, produces valid findings.
