General

Question 1

What are the strengths/ advantages of qualitive research?

Answer 1

Strength:

• Feature of well-collected qualitative data is that they focus on naturally occurring, ordinary events in natural settings so that we have a strong handle on what “real life” is like
• Description and explanation of processes and change
• The depth and rich data allows understanding the role of context including deep knowledge of individuals
• Theory building and analytical generalization - - Sensitivity to context

Question 2

What is the main focus of qualitative research?

Answer 2

Instrumentation(Mileset al): The researcher himself or herself is essentially the main instrument in the study.

Miles et al: Qualitative research is conducted through intense and/or prolonged contact with participants in a naturalistic setting to investigate every day and/or exceptional lives of individuals, groups, societies, and organizations.

Focus:

• Uses words (based on interviews, documents, observations and artefacts)
• Concerned with understanding human behaviour from the perspective of the research participants
• Induces hypotheses from data
• Contextualization
• Interpretinism
• Used when we have small sample sizes

Question 3

What are the weaknesses of qualitative research?

Answer 3

Weaknesses

• Inability to generalize to populations
• Limited ability to test a theory
• (Overly) reliant on subjective judgments in the analysis.
• Labour intensive and very time demanding

Question 4

Please elaborate on Random, Purposive and Convenience sampling

Answer 4

Sampling, Miles et al:

Purposive sampling: The researcher does not seek to sample research participants on a random basis. The goal of purposive sampling is to sample cases/participants in a strategic way so that those sampled are relevant to the research questions being posed

Random sampling is the golden standard in quantitative research. A sample chosen randomly is meant to be an unbiased representation of the total population.
But qualitative tends to be more strategic and purposive because we are focusing on a case’s unique contexts.

Convenience sampling: A convenience sample is one that is simply available to the researcher by virtue of its accessibility → the problem with such a sampling strategy is that it is impossible to generalize the findings because we do not know of what population this sample is representing.

Question 5

Please outline different biases in research methods

Answer 5

• Common-method variance bias: variance that is attributable to themeasurement method rather than to the constructs the measures are assumed torepresent. E.g. an electronic survey method might influence results for those whomight be unfamiliar with an electronic survey interface differently than forthose who might be familiar. If measures are affected by CMV or common-methodbias, the intercorrelations among them can be inflated or deflated depending upon several factors
• Social desirability bias over-report information that well makes them self-look good, and tryto please once self-image
• Satisfaction bias becomes tired, and will not complete the survey not as intended butsimply just put in answers. We strongly would like to avoid this. It is important that it is within the time limit and that it isn’t too long and that it is not clustered in large positions that are easy to scam
• Acquiescence bias: People endorse any assertion made in a question. Typically they agree with the statement that you make. Therefore, avoid asking yes/no questions = use reverse questing, so you insert something like that is oppositedirected compared to the previously asked questions

Question 6

What is a conceptual framework?

Answer 6

Conceptual framework Miles et al: a map of the territory you are investigating and explains the main things being studied. Best done graphically rather than text.

• The conceptual framework, then, is your first analytic display. It is a visual representation of your main conceptual ideas about a study and how they interact and interplay with each other
• A conceptual framework illustrates what you expect to find through your research. It defines the relevant variables for your study and maps out how they might relate to each other. You should construct a conceptual framework before you begin collecting data. It is often represented in a visual format.