introduction to qualitative research

Question 1

quantitative data: research questions, data collection, data analysis, interpretation

Answer 1

research questions: hypothesis about cause and effect between variables
data collection: numerical data from empirical data
data analysis: statistical tests, can be falsified
interpretation: generalisable facts about human behaviour

Question 2

qualitative data: research questions, data collection, data analysis, interpretation

Answer 2

research questions: exploratory, focus on individual experiences, meaning and interpretation
data collection: non-numeric, rich and collected in natural settings
data analysis: objective, insightful and captures complexity and variation
interpretation: subjective, transferable, active role of ppt and researchers in constructing knowledge

Question 3

is qualitative research always just non-numeric data?

Answer 3

no, sometimes qualitative data can appear quantitative in style but what sets it apart is what it aims to achieve compared to quantitative data

Question 4

what are the 7 aims of qualitative research?

Answer 4

focus on meaning
understanding what it’s like to have that experience
focus on describing
focus on natural setting environments
questions about psychological processes
importance of ontology
importance of epistemology

Question 5

aims of qualitative research: explain why the idea of ‘ontology’ is important in qualitative research?

Answer 5

ontology - the nature of reality, what we know and what exists
qualitative research adopt ‘subtle realism’ approach - there is a reality uninfluenced by our perception, but our own perceptions will always influence how we perceive it

Question 6

aims of qualitative research: what is the difference between realism and relativism? what approach does qualitative research take?

Answer 6

realism - single reality which can be uncovered
relativism - multiple realities for different people as what we perceive is influenced by our own interpretations
qualitative research adopts a middle ground of subtle realism

Question 7

aims of qualitative research: explain why the idea of ‘epistemology’ is important in qualitative research?

Answer 7

epistemology - how knowledge is created
qualitative research adopts a combined view of positivists (argues knowledge is objective and observable) and constructionists (argues that all knowledge is socially constructed)

Question 8

what are the important features of a qualitative research question?

Answer 8

must be phrased to emphasis the importance of perspective and experience, aim to avoid quantification or assumptions of causality

Question 9

what are the important features of qualitative data collection?

Answer 9

must preserve uniqueness of experience, facilitate insight, be sensitive to individual experiences and contexts

Question 10

give some example of unobtrusive qualitative methods

Answer 10

published narratives, archives, self-report, prev observations

Question 11

what are the pros and cons of unobtrusive/secondary sources of qualitative research?

Answer 11

pros - naturalistic, easy
cons - aren’t collected by researcher themselves meaning limited ability to probe questions and gain a deeper understanding

Question 12

what is the most common method of qualitative data collection?

Answer 12

interviews

Question 13

what are the 4 types of interviews?

Answer 13

structured, semi-structured, unstructured, focus group

Question 14

what are the main features of a structured interview?

Answer 14

• Follows same standardised interview transcript
• Passive role for interviewee
• Analysis coded and quantified for statistical analysis

Question 15

what are the pros and cons of a structured interview?

Answer 15

• Benefits – consistency, low bias, reliable and replicable, quick, easy and doesn’t need training.
• Weaknesses – not qualitative, closes theoretical avenues, limited responses means it’s hard to capture complexity

Question 16

what are the main features of a semi-structured interview?

Answer 16

• More flexible – follow up questions from researcher expected
• Guided conversation with mixture of open and closed questions
• Important to build a rapport at the start of the interview to encourage naturalistic behaviour

Question 16

what are the pros and cons of a semi-structured interview?

Answer 16

• Benefits – flexibility = richer detail, gives voice to ppt, captures individual differences in experience, some standardisation possible
• Weaknesses – non-natural conversation meaning it is still limited by experimental flaws

Question 17

what are the main features of an unstructured interview?

Answer 17

• Interviewer had topic guide but allows interviewee to lead the interview
• Interviewer acknowledges they don’t know in advance all issues or questions
• Instead they develop and adapt questions/probes relevant to responses

Question 18

what are the pros and cons of an unstructured interview?

Answer 18

• Benefits – being respondent led empowers interviewees to define and focus on what’s important to them, useful when little is known about the research, rich in data
• Weaknesses – interview training required, little standardisation and reliability, potential bias, hard to analyse

Question 19

what are the main features of a focus group interview?

Answer 19

• Moderator had topic guide but ppt interact with each other as well as the moderator as they can challenge, extent or develop statements
• Meanings are jointly constructed, groups can be homogenous or heterogenous, often recorded with a skilled moderator

Question 20

what are the pros and cons of a focus group interview?

Answer 20

• Benefits – discourse has higher ecological validity than induvial interviews as they’re more naturalistic, different perspectives on a topic considered, collect lots of data quickly, cheap
• Weaknesses – not always suitable for sensitive topics (disclosure limited in a group), video recording can reduce quality of group interaction, ethical issues (can lead to arguments/upset?)and social desirability bias

Question 21

why is it important to structure interviews well?

Answer 21

means that interviewee is able to lead and give valuable insights whilst still maintaining experimental integrity

Question 22

what are the main steps researchers take when structuring an interview?

Answer 22

1. Identify topics and questions that are relevant to the research question
2. Phrase questions in a way that encourage the interviewee to describe their experience in detail
3. Use a logical order
4. Consider how to build a rapport and help the interviewee to feel comfortable

Question 23

what are the features of a good interview schedule design?

Answer 23

allows interviewees to describe their experience in own words and in detail, should allow the researcher to build a rapport, have a logical order, should use accessible language, should have group related questions, should have probing questions, sensitive Qs should be later on

Question 24

what are the features of a bad interview schedule design?

Answer 24

failing to build a rapport which reduces interviewee engagement and data collected, illogical order, leading/closed questions, judgmental or critical questions, inaccessible or confusing questions

Question 25

in the interview, how do researchers attempt to build a rapport with their interviewee?

Answer 25

create safe environment by addressing ethical issues and being flexible, body language should convey interest, questions should be probing and non-judgmental, should allow the interviewee to talk (silent periods, not interrupting them)