Lecture 13: Qualitative Study Designs

Question 1

when are interviews useful?

Answer 1

when you want detailed information about an individuals thoughts or behaviors
- understanding the experiences of participants, and then meanings they make of these experiences

Question 2

when are one-on-one interviews conducted?

Answer 2

• with a single person
• useful for personal or sensitive topics, living in different geographical areas, groups are uncomfortable

Question 3

when are group interviews conducted?

Answer 3

focus groups, sharing/taking circles
- group interaction may have more information-rich and dynamic discussion

Question 4

what should always be considered during interviews?

Answer 4

the relational nature of interviews
- researchers and participant working together to generate data

Question 5

what will help to make communication easier in a research study?

Answer 5

• establish rapport
• need a close or harmonious relationship between researchers and participants
• better understand the others’ ideas and feelings
• create an environment were participants feel respected

Question 6

what are the three main phases of interviews?

Answer 6

• introduction
• questioning
• closing

Question 7

what is gross rate?

Answer 7

the amount of material that has no particular use to you as a researcher

Question 8

which type of interview has the highest gross rate?

Answer 8

unstructured
- however, generates the richest data

Question 9

what is an interview guide?

Answer 9

lists the questions or topics to be explored in the interview

Question 10

what is the benefit of an interview guide?

Answer 10

it allows you to ask same or similar questions to multiple participants

Question 11

what are group interviews led by?

Answer 11

a trained moderator

Question 12

when are group interviews useful?

Answer 12

when:
- looking for a range of ideas or feelings from people
- trying to understand differences between groups or categories of people
- information is needed to help design a quantitative study
- trying to clarify data already collected from a quantitative study

Question 13

when do we use observational studies?

Answer 13

when we want to go into the field/natural setting to try to better understand the phenomenon or topic of study
- this is used in most strategies of inquiry

Question 14

when are observational studies ideal?

Answer 14

when individuals cannot express themselves in interviews, when they are unable or unwilling to be interviewed and when the qualitative inquirer can actually visit the site where the central phenomenon is being expressed or talked about

Question 15

What did Gold identify in 1958?

Answer 15

four types of observer involvement in the field
- complete participant
- participant as observer
- observer as participant
- complete observer

• each approach offers a different level of involvement and can impact the data collected based on the researchers relationship with the participants

Question 16

what is the complete participant observational study?

Answer 16

• researcher becomes a participant
• useful in developing rapport

Question 17

what is the participant as observer observational study?

Answer 17

the researcher engages as both a participant and a researcher
- the role as researcher is more obvious because active participation is combined with time taken to record observations

Question 18

what is the observer as participant observational study?

Answer 18

researcher participates in the activity with participants, but participation is of secondary importance to recording observations
- participants are aware that the researcher is present

Question 19

what is the complete observer observational study?

Answer 19

involves researchers observing without participating, using the ‘fly on the wall’ approach
- researcher can be hidden from view while observing

Question 20

what is a disadvantage of the complete observer study?

Answer 20

lack information from the insiders point of view

Question 21

out of the four types of observational studies, which is the most ethical?

Answer 21

the observer as participant

Question 22

why is participant as observer more difficult than observing as participant?

Answer 22

because it requires that the field notes be written at a later time, after the activity has concluded

Question 23

what does Whitings metaphor illustrate?

Answer 23

“true understanding often requires more than just observation; it necessitates of the experience being part

Question 24

what is an observational protocol?

Answer 24

templates that are used to guide the researchers field notes

Question 25

when should field notes be recorded?

Answer 25

when in the field

Question 26

what is in an observational protocol?

Answer 26

• header
• descriptive notes
• reflective notes
• visual sketch

Question 27

what is a descriptive note?

Answer 27

summarize and describe activities of phenomenon
- descriptions are typically reported in chronological order, with specific times recorded

Question 28

what is a reflective note?

Answer 28

• column beside the descriptive notes
• a space for the researcher to describe personal feelings, reflections, or brief interpretations of the activities or phenomenon

Question 29

when are written documents used?

Answer 29

in addition to other forms of data generation, such as interviews
- also serve as the primary source of data generation

Question 30

visual data can _______________________________ of the findings.

Answer 30

enhance depth and richness

Question 31

what is the evocative power of visual data?

Answer 31

• potential to inspire participants to reflect on their experiences in unique ways
• this can lead to richer discussions and deeper insights during the research process