Lecture 20- Qualitative Research

Question 1

In what way does qualitative research explore the unknown?

Answer 1

• Gain insight into people in their context

- Primarily focused on capturing the human experience

Question 2

In what form does qualitative data often come in?

Answer 2

Quotes or images

Question 3

Is qualitative data numeric or non-numeric and why?

Answer 3

Non-numeric: it’s about capturing the data as a whole not reducing it down to a signal statistic

Question 4

What is the ‘starting point’ like in qualitative research?

Answer 4

• Start without a specific hypothesis

- Instead form hypothesis later as a result of the data obtained: generate the theory from the data

Question 5

How does a quantitative approach compare to a qualitative one?

Answer 5

• Start with specific hypothesis

- Quantitative uses numerical analysis

Question 6

What is a theme? What is it sometimes referred to as? What is it not?

Answer 6

• A patterned response or meaning within the data set.
• Sometimes referred to as a category or dominant discourse
• It is NOT simply a ‘topic’ discussed by the participant

Question 7

How are themes found?

Answer 7

-Through systematic searching in qualitative data

Question 8

Describe the thematic solar system idea surrounding themes…

Answer 8

There is a central organising concept/ idea like the sun with the planets (human experiences) revolving around it

Question 9

What are some different approaches to qualitative research?

Answer 9

• Reflexive thematic analysis
• Integrative phenomenological analysis (IPA)
• Narrative analysis

Question 10

What three things distinguish qualitative and quantitative methods?

Answer 10

• Ontology
• Epistemology
• Data gathering and analysis

Question 11

What ‘e’ words can be used to describe quantitative and qualitative research?

Answer 11

• Quantitative research (experimentation)

- Qualitative research (exploration)

Question 12

What is ontology and how does it differ between qualitative and quantitative research?

Answer 12

-Views on human reality

-In quantitative research:
• Realism: there is one ‘true’ reality (independent of perception)

-In qualitative research:
• Relativism: people’s realities differ (relative to perception)

There is a scale and quantitative and qualitative research exist at opposite ends of this scale

Question 13

What is Epistemology, how does it differ between qualitative and quantitative research?

Answer 13

-What we know and how we know it

-In quantitative research:
• Positivism: knowledge and meaning is waiting to be discovered and is then
considered ‘true’ until disproven (through research)

-In qualitative research:
• Social constructionism: knowledge and meaning is being generated by
attempts to explain the human world (including research)

Again there is a scale and there is more than just these categories but for now know these and that this exist at opposite sides of the spectrum

Question 14

What type of epistemology is defined by what people say about it?

Answer 14

Constructivism in qualitative research

Question 15

Why would you use qualitative research?

Answer 15

• If it involves people then meaning matters

- Numbers simply don’t always convey meaning effectively

Question 16

What types of questions are often asked in qualitative versus quantitative research?

Answer 16

Quantitative= Mostly asking closed questions of large samples to test very specific
hypotheses

In qualitative research=Mostly asking open-ended questions with specific groups of people to explore their experiences

Question 17

What are the 5 key elements of generating a research question?

Answer 17

1. State the goal
2. Define the population sample
3. Define the setting
4. Identify the primary topic
5. Be precise enough to be feasible

Question 18

What’s the difference between closed and open questions?

Answer 18

Closed questions imply fixed answer choices can be hard to keep flow of conversation going but can be good to clarify a specific point or serve as a base to jump off:
• E.g. Do you want to be a psychologist? (“Yes”, “No”, “Maybe”)

Open-ended questions invite expansion depends on the participant as to how much detail you get and how open/ relaxed the environment is :
• E.g. What does your ideal career look like? (“Well, when I
finish university I would like to…”)

Sometimes don’t fully fall into these categories