Lecture 4: WHY/WHEN/HOW Qualitative Research

Question 1

What is the primary goal of phenomenology in qualitative research?
A. To generate explanatory theories of human behavior
B. To understand cultural practices and beliefs
C. To explore the essence of lived experiences
D. To identify patterns in social interactions

Answer 1

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Phenomenology seeks to understand what it is like to have a particular experience, focusing on the core essence of lived experiences

Question 2

Which method focuses on studying cultural beliefs and practices from an insider’s perspective?
A. Phenomenology
B. Ethnography
C. Grounded Theory
D. Discourse Analysis

Answer 2

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Ethnography involves understanding human behavior and beliefs within cultural contexts, using observations and interviews to reveal cultural norms and patterns​1

Question 3

What is a core principle of grounded theory?
A. It seeks to confirm pre-existing theories through systematic observation.
B. It generates theory through simultaneous data collection and analysis.
C. It focuses solely on individual experiences without context.
D. It primarily relies on quantitative data for theory development.

Answer 3

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Grounded theory develops and verifies theories through literative data collection and analysis, with theoretical sampling guiding the process​

Question 4

What is the purpose of “bracketing” in phenomenology?
A. To identify cultural patterns in behavior
B. To set aside the researcher’s preconceptions
C. To determine the phases of an experience
D. To generate explanatory theories

Answer 4

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Bracketing ensures that researchers suspend their own biases, focusing solely on the participants’ perspectives during data analysis

Question 5

What does “thick description” in ethnography refer to?
A. Collecting large amounts of quantitative data
B. Creating detailed narratives to understand cultural context
C. Identifying phases of a social process
D. Simplifying complex phenomena into key themes

Answer 5

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Thick description provides detailed insights into cultural norms and behaviors, revealing meaning within context​

Question 6

How does methodological congruence contribute to qualitative research?
A. By ensuring alignment between research questions, methods, and data handling
B. By focusing only on one qualitative method per study
C. By emphasizing statistical rigor in qualitative data
D. By eliminating all risks to participants

Answer 6

Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Methodological congruence ensures that the research design, data collection, and analysis align with the research purpose and questions​

Question 7

What is the key outcome of grounded theory research?
A. Rich, descriptive narratives
B. Identification of cultural norms
C. Explanatory theories of human behavior
D. Analysis of communication patterns

Answer 7

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Grounded theory aims to generate and verify theories that explain human behavior and processes within specific contexts​

Question 8

Which qualitative method is best suited to understanding the meaning of lived experiences?
A. Phenomenology
B. Ethnography
C. Grounded Theory
D. Semi-structured Interviews

Answer 8

Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Phenomenology focuses on the essence and meaning of lived experiences from the participants’ perspectives​

Question 9

What is the significance of an “armchair walk through” in research?
A. It ensures statistical validity.
B. It helps predict research processes and outcomes.
C. It verifies the authenticity of data.
D. It determines theoretical saturation.

Answer 9

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: An armchair walk through involves mentally envisioning the research process to reduce uncertainty and improve planning

Question 10

Which method analyzes the phases and stages of an experience over time?
A. Phenomenology
B. Ethnography
C. Grounded Theory
D. Discourse Analysis

Answer 10

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Grounded theory focuses on understanding processes over time, such as stages and phases within experiences​

Question 11

Which qualitative method is rooted in symbolic interactionism?
A. Phenomenology
B. Ethnography
C. Grounded Theory
D. Thematic Analysis

Answer 11

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Grounded theory is based on symbolic interactionism, which examines how individuals create realities through interactions

Question 12

Why are qualitative methods often used in health research?
A. To test the efficacy of treatments
B. To generate statistical generalizations
C. To explore complex experiences and cultural factors
D. To ensure precise measurements of variables

Answer 12

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Qualitative methods help uncover nuanced insights into health behaviors, cultural contexts, and patient experiences​

Question 13

What is a core feature of qualitative research paradigms?
A. Objectivity in data interpretation
B. A focus on numerical data and hypotheses
C. Emphasis on subjective and contextual understanding
D. Replication of findings across studies

Answer 13

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Qualitative paradigms prioritize understanding subjective experiences and contexts over objective measurements​

Question 14

How do qualitative and quantitative paradigms differ in their approach to data?
A. Qualitative paradigms prioritize numerical precision.
B. Quantitative paradigms focus on subjective experiences.
C. Qualitative paradigms explore meaning, while quantitative paradigms measure variables.
D. Both paradigms use identical data collection methods.

Answer 14

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Qualitative research seeks to explore meanings and contexts, while quantitative research measures and tests variables

Question 15

What is methodological purposiveness?
A. Using multiple methods in a single study
B. Aligning research questions with appropriate data collection and analysis methods
C. Prioritizing theoretical frameworks over practical considerations
D. Randomly selecting methods based on researcher preferences

Answer 15

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Methodological purposiveness ensures that the chosen research methods align with the research purpose and questions​

Question 16

What is the primary purpose of ethnographic research in health care?
A. To measure patient satisfaction quantitatively
B. To generate theories about health care processes
C. To understand cultural beliefs and practices influencing health behaviors
D. To examine the stages of a particular health condition

Answer 16

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Ethnography focuses on understanding cultural norms and practices, particularly how they influence health and illness behaviors

Question 17

What does “theoretical sampling” in grounded theory entail?
A. Selecting participants randomly to ensure unbiased results
B. Recruiting participants based on emerging data and theory
C. Focusing only on a single cultural group for consistency
D. Analyzing data before recruiting participants

Answer 17

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Theoretical sampling involves selecting participants purposefully to refine and develop the emerging theory during grounded theory research

Question 18

Which qualitative method is particularly suited for studying cultural disjunctures?
A. Grounded Theory
B. Phenomenology
C. Ethnography
D. Narrative Analysis

Answer 18

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Ethnography is often used to uncover and analyze cultural disjunctures, revealing mismatches between cultural practices and institutional norms

Question 19

What is the primary analytical focus of grounded theory?
A. Identifying cultural patterns
B. Understanding lived experiences
C. Developing processes and theories based on data
D. Creating detailed narratives

Answer 19

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Grounded theory emphasizes generating processes and theories from systematically analyzed qualitative data​

Question 20

How does phenomenology approach the study of experiences?
A. By testing hypotheses using controlled variables
B. By exploring the lived meanings and essence of experiences
C. By focusing on cultural influences on behavior
D. By identifying stages in human behavior

Answer 20

Answer: B
Rationale: Phenomenology seeks to uncover the meaning and essence of experiences as perceived by individuals

Question 21

What is the primary role of “bracketing” in phenomenological research?
A. To remove cultural influences from analysis
B. To minimize the researcher’s influence on data interpretation
C. To organize data into categories and themes
D. To identify emerging patterns in participant narratives

Answer 21

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Bracketing ensures that researchers set aside their assumptions to focus on participants’ lived experiences without bias​

Question 22

Which method is best suited for studying the process of becoming a caregiver over time?
A. Phenomenology
B. Ethnography
C. Grounded Theory
D. Case Study

Answer 22

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Grounded theory is ideal for studying processes and changes over time, such as the phases of becoming a caregiver​

Question 23

What does “methodological congruence” emphasize in qualitative research?
A. Ensuring alignment between research questions, methods, and data handling
B. Prioritizing cultural contexts in data analysis
C. Developing multiple theories from a single data set
D. Combining quantitative and qualitative methods in a study

Answer 23

Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Methodological congruence ensures coherence between the research problem, questions, methods, and data analysis techniques

Question 24

What is a defining feature of the ethnographic approach?
A. Focus on symbolic interactionism
B. Use of unstructured interviews exclusively
C. Thick descriptions of cultural practices
D. Bracketing researcher biases

Answer 24

Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Ethnography uses thick descriptions to provide detailed insights into cultural practices and their meanings​

Question 25

Which qualitative method uses symbolic interactionism as its theoretical foundation?
A. Phenomenology
B. Grounded Theory
C. Ethnography
D. Thematic Analysis

Answer 25

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Grounded theory is rooted in symbolic interactionism, which examines how individuals create meaning through social interactions

Question 26

What is the purpose of “memoing” in qualitative research?
A. To enhance participant recruitment
B. To document emerging ideas and reflections during analysis
C. To structure interviews and guide data collection
D. To develop statistical models based on qualitative data

Answer 26

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Memoing is a reflective process where researchers record insights and emerging ideas during data analysis, especially in grounded theory

Question 27

How is “temporality” understood in phenomenological research?
A. As the influence of time on cultural practices
B. As the experience of lived time by individuals
C. As the historical context of social interactions
D. As the chronology of events in a narrative

Answer 27

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Temporality in phenomenology refers to the subjective experience of lived time, one of the key existentials​

Question 28

Which qualitative method examines relationality in lived experiences?
A. Phenomenology
B. Ethnography
C. Grounded Theory
D. Case Study

Answer 28

Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Phenomenology explores relationality (lived human relations) as part of its focus on understanding lived experiences

Question 29

What does “thick description” provide in qualitative research?
A. A simplified summary of participant responses
B. A detailed account of cultural contexts and meanings
C. A theory explaining human behavior
D. A process-oriented analysis of experiences

Answer 29

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Thick description offers a rich, detailed understanding of cultural contexts and the meanings behind observed behaviors​

Question 30

How does grounded theory differ from ethnography?
A. Grounded theory focuses on cultural contexts, while ethnography develops theories.
B. Grounded theory generates explanatory theories, while ethnography describes cultural norms.
C. Grounded theory is descriptive, while ethnography is theory-driven.
D. Grounded theory uses structured interviews, while ethnography does not.

Answer 30

Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Grounded theory generates explanatory theories of processes and experiences, while ethnography focuses on describing and interpreting cultural norms and practices​