Qualitative Analysis Flashcards
What is positivism?
Continuation of the natural sciences into the social sciences, no need for an epistemological framework of its own.
What is interpretivism?
Importance of own epistemology underlines, concept of verstehende soziologie.
What is macrotheory?
Aims at understanding the ‘big picture’ (quantitative).
What is mesotheory?
Aims at understanding experiences of groups and interactions between groups (quantitative/qualitative).
What is microtheory?
Aims at understanding the individual or individual cases (qualitative).
What does it mean that social reality is constructed?
Only real in people’s minds (perceptions, interpretations, …), intersubjective, constructed through interaction.
What is the role of individuals in social groups?
Groups depend on individuals; no groups without individuals.
What does qualitative research focus on?
In-depth analysis of the details of small groups; focuses on meaning-making, agency, etc.
What are the characteristics of qualitative research?
- Inductive approach
- In-depth descriptions/explanations
- Explicate your own values
- Criteria: recognizability/credibility, higher validity, lower reliability.
How does qualitative research differ from quantitative research?
Qualitative research uses words as data, whereas quantitative research uses numbers.
What is the principle orientation of qualitative research?
Inductive, generation of theory.
What is the epistemological orientation of qualitative research?
Interpretivism.
What does Verstehende Soziologie refer to?
Cultural norms, values, and social processes analyzed from a subjective perspective.
What is the ontological orientation of qualitative research?
Constructionism.
What are the assumptions of qualitative research regarding truth?
No objective truth; there can be multiple realities.
What are different explanations for criminal behavior?
- Differential association
- Deterrence theory
- Strain theory.
What is the importance of context in qualitative research?
Context is treated importantly as there is no ‘right’ answer; knowledge always comes from interaction.
What are the two broad spectrums of qualitative research?
- Experimental qualitative research
- Critical qualitative research.
What is subjectivity and reflexivity in qualitative research?
All qualitative research is considered subjective; researchers must critically reflect on the knowledge produced.
What are the criteria for measuring quality in qualitative research?
- Authenticity
- Sufficiency
- Transparency
- Reliability
- Ecological validity
- Credibility
- Transferability
- Dependability
- Confirmability.
What is the definition of theory in the context of sociology?
An explanation of observed regularities.
What are grand theories?
Offer few indications to researchers as to how they might guide or influence the collection of empirical evidence.
What are middle range theories?
Intermediate to general theories that attempt to understand and explain a limited aspect of social life.
What is empiricism?
A general approach to studying reality suggesting that only knowledge gained through experience and the senses is acceptable.
Can qualitative research be empirical?
Yes.
What are the three most common research paradigms in social sciences?
- Positivism
- Interpretivism
- Critical Theory.
What is Césare Lombroso known for?
Early positivist school of criminology that rejected classical thinking and suggested crime is inherited.
What is Howard Becker’s view on crime and deviance?
Crime and deviance are socially constructed by agencies of social control.
What does the (Neo) Marxist perspective argue?
Crime is unavoidable in capitalist societies; there are always marginalized groups.
What is epistemic hierarchisation?
The process of questioning how knowledge came to be and deconstructing it for alternative perspectives.
What does research design concern?
How to plan a study, including data collection, analysis, and participant selection.
What are different goals of qualitative research?
- Descriptive studies
- Testing hypotheses
- Theory development
- Explorative studies.
What are the types of qualitative research questions?
- Exploratory questions
- Descriptive questions
- Explanatory questions.
What is a common pitfall of research questions in qualitative research?
Questions that are non-scientific, too vague, or lack specificity.
What is the first step in formulating a research question?
Go large—brainstorm and gather as many potential research questions as possible.
What is the importance of refining research questions?
To pay detailed attention to objectives and ensure clarity throughout the research process.
What is the first step in narrowing down a list of research questions?
Rank questions in order of importance.
What are the six criteria to consider when evaluating research questions?
Interesting, Ethical.
What is essential to identify in each research question?
The research objective.
True or False: Qualitative research is often an iterative process.
True.
What is a key characteristic of semi-structured interviews?
Flexible design with no fixed order of questions.
What does an interview seek to understand?
The interviewee’s experiences, feelings, opinions, and meanings.
Fill in the blank: A good interviewer must have a genuine interest and ________ for interviewees.
respect.
What is the purpose of an interview guide?
To provide a structured list of topics and questions for interviews.
What is the difference between unstructured and semi-structured interviews?
Unstructured interviews are close to conversation; semi-structured have a set of topics and questions.
What is purposive sampling?
A non-probability sampling method focused on specific criteria or characteristics.
What is theoretical saturation in qualitative research?
The point at which no new information is being discovered from additional data.
What is a snowball sample?
A sampling technique where existing study subjects recruit future subjects from among their acquaintances.
True or False: Qualitative research can produce data that can be generalized to a population.
False.
What should researchers consider when preparing for an interview?
The setting, informed consent, and the interview process.
What is one advantage of using interviews in qualitative research?
They can make unobservable things explicit, like motives and experiences.
What is a narrative interview?
An interview that encourages participants to tell stories.
What are the key steps in conducting a qualitative interview?
Start easy, follow a logical order, and be flexible.
What is the role of ethics in qualitative research?
To justify research purposes and understand the consequences of research.
What is the importance of understanding the context of interviewees?
It helps to contextualize their answers and experiences.
What should researchers avoid in qualitative research to maintain ethical standards?
Exoticism, othering, and imposing Eurocentric paradigms.
What is a key consideration when gaining access to research sites?
Using contacts and offering something in return without becoming exploitative.
What is a tactic for gaining access to closed research sites?
Use friends, contacts, colleagues, or academics to help you gain access
This can include finding a champion who can vouch for you and your research’s value.
What should you be prepared to negotiate when accessing closed research sites?
Length of project, role of researcher, areas of study, starting time, resources needed
Negotiation is crucial to establish clear expectations and boundaries.
True or False: Access to open research sites is always straightforward.
False
Open research sites can still present challenges, often involving gatekeepers.
What is an ongoing concern after gaining access to a research site?
People can be suspicious of you and may worry about what they say or do
This can lead to sabotage of the research if trust is not established.
What are some tactics for maintaining ongoing access to research sites?
Play up credentials, be non-judgemental, construct a ‘front’, be prepared for tests of competence
These strategies help build trust and rapport with participants.
What ethical guidelines were established by the Nuremberg Code?
Standards for ethical research
This code was significant in shaping modern research ethics.
What are the three ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report?
Respect, Beneficence, Justice
These principles guide ethical considerations in research involving human subjects.
What types of harm must researchers consider when conducting studies?
Physical harm, damage to development, loss of self-esteem, stress, mental damage
Understanding these potential harms is crucial to ethical research.
Fill in the blank: Informed consent requires participants to be fully informed of the _______.
[research process]
This includes the opportunity to refuse participation.
What is the difference between explicit and tacit knowledge?
Explicit knowledge is accessible and conscious; tacit knowledge is implicit and not easily articulated
Tacit knowledge includes habits and practices that are hard to express.
Who is associated with the concept of ‘thick description’ in ethnography?
Clifford Geertz
He emphasized the importance of context in understanding cultural practices.
What is participant observation?
A method where the researcher actively engages with participants in their natural environment
This approach allows for deeper understanding of social interactions.
What are the four types of observers in ethnographic research?
Complete Participant, Participant as Observer, Observer as Participant, Complete Observer
Each type has different levels of engagement with the group being studied.
Define Grounded Theory.
An inductive approach to generate theory from constant comparison of observations
It contrasts with traditional scientific models by emphasizing emergent theory.
What is the purpose of axial coding in Grounded Theory?
To create connections between categories and integrate them under an overarching theory
This helps to refine and clarify the emerging theory.
What is the purpose of field notes in ethnographic research?
To create a chronological record of involvement in the research scene
Notes should be detailed and turned into proper notes as soon as possible.
What is a common criticism of Grounded Theory?
It chops data into themes, potentially losing the holistic view of participants’ stories
This critique highlights the balance between thematic analysis and narrative integrity.
What is Discourse Analysis?
A method that examines language as a system that produces social realities
It considers how language shapes and reflects societal structures.
What is the ‘attractive nuisance’ in qualitative data analysis?
The abundance of information versus the difficult analytic path
This term reflects the challenge of managing large datasets in qualitative research.
What is a ‘discourse’?
A system of language which draws on a particular terminology and encodes specific forms of knowledge
Discourse analysis emphasizes how language constitutes or produces social reality.
What does discourse analysis emphasize?
The way versions of the world, society, events, and inner psychological worlds are produced in discourse.
True or False: Language is depicted in discourse analysis as merely a means of understanding the social world.
False
What are the three dimensions of language in discourse analysis?
- Text (speech, writing, visual)
- Discursive practice (production and consumption of text)
- Social practice
What is the epistemological assumption of discourse analysis?
Anti-realist
Fill in the blank: Discourse analysis is not concerned with getting at ‘the truth’ but with how language is used to _______.
[present different pictures of reality]
What are the different kinds of arguments examined in critical discourse analysis?
- How a text is organized
- How arguments are legitimized
- How arguments are defended against counterarguments
What is the primary focus of conversation analysis?
The study of the structure and organization of talk in interaction.
What is qualitative content analysis (QCA)?
The most used approach to the qualitative analysis of documents, focusing on understanding underlying themes.
What is the first step in ethnographic content analysis?
Generate a research question.
What are the quality criteria for assessing documents according to J. Scott?
- Authenticity
- Credibility
- Representativeness
- Meaning
What is the hermeneutics approach linked to?
The active audience perspective emphasizing plurality of interpretation.
What are the three moments in applying hermeneutical research?
- The social-historical moment
- The formal moment
- The interpretation-reinterpretation moment
What does semiotics study?
The analysis of symbols in everyday life.
Fill in the blank: In semiotics, the _______ refers to the concrete sign.
[signifier]
What is the denotative meaning?
The manifest meaning of a signifier indicating its function.
What does polysemy refer to in semiotics?
The quality of signs being interpretable in many ways.
What are the five types of audience in research report writing?
- Area specialists
- General disciplinary readers
- Human science readers
- Action-oriented readers
- General readers
What should be considered when presenting evidence in a research report?
- Themes and topics
- Narrowing and expanding focus
- Puzzle-explication
- Chronology and natural history
What is triangulation in quality control?
Comparison of two or more forms of data with respect to the research interest.
What does reflexivity involve in qualitative research?
Reflexivity about one’s own position, pre-assumptions, actions, and behavior.
What are some strategies for quality control in qualitative research?
- Triangulation
- Member validation/member checks
- Reflexivity
What is the main challenge identified in semiotics?
The difficulty in escaping a sense of arbitrariness in the analysis.
What is the role of the narrator in research report writing?
To represent the characters in the text.
True or False: The debate of using ‘I’ or ‘we’ is relevant in research report writing.
True
What is the importance of contextualization and conceptualization in writing research reports?
To provide a theoretical background to the research.
What are the two types of contributions a research report might make?
- Theoretical contributions
- Practical contributions
