Qualitative Data Collection & Analysis

Question 1

List:

FOUR key ‘tools‘/types of methods to consider in your research.

Answer 1

• Sampling methods.
• Data collection methods.
• Data analysis methods.
• Methods of communicating results.

Question 2

List:

Up to TEN examples of qualitative data collection methods.

Try to remember as many as you can!

Answer 2

• Media analysis.
• Direct observation.
• Ethnographic observation.
• Open-ended surveys.
• Diaries.
• Story completion.
• Arts-based methods.
• Interviews.
• Focus groups.
• Oral history.

Question 3

What are considered the TWO ‘traditional’ methods of qualitative data collection?

Answer 3

Interviews
&
Focus groups.

Question 4

What is the most common method of qualitative data collection?

Answer 4

Interviews

Question 5

Interviews often give ____ & ____ - ____ accounts.

Answer 5

rich & in-depth

Question 6

Identify:

The THREE main styles of an interview.

Answer 6

• Structured (set of questions).
• Semi-structured (follow-ups, spontaneity).
• Unstructured (no pre-decided questions).

Question 7

List:

FOUR examples of components for a ‘good interview’.

Answer 7

• Open-ended questions.
• Connection with participants.
• Respect.
• Quality time spent overall.

Question 8

Define:

A focus group

Answer 8

Multiple participants being interviewed simultaneously.

This tends to be groups of 6-8, but may be smaller/larger.

Question 9

List:

THREE key ways focus groups are unique to traditional interviews.

Answer 9

• Researcher/Facilitator(s) have more of a ‘backseat role’.
• Participants encouraged to ‘bounce-off’ each other.
• More complicated transcriptions.

Overall, it shifts the power dynamic between researcher and participants.

Question 10

List:

THREE advantages of an interview compared to focus groups.

Answer 10

• Anonymity.
• Increased likelihood of getting better detail from each individual participant.
• Easier transcriptions.

Question 11

List:

FOUR advantages of a focus group compared to an interview.

Answer 11

• Shifts power dynamic of researcher and participants.
• Increased comfort for some people.
• Potentially increased variety/diversity in answers.
• Saving time.

Question 12

What are the TWO main types of transcription?

Answer 12

Naturalised
&
Denaturalised

Note: These are more like two ends of a spectrum though.

Question 13

Define:

Naturalised transcription

Answer 13

Conversion of verbal discourses into written form in a way that aims to retain as much original detail as possible.

This means keeping im pauses, utterances, grammatical errors, etc.

Question 14

Define:

Denaturalised transcription

Answer 14

Conversion of verbal discourses into written form in a way that aims to adapt it to ‘textual norms’.

Note: This does NOT mean changing what was actually said, but may involve excluding excessive utterances or pauses, etc.

Question 15

What were the TWO prior types of sample size guidelines in qualitative research?

Answer 15

• Arbitrary numbers (e.g. 4-6, 12).
• Data saturation.

People now base sample size on pragmatism.

Question 16

Define:

Data saturation

Answer 16

The point at which no new information is yielded from further data collection.

Nowadays, this concept is highly scrutinised in the field of qualitative psychological research, as humans are unqiue individuals, and so reaching such a definitive saturation point is essentially impossible.

Question 17

List:

TWO reasons why data saturation is NOT applicable to qualitative psychological research.

Answer 17

• Each individual is unique to another.
• People change over time.

Question 18

What recent approach is more popular now in deciding sample size for qualitative research?

Answer 18

A pragmatic approach.

This means time and resource constraints essentially set the upper-limit of data collection.

Question 19

Define:

Naturally occurring data.

Answer 19

‘Data that would have occurred, regardless of researcher presence’.

Question 20

Define:

Ethnography

Answer 20

Observing or collecting data from participants in their natural settings.

This often involves researchers immersing themselves in certain communities or contexts.

Question 21

What is ONE potential issue with observational studies?

(When using naturally occurring data)

Answer 21

Ambiguous or no consent.

Question 22

What are TWO benefits of surveys in conducting qualitative research?

Although, this can apply to mixed methods/quantitative surveys too!

Answer 22

• Anonymity (especially for sensitive topics).
• Less resource intensive.

Although, the anonymity can be a ‘double-edged sword’ if it leads to people being more inauthentic or not giving genuine answers.

Question 23

Describe:

The vignette technique for qualitative research.

Answer 23

Participants are given stories or hypothetical scenarios and asked to respond to them.

Question 24

How does the story completion technique differ to the vignette technique in qualitative research?

Answer 24

Story completion involves presenting participants stories or hypothetical scenarios and asking them to ‘finish’ it.

Vignettes are already complete, and simply require a response.

Question 25

What is ONE particular benefit of the vignette/story completion techniques in qualitative research?

Answer 25

It can be less confronting to participants, as it is not asking them directly about their personal experiences.

Question 26

What is the main benefit/purpose of using diary entries in qualitative research?

Answer 26

It assists in finding individuals’ patterns/trends over the course of a longitudinal study.

Note: It is often paired with other methods as well.

Question 27

State:

The ONE key advantage and ONE key disadvantage of using media in qualitative research.

(Media could be newspapers, radio call-ins, magazines, online posts, discussion forums, etc.)

Answer 27

• Readily accessible and wide variety of data.
• Ambiguous or no consent.

Question 28

List:

FIVE examples of visual or arts-based methods of data collection.

(In qualitative research)

Answer 28

• Autophotography
• Photo Elicitation
• Body Mapping
• Story Walking
• Poetry

Ultimately, creativity is your limit!

Question 29

Define:

Body mapping

(Qualitative research)

Answer 29

Using bodies to visually represent emotions, experiences, or individual contexts.

This is a particularly poignant tool for people who find it difficult to verbally/textually express themselves.

Question 30

Define:

Story Walking

(Qualitative research)

Answer 30

Researcher goes on a walk with the participant whilst conducting an interview or getting them to share experiences.

Believed to be a far more ‘human’/peronanle approach, with roots in ethnography and anthropology.

Question 31

What are the SEVEN main methods of qualitative data analysis?

Answer 31

• Narrative Analysis
• Content Analysis
• Discourse Analysis
• Conversation Analysis
• Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis
• Grounded Theory
• Thematic Analysis

Thematic analysis was covered during the lectures by Gloria Fraser.

Question 32

Define:

Content analysis

Answer 32

Reduction of text to more manageable bits of data.

It is more based on the systematic classification of data components (eg. words, images, phrases, etc.), and so differs to thematic analysis - which focuses on trends in themes.

Question 33

Define:

Thematic analysis

Answer 33

Identification of common themes or patterns of meaning across datasets.

This often incorporates aspects of content analysis initially (i.e. coding) in order to piece together overarching themes.

Question 34

Define:

Interpretive phenomenological analysis

Answer 34

Analysis of how individuals make sense of their experiences and contexts.