Qualitative evidence Flashcards
What is qualitative data?
Data which sheds light on emotions and understandings around a topic. Data is mainly objective and cannot be given a value
How is qualitative data collected?
Mainly - interviews and focus groups
Less common - observation, patient diaries and images
What are important in understanding people’s understandings in relation to health issues?
'How and why questions' Health literacy Emotions Social interactions Decision making
What is the difference between studies at the top and bottom of the hierarchies of evidence?
Top (e.g. RCT) - researchers have more control over studies however, these studies do not reflect the real world
Bottom (qualitative) - more context and focussed on single cases but not much control over research
Advantages of qualitative methods
Focussed/detailed cases
Can focus on the real world
Can capture experiences and understandings
Disadvantages of qualitative methods
Loss of auditability (not many inbuilt structures to reduce bias so must trust researchers) Generalisable with CAUTION (so bsc not really) Cannot predict (only suggests) causation/outcome
Need for qualitative data
To find out about experiences/emotions
To describe and explain health behaviours
To improve quantitative research by informing questions
Help understand study findings
What is purposive sampling and which methods is it used in?
Choosing a group of participants because their perspectives are assumed to be important to the issue being studied.
Used in qualitative sampling
What is the iterative method of data collection?
Repeating cycles of data collection and analysis while refining focus till no more new insights are gained.
When no more insights are gained it is known as saturation
Why is the iterative of data used?
Analysing data with collection means that questions can be refined and modified to improve research and link it closer to real people.
How is qualitative data analysed?
Transcripts are coded, topics and issued raised are labelled. Main themes are then identified along with emerging themes
What is an emerging theme?
Themes which the researcher was not interested in but came out
How can a qualitative paper be made stronger?
By describing methods of data collection and analysis in high levels of detail.
Also by describing in detail the beliefs and background of the researchers
What is reflexivity?
Researchers being continuously aware of their own beliefs/thoughts/feelings so that they reflect on how they may influence their research
What is a type 1 error in interpretation?
Finding something in data which is NOT there - researchers believe/try to make the reader believe things which have not come up
How may type 1 errors occur?
When there are conflicts of interest (doctors interviewing their own patients)
When there is a social pressure to give positive answers - can be reduced by anonymous questionnaires
Cherry picking quotes (limited no. of quotes which all seem similar)
What are type 2 errors in interpretation?
ignoring something which is there. Type 2 errors are mainly influenced by context
How may type 2 errors in interpretation occur?
When participants are forced in to categories (e.g. good and bad) or when the data is overly complex even when data is complex.
What are the main things to consider when appraising qualitative evidence?
Transparency - explicitness of methods and analysis
Validity - justifying interpretations
Reliability - using more than one researcher to analyse
Comparativeness - comparing between participants and studies
Reflexivity - accounting for the researcher’s background and interests
What is grounded theory?
A qualitative method which develop theory (explains WHY people think/behave in the way they do)
What is symbolic interactionism?
A form of grounded theory which focuses on how people create meaning through social interaction
What is theoretical sampling?
Sampling participants to inform the analysis once the study is underway (e.g. looking for people with particular demographics)
What is the constant comparison model?
Any new interview data is compared with existing ones as findings and interpretations change with emerging data
What is triangulation?
Comparing different types of data to achieve a more complex and realistic picture of issues studied
What is respondent validation?
Asking participants to comment on the developing analysis
What is content/thematic analysis?
Interpreting and structuring data by grouping responses in to themes (themes should summarise data related to a particular topic/issue)
