Qualitative Methods Flashcards
qualitative research
collection and analysis of text based data
primary data
interviews, focus groups, open ended survey questions
secondary data
newspaper articles, blogs, online forums, social media
psychology has been heavily influenced by…
behaviorism and cognitive experimentalism
Qualitative research questions what assumption
the assumption that there is an objective and true conception of reality
Qualitative research shows that
there are multiple versions of reality even for the same person
qualitative research focuses on
the experience, construction, and interpretation of reality
Qualitative researchers tend to be concerned with
meaning. That is, they are interested in how people make sense of the world and how they experience events. They aim to understand ‘what it is like’ to experience particular conditions and how people manage certain situations Willig (2013)
Researchers who use qualitative methods seek
a deeper truth. They aim to study things in their natural setting, attempting to make sense of, or interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them Greenhalgh & Taylor (1997)
Central goal of qualitative research
administer a conversation with someone to gather data
Unexplored and sensitive topics may benefit
from listening to people affected
Characteristics of Qualitative research
- words
-seeks to understand and interpret in terms of local meanings - narrow, but rich data
- tends to be theory generating
- seeks patterns. but can explore divergent narratives
- acknowledges subjectivity
Characteristics of Quantitative research
- numbers
- Seeks to identify relationships that generalize to a wider population
-Tends to be theory-testing
-Seeks consensus (i.e., what people do on average) - objective
Qualitative methodologies and methods
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
Grounded Theory
Narrative research
Conversation analysis
Discourse analysis
Focus groups
Thematic analysis
Methods of data collection
interviews and focus groups
aim in using interviews in research
Professional conversation.
Participants to talk about their experiences and perspectives, to capture their language & concepts on a topic.
To explore views, experiences, beliefs, perceptions, motivations on specific matters.
Good method when people have a personal stake in the matter.
Advantages of using interviews in research
Rich & detailed data about personal experiences and/or perspectives
Flexible – can probe & ask unplanned questions
Smaller samples
Ideal for sensitive issues
Accessible – can be used to collect data from vulnerable populations
Disadvantages of using interviews in research
Time consuming for researchers & participants
Lack of breadth due to small samples
Lack of anonymity
* Some people more comfortable disclosing sensitive info in group setting or anonymous survey
Not always empowering for participants – less control compared to qualitative surveys
structured interviews
questions & response categories predetermined by researcher
unstructured interviews
list of topics to discuss with participant; interview strongly participant-led
Semi structured interviews
Researcher has a list of questions, but scope for participants to discuss issues important to them & not anticipated by researcher
Most widely used interview method is
semi-structured interview
Semi structured interview methodologies
-open ended questions
- interview is flexible and responsive to participant
- usually recorded and transcribed
interview schedule
key to building trust and rapport with your participants (e.g., opening and closing questions).
order of questions
organize into topics that flow logically and avoid asking sensitive topics immediately
wording of questions
Open questions, which avoid yes/no answers.
Non-leading questions
Singular questions are better; questions that ask about multiple things can be confusing.
Focus groups
group discussion focused on a particular topic based on a series of questions, with 6-8 participants and researcher acts as moderator
participants may be…
pre existing groups such as colleagues or brought together specifically for the research based on shared experiences/characteristics
focus groups are not always
just group discussion, responses to stimuli or group activities
advantages of focus groups
Flexibility for exploring unanticipated issues.
Access to everyday ways of talking about topics (& meaning-making).
Can facilitate personal disclosure.
Enables people to respond to, challenge, disagree with, add to each other, providing rich data
disadvantages of focus groups
Logistically difficult – recruit & organise.
Easy to get off-topic & can be difficult to manage.
Ethical issues – whole group knows ‘who said what’ (privacy & confidentiality issues).
Transcription can be time-consuming.
Mixed methods
Combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in the design of a research study:
Qualitative study (i.e., focus groups, interviews) to inform design of a questionnaire.
Questionnaire, followed by interview or focus group with small sample of participants - further investigation.
Convenience sample
Selection of most accessible participants.
Identified as the least rigorous and justifiable sampling method.
Purposive sample
Aim – generate insight and in-depth understanding of the topic of interest.
Most common method
Theoretical sampling
Data analysis and theory development shapes the selection of subsequent participants to elaborate the developing theory.
Qualitative research tends to use ___ sample sizes than quantitative research
smaller
There is ___ to generate the required sample size
no rule
Sample size depends on
purpose of the inquiry, what will be useful, what will have credibility what can be done with available time and resources
data saturation
refers to the point at which no new information or themes are observed in the data
