Qualitative methods and thematic analysis

Question 1

What is qualitative data?

Answer 1

Concerned with processes, idiographic

Question 2

What are the goals of quantitative and qualitative data?

Answer 2

Quantitative- nomothetic

Qualitative- idiographic

Question 3

What is the research approach to quantitative and qualitative data?

Answer 3

Quantitative- deductive

Qualitative- inductive

Question 4

What is realist ontology

Answer 4

Objective, underlying realty to be discovered

Question 5

What is phenomenology?

Answer 5

philosophy underlying qualitative methodologies

Question 6

Characteristics of the deductive approach

Answer 6

Reductionist, generalisation, quantitative data, causal relationships

Question 7

Characteristics of the inductive approach

Answer 7

Less concern with generalising, data to theory, qualitative data

Question 8

What is methodological triangulation?

Answer 8

Combination of several research methodologies in one study

Question 9

What does triangulation help to cancel out?

Answer 9

‘Method effect’

Question 10

What do qualitative methodologies include?

Answer 10

Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), discourse analysis, thematic analysis, grounded theory

Question 11

What is discourse analysis?

Answer 11

Approaches to analyse written, vocal or sign language

Question 12

What is grounded theory?

Answer 12

Constructing theories through methodical gathering and analysis of data. inductive

Question 13

What does qualitative data include?

Answer 13

Unstructured interviews, focus groups, participant observations (and non), diaries

Question 14

What are some differences in qualitative approaches?

Answer 14

Epistemological position,

degree of reflexivity, role of researcher, analytic process

Question 15

What is thematic analysis?

Answer 15

Identifying themes in data and interpreting what these themes mean

Question 16

Is thematic analysis an active or passive process?

Answer 16

active

Question 17

What is a semantic theme?

Answer 17

Identify the explicit and surface meanings of the data

Question 18

What is a latent theme?

Answer 18

Identify the underlying ideas, patterns and assumptions

Question 19

What is epistemology?

Answer 19

the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope. Epistemology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.

Question 20

What is inductive thematic analysis?

Answer 20

Code data without trying to fit it to researchers’ interpretation

Question 21

What is theoretical thematic analysis?

Answer 21

Analysis driven by the researcher’s theoretical interest

Question 22

What is constructionist analysis?

Answer 22

structural conditions that enable individual accounts

Question 23

What are the phases of thematic analysis?

Answer 23

1) familiarise yourself with the data
2) generate initial codes
3) search for themes
4) review themes
5) define and name themes
6) produce report

Question 24

what is social constructionism?

Answer 24

an inquiry is seen as a collaborative process between those
involved (researchers and participants),

This also implies that the role of the researcher needs to become transparent in both data
collection and subsequent analysis. Furthermore, the analysis includes the relationship between
the researcher and the participants as an active part of the data. Thus, the findings are not
presented independently and objectively, but as a result of the subjective construction, which is a relevant and unique result of the moments of interaction between the
researcher(s) and the participants.

Question 25

What is epistemology (with example)?

Answer 25

understanding what your approach is

e.g. Realist vs Social constructionist