Qualitative Methods for Research Flashcards
Qualitative Research Definition
- a naturalistic approach that seeks to understand phenomenon in uncontrolled context
- ask why and how, tells a story, describes a process, capture meaning, explain context
Qualitative Research
inductive
studies unknown or little known phenomenon
development of hypothesis or theories
conducted in naturalistic setting
smaller number of participants
textual, audio and visual data collection
data gathered and analyzed simultaneously
content analysis
explore complex issues and interactions between humans, reasons for outcomes, and processes
Quantitative Research
deductive studies well known topics testing of hypothesis or theories conducted in controlled settings large number of subjects standardized numerical data collection data gathered first then analyzed statistic analysis explore outcomes due to manipulations, treatments
Mixed Methods
have quantitative and qualitative methods
- questionnaires, measurements (quantitative) and interviews (qualitative)
- a few open ended questions
Sampling
purposeful sampling ⇒ bias is a strength
sample size ⇒ saturation
Interview Types
Unstructured - tell story, one grand tour; 5 broad questions
Semistructured - when you can develop questions about topic but not enough to predict answers, not the same flow for all
Structured - same questions asked with the same flow
Focus Groups
3-12 people with 6-10 ideally
come together to discuss and analyze a topic
structure provided by facilitator
facilitator observes interactions, attitudes and opinions
interaction among individuals is the focal point of both data generation and analysis
Conducting an Interview
- need a well trained interviewer
- comfortable setting
- a good interviewer mostly listens
- be careful not to lead convo
- use neutral phrases
Conducting a Focus Group
- well trained facilitator
- provide comfortable setting
- sets ground rules
- a good facilitator
Types of Questions (6)
experience questions - describe your experience with…
Behaviour questions - describe what you do when…
Opinion questions - what kinds of problems do you think…
Feeling questions - how do you feel about…
Knowledge questions - what do you know about…
Sensory questions - how did it feel/taste/smell when…
Steps in Interview/Focus group
- create comfortable environment
- encourage conversation - icebreakers, probe
- ensure you understand - clarify, repeat
- asking difficult questions - depth, sensitive
- coming down - summarize end on positive
- closing
Data Collection
- taped or recorded
- take notes during
- follow up questions, gestures, feelings, important words, things that struck you at the time
- transcribed recordings
Interview
- more expensive
- more time consuming
- isolate single points of view
- group contamination is absent
- greater anonymity, participant more willing to share
Focus groups
- less expensive
- less time consuming
- can capture group dynamics
- synergy is possible
- domination by some group members
- data may be more difficult to analyze
Analysis
analysis and collection happen at same time
structure may change depending on findings
Observation
- could observe or participate
- physical layout, people involved, activities, elements of the setting, actions of individual, event sequence, duration of events, aims of the activities, emotions
Qualitative Methodologies
- ethnography
- grounded theory
- phenomenology
- principles of induction
- symbolic interaction
- narratives
Ethnography
- describes the cultural reality of a group or community
- studies patterns of behaviour and kinds of knowledge, perceptions and assumptions that are embedded in a cultural group
- use observation and interviews ⇒ 25-35
⇒ what is the diabetes patient experience with healthy eating?
Grounded Theory
- generates a theory that accounts for a pattern of behaviour or describes the stage of a process
- interviews n=18
- constant comparisons - theory is shared with participants as it is developed to refine it
⇒ how do people with diabetes come to practice and sustain healthy eating habits
Phenomenology
- the study of a lived experience
- data could be art, fiction, interviews, literature, film
- n = 8
- analysis focusses on significance of objects, events, tools, the flow of time etc
⇒ what is it like to be a person with diabetes and a healthy diet?
Coding, Categorizing, Themes
Coding ⇒ ID words, phrases, concepts that appear repeatedly
Categorizing ⇒ arrange ID coded words into categories and subcategories
Themes ⇒ thoughts or processes that weave the categories together
