Qualitative research

Question 1

What is qualitative research?

Answer 1

Research procedures and approaches that emphasize the collection and analysis of open-ended forms of non-numerical data.

Question 2

What are the 5 most common objective areas?

Answer 2

1. Exploration: Seeking to uncover new knowledge about a topic
2. Operationalization: Have general knowledge, but want to understand how to study the topic
3. Contextualization: Have general knowledge, but want to apply it to new real-world context to understand the effects in this specific context
4. Perception: Highlight variation in knowledge with different perspectives to broaden understanding of topic
5. Description: Learn how to describe a topic with the knowledge we have

Question 3

What is a conceptual framework?

Answer 3

The system of concepts, assumptions, expectations, beliefs and theories that supports and inform your research

Question 4

What are the steps of qualitative research?

Answer 4

1. Problem and objective
2. Conceptual framework
3. Data collection
4. Data analysis
5. Presentation

Question 5

What are common data collection methods?

Answer 5

• Interviews
• Focus groups
• Observations
• Thinking-out-loud protocol: Researchers let participants speak their minds when performing a task
• Open question surveys
• Diary studies: Researchers let participant document their daily behavior and/or emotions over time
• Secondary research: Researcher collect existing data in the form of texts, images, audio or video recordings

Question 6

What are common data analysis methods?

Answer 6

1. Content analysis: Researcher focuses on describing and categorizing common words, phrases and ideas in qualitative data
2. Thematic analysis: Researcher focuses on identifying and interpreting patterns in qualitative data
3. Discourse analysis: Researcher focuses on studying how language is used to achieve effects in specific contexts

Question 7

What does think description mean?

Answer 7

Paying attention to and reporting on not only the details of a phenomenon but also the multiple contexts in which details were collected

Question 8

What should be included in a presentation?

Answer 8

1. Purpose and problem
2. Conceptual framework
3. Methodological decisions for data collection and data analysis methods
4. Varied narrative forms and perspectives on the topic

Question 9

What is important in every step and why?

Answer 9

Quality control, since researchers rely only on their interpretation which brings subjectivity that risks reducing the quality of the results due to not reflecting the truth

Question 10

What are common biases related to subjectivity

Answer 10

1. Confirmation bias: Focus on data that confirms beliefs or hypothesis
2. Cultural bias: Interpret data based on norms and values coming from your cultural background
3. Selection bias: Influence selection of participants and context, which can exclude certain outcomes from being studied
4. Social desirability bias: Researchers actively participating in data collection may lead to participants providing answers to please the researcher
5. Anchoring bias: The first results are often heavily relied on, which may influence interpretation of following results