Qualitative Research Flashcards
What is the socratic method?
- A problem is broken down to a series of questions
- The answers to the questions gradually reveal the solution to the problem
- Basis for the scientific method (hypothesis)
What is epistemology?
Investigating or questioning the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge
How can qualitative data be converted to quantitative data?
By using likert questions (e.g. strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree)
What are the features of quantitative research?
- Hypothesis - Takes a sample - Measures a variable - Assumes there is a true answer - Gets as close as possible to that true answer - “What?” “how much?” and “why"
What are the features of qualitative research?
- Develops understanding of experiences, perceptions, choices, behaviour
- “Why” and “how”
What are the philosophical foundations of qualitative research?
- Realities are dynamic, individual and socially constructed
- Knowledge is co-constructed & context dependent
- Those who have the experiences are the most knowledgeable about them
What are the qualitative methodologies?
- Discourse analysis
- Grounded theory
- Ethnography
- Action research
- Phenomenology
What is action research?
- Occurs when people see an injustice they want to correct
- Cycle of observing, planning, acting, reflecting
What is ethnography?
Involves going and living an experience (e.g. living with a tribe) then documenting the experience
What does the grounded theory involve?
- Recording a discussion
- Identifing the themes of the discussion
- Themes are grounded in the words the people said (i.e. the themes are not pre-conceived by the researchers)
What are the reasons for gathering qualitative data?
- To optimise quality, efficiency and effectiveness
- For fiscal and public accountability
- To make decision re continuation of treatment or services
- To guide practice
- To ascertain client satisfaction, opinion
“Not everything that can be counted counts.
Not everything that counts can be counted.”
This quote is commonly used by qualitative researchers to indicate that …
Quantitative methods reduce complex experiences to frequencies and associations, and in doing so can fail to capture the rich meaning of people’s experiences
Which qualitative research methodology aims to capture the ‘lived experience’ of its participants in a particular situation?
Phenomenology
In grounded theory, theoretical samples of people work towards a point in which no new themes or issues emerge from the information and data. What is this point called?
Saturation point
The process in which the researcher seeks confirmation and clarification from the participants, that the data accurately reflect what they meant or wanted to say, is better known as …
Respondent validation
