Qualitative research Flashcards
What can quantitative research be used to measure?
prevalence causality relationship between variables prediction comparison measuring outcomes
What can qualitative research be used to measure?
organisational change decision-making perceptions understandings experiences
What is the definition of qualitative research?
a research strategy that emphasises words rather than numbers in collecting and analysing data
study people in their natural setting
understand the social world through the eyes of respondents and the meanings they attach to phenomena
concepts and theories emerge from data (not hypothesis testing)
Give an example of the use of qualitative research in health care
Tries to understand the “what”, “why” and “how” questions
e.g why people smoke despite the evidence
social meaning of smoking
the power of tobacco companies in advertisement and policy
Describe posivitism
The world is independent of and is unaffected by the researcher
Facts and values are distinct, making it possible to carry out objective research
Methods of science appropriate to study social phenomena as human behaviour is governed by law-like regulations
One truth exists out there and we must be objective to find it
Describe the interpretivist paradigm
the researcher and the social world impact on each other
Objective and value free research is not possible although the researcher can declare and he transparent about assumptions
The methods of the natural sciences are not appropriate in a social context as the social world is mediated through meaning and human agency
There are many truths as we socially construct the truth there are multiple realities as people have different perceptions and experiences
What should qualitative be / show?
systematically and rigorously conducted strategically conducted reflexive offer explanations generalisable (possibly) ethically practised
What are the ethical considerations in qualitative research?
recruitment informed consent confidentiality anonymity risk capacity incentives (payment/ kudos)
What are some criticisms of qualititatve research?
too subjective
difficult to replicate
problems of generalisation
lack of transparency
What is phenomenology?
The way people experience the world they create or inhabit
Study of human experience and consciousness in every day life
Does not deny objective reality but emphasises the importance of each individual’s unique subjective experience of events and how they read them
What is an ethnography?
Field / case-study approach
Observation, daily participation
Participant observation
What is grounded theory?
Generates theory from data in the process of carrying out the research and collecting the data
Reverse of the traditional process of forming a theoretical groundwork first
What is a biography?
looks at how are life and times influence our existence
The impact of social, political, cultural and historical trends are taken into consideration so would include areas such as class, race, ethnicity, gender, family history , religion, political stance, education etc
Describe the case-study approach
the most common
intense study of a particular group / community / incident
usually in depth or longitudinal
Describe naturally occurring data
ethnography / observation - researcher joins community to record events as they occur
Documentary analysis- media, organisational documents, diaries, photos etc
Describe generated data
group discussions
qualitative interviews
qualitative surveys
What is meant by non-probabilistic samples ?
Not statistically representative
Describe the sample size in qualitative research
usually small
depends on comparisons, type of interviews, analysis and time and budget
What is meant by data saturation?
no new data emerging / themes well developed
What is a convenience sample?
most accessible
can be large scale
no specific sample selection (eg shopping centre)
What is a purposive sample?
selected depending on purpose of research queation
What is snowballing sampling?
begin with a small sample selective group and ask them to refer you to others of the same type
What is theoretical sampling?
choosing new sites / cases / issues to compare with one that has already been studied: the aim is to offer a deeper understanding of something that is only partially understood
What is observation?
Typically refers to the systematic observation of behaviour
field notes, written, taped, filmed
When are observational studies used?
when the issues are sensitive
when you have a lot of time
when you’re not sure what looking for
when other methods are inappropriate
What is observed in observational studies?
Characteristics of participants
participant’s interactions
non-verbal behaviour
physical surroundings
Describe structured interviews
questions - standardised, predetermined, asked in the same order
e.g survey research
Describe semi-structured interviews
questions - list of questions, interviewer prompts
e.g survey or qualitative studies
Describe unstructured / in-depth interviews
broad topic guide
e.g qualitative studies
What are the advantages of semi structured and in-depth interviews?
more complex issues can be probed
answers can be clarified
a more relaxed research atmosphere may abstain more in -depth of sensitive information
What is the aim of an interview?
To discover the interviewee’s own framework and meaning and the researchers task is to avoid imposing their own structures and assumptions as far as possible
What are the disadvantages of interviews?
time consuming and difficult to collect and analyse
greater opportunity for interviewer bias
style of interviewer
expensive and only feasible with small samples
What is a focus group?
Involves a small group of people (4-8) in an informal group discussion focussed on a particular set of issues
What are the advantages of focus groups?
attitudes, feelings, beliefs, experiences may be more likely to be revealed in a group setting
suitable for obtaining several different perspectives on the same topic
can be used to gain people’s shared understanding of issues
asp see how individuals are influenced by others in a group setting
How is a focus group different from an interview?
Facilitator does not ask questions of each participant in turn - encourage members to interact with each other
more naturalistic
What are the disadvantages of focus group?
organisation
skilled facilitator needed
transcription is more difficult
group dynamics
What are the general concepts of analysing qualitative research?
producing a record of what was noticed collecting into categories searching for patterns looking for similarities or differences asking questions thinking about it all
Describe presenting qualitative research
merge findings with interpretation / discussion contextualisation of findings critical reflection of research process quotations to bring it to life preserve anonymity
