Qualitative Research

Question 1

What does a qualitative approach explore?

Answer 1

Experiences, cultures or situations in depth

Question 2

What data sources are used in qualitative research?

Answer 2

Narrative, words, documents and graphical material

Question 3

Why is data analysed in qualitative research?

Answer 3

To identify themes, issues, relationships, concepts and sometimes to develop theory

Question 4

What is qualitative data

Answer 4

Data from a natural setting

Rich in content and description

Essential to develop in-depth understanding

Allows researchers to explore the experiences of participants, to look at meaning through/ in culture and to discover variables rather than test them

Question 5

What methods are used to collect qualitative data

Answer 5

Interviews 
Observation
Focus groups
Documents
Questionnaires

Question 6

What is phenomenology

Answer 6

Explores meaning of individual life events/experiences

Concerned with exploring individuals perceptions of their experiences

Question 7

What is the purpose of phenomenology

Answer 7

To find insights that apply more generally beyond the cases studied

Question 8

What is descriptive phenomenology

Answer 8

Uses ‘bracketing’ of preconceptions and attempts to arrive at the essences I’d experienced phenomena

Question 9

What is interpretive phenomenology

Answer 9

Used interpretation and ‘sensitising’ to highlight important themes. Enhances understanding in readers by presenting ‘plots’ or stories

Question 10

What is interpretive phenomenology based on

Answer 10

Philosophical insights of : Heidegger, gadamer, ricoeur

Question 11

What does interpretive phenomenology aim to do

Answer 11

To demonstrate how different peoples understanding come together to achieve broad insights

Question 12

What does ethnography involve

Answer 12

An in-depth study of a culture or group and its members. Usually involving extended amounts of field work

Question 13

What methods does ethnography use

Answer 13

Combines observation with other methods such as interviewing and document analysis to produce ‘thick description’

Question 14

What views does ethnography explore

Answer 14

Lexplores emic (participants/insider) and etic (researcher/outsider) views

Question 15

What does grounded data do

Answer 15

Generate theory from the data sources, especially where little is known about a topic or a new perspective is needed.

Question 16

What does grounded theory compare

Answer 16

Constant comparison of the data through sampling, coding and categorisation, ultimately to produce concepts and theory.

Question 17

What is an improvement feature of grounded theory

Answer 17

Data saturation

Question 18

What process do action research use

Answer 18

Cyclical process- researchers collaborate with practitioners to bring about change intervention

Question 19

Where does action research take place

Answer 19

In the setting where the change is taking place

Question 20

Action research findings is helpful for….

Answer 20

Immediately helpful for solving problems, implementing and assessing change

Question 21

What are some approaches used in qualitative research?

Answer 21

Narrative research 
Feminist research 
Critical incident technique 
Conversational analysis
Discourse analysis
Historical research