Qualitative Research Design

Question 1

Quantitative research involves analysis of …

Answer 1

Numerical data

Question 2

What is qualitative research?

Answer 2

• form of scientific enquiry, interpretive orientation (focuses on way people interpret), naturalistic approach
• documents the world from the point of view of the people being studied
• makes sense of the events in terms of meanings people attach to them

Question 3

What topics are suited for qualitative research?

Answer 3

• the role of organisational context in implementing new technology or practice
• complex social processes
• pt perceptions of healthcare access and quality
• beliefs, motivations underlying health behaviours

Question 4

Can qualitative research use mixed methods?

Answer 4

Qualitative research can stand alone or stand alongside and complement quantitative research

Question 5

What is the sequential method?

Answer 5

Used for exploratory phase of study to inform survey content and coverage, developing themes and typologies on which a survey question can be designed, and in testing the questions

Question 6

What are the characteristics of quantitative research?

Answer 6

Measures objective facts, focuses on variables, large sample, uses instruments to collect data, firewall between research process and researchers values, contextual independence

Question 7

What are the characteristics of qualitative research?

Answer 7

Subjective, focuses on in depth meaning, small sample, researcher is the instrument, researchers values can be present and explicit, contextual dependence

Question 8

What are the qualitative theoretical approaches?

Answer 8

Ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory

Question 9

What is the definition of ethnography?

Answer 9

Concerned with group or culture

Question 10

What is the definition of phenomenology?

Answer 10

Concerned with understanding individuals lived experience

Question 11

What is the definition of grounded theory?

Answer 11

Concerned with generating theories from experience

Question 12

What are the key features of ethnography?

Answer 12

• understand culture of groups within society
• involves extended periods of time “in the field”
• more than 1 form of data collection = pt observation and non pt observation
• collect more than 1 type of data
• written as “thick” description (allows reader to experience culture without being there)

Question 13

What are the key features of phenomenology?

Answer 13

• focuses on people’s meaning of a lived experience of a concept/phenomenon (an event, experience or something that happens to them)
• main type of data: interviews, stories, life history
• bracketing (setting aside own pre-conceived notions)
• data analysis: textual description (WHAT was experienced), structural description ( context and setting that influenced HOW pt experienced phenomenon)
• understanding what it feels like to experience the phenomenon

Question 14

What are the key features of grounded theory?

Answer 14

• approach to exploring experience (actions, interactions and processes)
• generates theories from experiences (theory is comes from study data)
• collects data alongside data analysis
• analysis guides future data collection
• constant comparison technique between analysed data and new data
• continues until data saturation

Question 15

What are the different types of sampling?

Answer 15

Homogeneous sample
Heterogeneous sample
Total population sample
Snowball sample
Convenience sample
Purposive sample
Theoretical sample

Question 16

Which sample has individuals who belong to the same subculture or have similar characteristics?

Answer 16

Homogeneous sample

Question 17

What sample has individuals or groups of individuals who differ from each other in a major aspect?

Answer 17

Heterogeneous sample

Question 18

Which sample has all individuals selected from a particular group?

Answer 18

Total population sample

Question 19

What sample uses a previously chosen individual to suggest other individuals with knowledge of a particular area or topic?

Answer 19

Snowball sample

Question 20

What sample is opportunistic?

Answer 20

Convenience sample

Question 21

What sample is when participants are selected because they have the experience of interest?

Answer 21

Purposive sampling

Question 22

What sample is selected on the basis of the concepts and theoretical issues which arose during the study?

Answer 22

Theoretical sample

Question 23

What are the ethical issues that can occur in qualitative research?

Answer 23

• sensitive issues/vulnerable people
• emotional risk
• maintaining confidentiality
• professional boundaries (where to intervene)
• consent to observation / participation
• context (venue and place)

Question 24

What are the different qualitative research methods?

Answer 24

Interviews, focus groups, observational studies (participant and non participant), documents (diaries, official documents and records, historical documents and records, newspapers), innovative methods (film, photo voice, drawing, online research), participatory action research (PAR)

Question 25

How is qualitative data collected?

Answer 25

Field notes, newspapers or magazine stories, interview transcripts (recorded and transcribed), focus group transcripts, web pages, audio and video tapes (transcribed and described), copies of documents, photographs (described), film, diaries

Question 26

What are the different approaches to analysis for qualitative data?

Answer 26

• classical thematic or content analysis
• discourse analysis
• constant comparison
• phenomenological analysis

Question 27

Why are classical thematic or content analysis used?

Answer 27

Identifying themes

Question 28

What is discourse analysis?

Answer 28

Analysis of spoken interaction

E.g. Foucault

Question 29

Why is constant comparison used for data analysis?

Answer 29

Saturation (grounded theory)

E.g.Glaser, Strauss, Corbin, Charmaz

Question 30

Why is phenomenological analysis used?

Answer 30

Thematic analysis, different steps based on which phenomenological method:

• descriptive e.g Moustakes, Colaizzi
• interpretive (hermeneutic) e.g Merleau-Ponty, can Manen, Diekelmann

Question 31

Qualitative research involves analysis of …

Answer 31

Words, pictures or objects

Question 32

Why is trustworthiness important?

Answer 32

It is important to evaluating worth of the study

Question 33

What are the 4 criteria for trustworthiness?

Answer 33

Credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability

Question 34

What is credibility?

Answer 34

Confidence in the truth of the findings

Question 35

What helps to prove credibility?

Answer 35

Prolonged engagement, triangulation, peer debriefing, member checking

Question 36

What is transferability?

Answer 36

Showing findings have applicability in other settings

Question 37

What helps to prove transferability?

Answer 37

Thick description

Question 38

What is dependability?

Answer 38

Showing that the findings are consistent and could be repeated

Question 39

What helps to prove dependability?

Answer 39

Inquiry audit

Question 40

What is confirmability?

Answer 40

The extent to which the findings of a study are shaped by the respondents and not researcher bias, motivation or interest

Question 41

What helps to prove confirmability?

Answer 41

Audit trail, triangulation, reflexivity