Qualitative Research Methods

Question 1

what is qualitative research?

Answer 1

concerned with the collection and analysis of text-based data

Question 2

what are examples of primary data?

Answer 2

interviews, focus groups, open-ended survey questions

Question 3

what are examples of secondary data?

Answer 3

newspaper articles, blogs, online forums, social media.

Question 4

WIllig (2013) definition of qualitative reserach?

Answer 4

“Qualitative researchers tend to be concerned with meaning. That is, they are interested in how people make sense of the world and how they experience events. They aim to understand ‘what it is like’ to experience particular conditions and how people manage certain situations

Question 5

Greenhalgh and Taylor (1997) definition of qualitative research

Answer 5

“Researchers who use qualitative methods seek a deeper truth. They aim to study things in their natural setting, attempting to make sense of, or interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them”

Question 6

what are the central question of qualitative research (Camic, Rhodes, & Yardley, 2003)

Answer 6

• “to count or to discover the name”
• “to measure or to listen and observe”
• “to administer a questionnaire or talk with someone”

Question 7

what are some qualitative methodologies and methods?

Answer 7

• Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
• Grounded Theory
• Narrative research
• Conversation analysis
• Discourse analysis
• Focus groups
• Thematic analysis

Question 8

what are some methods of qualitative data collection?

Answer 8

• Interviews
• Focus groups

Question 9

what are the aims of using interviews in qualitative research?

Answer 9

• Professional conversation.
• Participants to talk about their experiences and perspectives, to capture their language & concepts on a topic.
• To explore views, experiences, beliefs, perceptions, motivations on specific matters.
• Good method when people have a personal stake in the matter.

Question 10

what are some advantages of using interviews in research?

Answer 10

• rich and detailed data about personal experiences and/or perspectives
• flexible - can probe and ask unplanned questions
• smaller samples
• ideal for sensitive issues
• accessible- can be used to collect data from vulnerable populations

Question 13

what are features of a semi-structured interview?

Answer 13

• Interview schedule is planned in advance with open-ended questions and issues to probe further
• Open-ended questions encourage participants to provide in-depth, detailed responses
• Interview can be flexible and responsive to the participant; follow up on unanticipated issues
• Usually recorded and transcribed
• Transcription: process of turning audio (and video) recordings into written text for subsequent analysis
• Interview schedule – key to building trust and rapport with your participants (e.g., opening and closing questions).
• Order of questions – organise into topics that flow logically and avoid asking sensitive topics immediately
• Wording of questions: open questions, non-leading questions, singular questions are better

Question 14

what are focus groups?

Answer 14

• Group discussion focused on a particular topic or set of core issues.
• Typically 6 – 8 participants.
• Discussion based around a series of questions (‘schedule’).
• Researcher generally acts as a moderator.
• There can be a second researcher present taking notes.
• Interaction between participants key feature.
• Typically recorded and transcribed.
• Participants may be pre-existing groups (e.g., colleagues) or brought together specifically for the research based on shared experiences/characteristics.
• Not always just group discussion – responses to stimuli or group activities.

Question 15

advantages of focus groups?

Answer 15

• Flexibility for exploring unanticipated issues.
• Access to everyday ways of talking about topics (& meaning-making).
• Can facilitate personal disclosure.
• Enables people to respond to, challenge, disagree with, add to each other, providing rich data

Question 16

disadvantages of focus groups?

Answer 16

• Logistically difficult – recruit & organise.
• Easy to get off-topic & can be difficult to manage.
• Ethical issues – whole group
• knows ‘who said what’ (privacy & confidentiality issues).
  Transcription can be time-consuming.

Question 17

what are mixed methods?

Answer 17

Combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in the design of a research study:
- Qualitative study (i.e., focus groups, interviews) to inform design of a questionnaire
- Questionnaire, followed by interview or focus group with small sample of participants - further investigation

Question 18

what are the types of sampling?

Answer 18

• Convenience sample = Selection of most accessible participants, Identified as the least rigorous and justifiable sampling method.
• Purposive sample (most common method) = Aim – generate insight and in-depth understanding of the topic of interest
• Theoretical sampling: Data analysis and theory development shapes the selection of subsequent participants to elaborate the developing theory

Question 19

sample size in qualitative research

Answer 19

• Qualitative research tends to use smaller samples than quantitative research
• No rule to generate the required sample size
• It depends on the purpose of the inquiry, what will be useful, what will have credibility, what can be done with the available time and resources (Patton, 2002)
• One method is data saturation - refers to the point at which no new information or themes are observed in the data