qualitative research methods Flashcards
what does ignoring censoring lead to?
- overestimating survival probability
- create bias - gets worse the more censoring
When should we use qualitative research methods?
- when measuring meanings, experiences and views
- identifying socioeconomic factors, social , gender, ethnicity, religion
qualitative research is concerned with developing explanations for?
- why do people behave how they do
- opinions and attitudes
- how people are affected by an event
- how and why cultures have developed in the way that they have
- differences among social groups
are qualitative methods more flexible
yes
4 qualitative research steps
- design plan collect
- code material and identify the themes
- analyze material
- KTE - summarize and disseminate results
What is a ethnography?
- studies patterns of behaviour, language and actions of cultural group in natural setting over a prolonged period of time
what is narrative research?
combines views from participant’s life
what is phenomenology?
describes the lived experiences of individuals about a phenomenon
what is grounded theory?
using multiple stages of data collection to discover patterns and new theories
what are case studies
in depth analysis of a case (program, event, indvdiual group
what is the most used framework for analyzing qualitative data?
grounded theory
two central features of grounded theory
- development of theory from the data
- iterative/recursive approach
what is theoretical saturation
point at which there is nothing to be gained by collection of new information
- data collection continues up until this point
4 types of qualitative data collection
- focus group discussions
- interviews
- observations
- visual methods
what is a focus group
- group selected by researchers to discuss and comment on from personal experience the topic of the researcher
characteristics of a focus group
- they rely on interactions of the group
- 6-12 ppl
- 1-2 hours
- purposively selected groups
- there may be between-group heterogeneity
- within the group participants should be homogenous
when to use focus groups
- exploratory or preliminary studies
- uncover factors relating to complex behaviours
- when you want ideas to emerge from the group
when to not use focus groups
- Detailed probing of behaviour, attitudes, or needs is required
- The subject matter under discussion is confidential or emotionally charged
- Certain strong, socially acceptable norms exist and the need to conform in a group discussion may influence response
pros of focus groups
- large sample size
- time and cost efficient
- large amounts of data obtained
- participants feel secure in group
cons of focus groups
- Group think
- Summarization and interpretation may be challenging
- Subjective responses
- Groups can vary considerably
- Groups can be difficult to assemble
what does the moderator do in focus groups
- facilitate and ask questions
- take notes
- explain purpose and guide the discussion
researchers job in interviews
Researchers should pose questions in a neutral manner. They should not lead participants or express approval or disapproval of what participants say.
3 types of interviews
- Unstructured: “participant tells their story”
- Semi-structured: specific questions asked, but interviewers are flexible to explore responses
- Structured: questions and order predetermined
pros of interviews
Flexible and responsive method
* Can explore additional research questions and issues as they arise
* Ability to gain rich and descriptive data
* Most participants will accept an interview
* Ability of follow-up research participants for clarification or further exploration if needed
* Decreased distractions
cons of interviews
- Can be time consuming and expensive
- Can be difficult to ensure anonymity
- Potential for bias (e.g., social desirability)
observational data collection
- The observer participates in the daily life of the people under study, either openly in the role of researcher or covertly
- May use multiple observers or teams
- May include multiple observations under varying conditions
pros and cons of observational data
Advantages:
* Data is collected in a natural environment
* Can produce insights into complex realities
* Context specific
Disadvantages:
* Context specific
* Demanding method – resources and time
* Observations may vary in reliability
* Representativeness of data
* May be concerns regarding privacy
what are visual methods
*
* *
Photovoice –
Participants asked to take pictures relating to research questions
Photographs can be data and can lead to more traditional forms of data collection (e.g., explore participants’ stories and meanings associated with photographs)
Type of participatory action research - research approach that places collaboration with community partners at its core
types of sampling in qualitative
- Probability – truly random and statistically representative sample, facilitates “generalizability”
- Non-probability – selecting cases rich in information that will permit and in-depth understanding of the research question
- Convenience – most accessible subjects
- Purposive – select most pertinent sample to answer research questions
- Quota
- Snowball
what is generally the sample size for qualitative studies
87 - smaller than quantitative because after some point your don’t gain anything form collecting more data
Credibility: (internal validity)
Is the research giving a true picture of the reality of participants’ experiences? Can you believe the results?
Transferability: (external validity)
Can the research be transferred to other settings?
what measurement is not a major part of qualitative work?
- validity
Dependability: (reliability)
Would the results be similar if the study was repeated? How consistent are the data and findings? Would it be easy to repeat the research?
Confirmability: (objectivity)
“ensure that researcher acted in good faith”
* Has the researcher attempted to limit bias?
