qualitative research methods Flashcards
what are 4 qualitative research methods ?
interviews
focus groups
observations
case studies
surveys
what are the 3 types of interviews?
structured
semi-structure
unstructured
what are the types of observations?
naturalistic or laboratory
overt or covert
participant or non-participant
what are 4 measures to increase credibility ?
triangulation
reflexivity
credibility checks
rich descriptions
what is triangulation?
combine and compare different approaches of collecting data
what is reflexivity?
reflect on researchers own biases that may affect collection and interpretation of results
what are credibility checks?
have participants check accuracy of the data and confirm the researchers interpretation
what are rick descriptions?
provide detailed description of the observed behavior and contextual details
what is heuristic validity?
how much can the theory be applied to explain situations
what are 3 participant biases?
social desirability bias
dominant respondent bias
sensitivity bias
what is social desirability bias? how can it be overcome?
tendency to behave in ways that will make them accepted or more liked by the researcher
Overcome by: non-judgmental questions –good rapport
what is dominant respondent bias? how can it be overcome?
tendency to be influenced by the behavior of others, particularly more dominant participants (occurs in group interviews)
Overcome by: equal opportunities for everyone to speak
what is sensitivity bias? how can it be overcome?
tendency to distort answers in sensitive questions
Overcome by: good rapport – trust – ethical conduct – gradual progression towards sensitive questions
what are 3 researcher bias?
confirmation bias
leading question bias
biased reported
what is confirmation bias ?how can it be overcome?
researcher uses research to confirm a prior belief
Overcome by: reflexivity, although it is difficult not to be subjective
what is leading question bias ?how can it be overcome?
wording of questions promotes a certain answer
Overcome by: training to interview asking neutral and open-ended questions
what is biased reporting ?how can it be overcome?
certain findings not equally represented in the report
Overcome by: reflexivity and triangulation
what are 3 sample biases?
gender bias
cultural bias
student sample
what is a gender bias?
the researcher aims to investigate a phenomenon/theory without specifying a specific gender, yet only recruits one specific gender to study.
what is cultural bias?
the researcher aims to investigate a phenomenon/theory without specifying a specific culture, yet only recruits one specific cultural group to study
what is student bias?
students often over-represent certain characteristics that the rest of the world does not share such as being young, rebellious and educated. We cannot easily generalize findings where the sample was students
