Qualitative research methods

Question 1

are qualitative trials subject to bias?

Answer 1

not if you do it properly

Question 2

what is the difference between positivism and relativism?

Answer 2

positivism = more clinical science/epidemiology - set facts to bet gathered and one reality

relativism = social sciences - reality is constructed by actors drawing on their own contexts (multiple realities)

Question 3

What is Ethnography?

Answer 3

systematic study of people/culture

often called the portrait of a culture

Question 4

what is phenomenology?

Answer 4

the experiences of people - analyzed through this method of study

Question 5

What is grounded theory?

Answer 5

the impact of positive doctor role modeling = it is a theory grounded in data

Question 6

what is action research?

Answer 6

people research thier own issues while changing a situation- could be for particularly disadvantaged groups - where you’re trying to change thier situation .

so one example would be studying a group of disabled people during the disability act of ireland’s undertaking - so they study how legislation is impacting them through the people who work with the disabled every day

Question 7

why would you not use qualitative resarch?

Answer 7

§Usually long term

§Not generalisable to population, but can generalise processes or concepts

§Often raises more questions than answers

§Multiple perspectives – no absolute truth

§Non standardised approaches

Question 8

Be able to identify these mixed methods designs

Question 9

what are the advantages and challenges of qualitative methods?

Answer 9

advantages

üOffsets weaknesses of qual or quant on their own

üProvides more (and different types of) evidence

üHelps answer questions which cannot be answered by qual or quant on their own

Challenges

üSkill set – familiarity with both qualitative and quantitative methods needed

üTime and resources –process usually longer as more data collected