Qualitive Research

Question 1

What is qualitative research useful for?

Answer 1

Finding recurrent themes

Qualitative research can also build on or provide a basis for quantitative research.

Question 2

Define qualitative research design.

Answer 2

A package of theory, method, and other design elements for doing research.

Question 3

What do ontology and epistemology together form?

Answer 3

A paradigm.

Question 4

What does ontology study?

Answer 4

What is out there to know? Nature of reality.

Question 5

What is the realist position in ontology?

Answer 5

There is ONE reality
One objective, stable reality that appears the same to everyone.

Question 6

What is the idealist position in ontology?

Answer 6

A focus on mental/conscious phenomena; perception of reality is mediated by our ideas and perspectives.

Question 7

What does the relativist position in ontology state?

Answer 7

There are as many realities as people
Reality is relative to numerous frameworks and context; it is entirely subjective.

Question 8

Define epistemology.

Answer 8

How can we find out about reality? How can we know reality?

Question 9

What is the positivist stance in epistemology?

Answer 9

Knowledge exists outside of the person and can be tested and measured; it is objective.

Question 10

what is the relativist take on epistemology?

Answer 10

knowledge is specific to social / historical / cultiral contexts

Question 11

Describe the interpretivist perspective in epistemology.

Answer 11

Humans are unique, and people’s actions are based on how they interpret the social world.

Question 12

What do the 4 positions believe about research paradigms?

Answer 12

Positivism - One reality we can measure objectively
Critical Realism - One reality but we only know about it through interactions
Constructivism - Multiple realities that need to be interpreted to understand meaning
Pragmatism - Knowledge should be examined using the best tools available, using whichever research design naturally fits into the study the best

Question 13

What are the three types of interviews in qualitative data collection?

Answer 13

• Structured
• Semi-structured
• Unstructured

Question 14

What is a semi-structured interview?

Answer 14

The most common and practical type of interview, emphasizing the same meaning of questions.

Question 15

What is the purpose of focus groups in qualitative research?

Answer 15

A group interview that uses interactions as a source of data. Ppts can respond to and comment on each other’s contributions, and challenge each other in ways they likely would not if it was an individual interview

Question 16

Differentiate between covert and overt observations.

Answer 16

Covert observations are hidden; overt observations are known to the participants.

Question 17

What types of existing data can be used in qualitative research?

Answer 17

• News articles
• Media broadcasts
• Social media posts
• Archival data (diaries, letters, newspapers)

Question 18

What are some questions to consider for qualitative data analysis?

Answer 18

• Have I captured the situation realistically?
• Is the context described in sufficient detail?
• Am I sensitive to particular issues?

Question 19

What are non-test based methods in qualitative research?

Answer 19

• Repertory grids
• Q-methodology
• Microanalysis of audio/video
• Pluralistic methods

Question 20

Name some text-based methods for qualitative data analysis.

Answer 20

• Thematic analysis
• Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
• Discourse Analysis (DA)
• Grounded theory

Question 21

What is thematic analysis?

Answer 21

Identifying recurring themes.

Question 22

What is the focus of content analysis?

Answer 22

Identifying frequency of themes, words, and concepts in the content.

Question 23

Differentiate between conceptual and relational content analysis.

Answer 23

• Conceptual content analysis: looks for existence and frequency of concepts
• Relational content analysis: examines the relationship between themes

Question 24

What are the stages of content analysis?

Answer 24

• Prepare: develop research aims/questions and select data
• Familiarise yourself with the data
• Break text into manageable units
• Condense these units
• Apply initial codes and develop new ones
• Identify themes/categories by grouping codes
• Adjust codes/themes where needed

Question 25

True or False: Content analysis can be used to draw conclusions about cause and effect.

Answer 25

False

Content analysis cannot be used to draw conclusions about cause and effect but can be combined with other methods.

Question 26

What is a key limitation of coding in qualitative research?

Answer 26

Coding is a subjective process, influenced by the researcher.

Question 27

what is Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)?

Answer 27

lived experiences, rich description of individual cases

Question 28

What is discourse analysis?

Answer 28

analysis of language, how reality is instructed

Question 29

What is conversation analysis?

Answer 29

looks at devices in language when people are talking about experiences, linguistics

Question 30

What is grounded theory?

Answer 30

data-driven approach, based entirely on data collected, not previous research

Question 31

What is ethnography?

Answer 31

studying a group of people, look at different elements, become part of that group

Question 32

What is content analysis?

Answer 32

themes and patterns, can be qualitative or quantitative