research methods + data analysis (w9) Flashcards
does qualitative approach use inductive or deductive reasoning, how/why
inductive (data –> theory) (specific –> general)
starts with specific examples, analyses to generate theory
does quantitative approach use inductive or deductive reasoning, how/why
deductive (theory –> data) (general –> specific)
starts with a theory, tests via specific examples to prove or disprove theory
what things constitute quality in qualitative research
validity, reliability, trustworthiness - dependability, confirmability, credibility, transferability
what does dependability mean
showing that the findings are consistent and could be repeated
what does confirmability mean
a degree of neutrality or the extent to which the findings of a study are shaped by the respondents and not researcher bias, motivation or interest
what does credibility mean
confidence in the truth of the findings
what does transferability mean
showing that the findings have applicability in other contexts
types of qualitative research approaches
phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory
what is the research purpose for phenomenology and its disciplinary origin
describe one or more individuals’ experiences of a phenomenon, philosophy
what is the research purpose for ethnography and its disciplinary origin
describe cultural characteristics of a group of people, anthropology
what is the research purpose for grounded theory and its disciplinary origin
inductively generate a grounded theory describing and explaining a phenomenon, sociology
what is the primary data collection method for phenomenology
in depth interviews
what is the primary data collection method for ethnography
participant observation over an extended period of time, interviews with informants
what is the primary data collection method for grounded theory
interviews, observations
what is data analysis like for phenomenology
list significant statements, determine meaning of statements and identify essence of the phenomenon
what is data analysis like for ethnography
holistic description and search for cultural themes in the data
what is data analysis like for grounded theory
begin with open coding, then axial coding and end with selective coding
what is the report like for phenomenology
rich description of the essential characteristics of the experience
what is the report like for ethnography
rich description of context and cultural themes
what is the report like for grounded theory
description of topic and people studied, presentation of the theory
types of interview
individual, group, structured, semi structured, unstructured, open Qs, closed Qs, biographical, clinical, ethnographical, face to face, telephone, computer assisted
strengths of interviewing
extensive personalisation/interaction, extensive opportunities to ask Qs, possible to ‘probe’, good ‘rate of return’, flexible
limitations of interviewing
labour intensive, costly, not extensive, subjectivities in interpretation and analysis (?), limited reliability, memory decay (?)
what to think about when designing interview guide
what are you asking people Qs, why are you asking these people, what do you want to ask (identify key Qs), how do you plan to ask them (open, closed, scales)
questions to avoid in interviews
double Qs, long complex Qs, Qs involving technical terms, leading/biased Qs, ambiguous Qs, invasion of privacy
what must a good interviewer do
have listening skills, make Qs straightforward, clear, non-threatening, non-verbal communication, eliminate cues that lead them to respond in a certain way, don’t look bored
stages of qualitative analysis
data reduction: coding, discarding irrelevant data, on going throughout research
data display draw conclusions from mass of data
conclusion drawing/verifications validity examined through references to your existing field notes and critical discussions with tutors
ways of analysing qualitative data
ethnographic analysis, structured analysis, content analysis, axial coding and constant comparison, inductive and deductive analytical procedures, post-structuralism approach, feminist approach
what is data structure
words, phrases, paragraphs, connections, patterns, sequences
what is coding for qualitative data
the organisation of raw data in conceptual categories, each code is effectively a category - first stage of providing some form of logical structure to data
what are codes for qualitative data
tags or label for assigning units of meaning to descriptive information compiled during a study, codes are attached to chunks of words or phrases, sentences or whole paragraphs
stages of data coding
statements relating to research Q identified and assigned a code - category
reread transcripts - search for statement that fit into categories
further codes might be developed - axial coding
more analytical - look for patterns and explanations
questions to consider
to what extent does my sample allow generalisation, what did I do that produced these findings, what was left out, why, what/who doesn’t fit, what’s missing, what’s surprising
what’s the hierarchy of themes
transcripts > raw data themes > lower order themes > main themes > dimensions
aspects of data trustworthiness
confirmability (objectivity) : link with raw data themes-list of emerged themes
dependability (reliability) : triangulation of transcripts and themes
credibility (internal validity) : pilot study, member checking
transferability (external validity) : demographic characteristics, specific settings
