Stats - Qualitative research

Question 1

What is the name given to the general way of thinking about conducting qualitative research?

It describes, either explicitly or implicitly, the purpose of the qualitative research, the role of the researcher(s), the stages of research, and the method of data analysis.

Answer 1

A qualitative APPROACH

Question 2

What is the name given to the emphasis on studying an entire culture?

Answer 2

Ethnography

Question 3

What is the most common type of ethnographic approach?

Answer 3

Participant observation as a part of field research.

The ethnographer becomes immersed in the culture as an active participant and records extensive field notes.

Note: As in grounded theory, there is no pre-set limiting of what will be observed and no real ending point in an ethnographic study.

Question 4

What name is given to the qualitative research approach that seeks to understand the subjective experience of individuals by exploring the meaning they attach to their lived experiences?

It involves the study of how individuals experience and make sense of the world around them, without imposing any preconceived notions or theories.

Answer 4

Phenomenology

Question 5

How is phenomenological research carried out?
What is the goal?

Answer 5

Phenomenological research is typically conducted through in-depth interviews with participants who have experienced a particular phenomenon of interest.

The researcher uses open-ended questions to encourage participants to describe their experiences in as much detail as possible.

The goal is to gain a deep understanding of how the participants experience the phenomenon, including their thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.

Question 6

What process is used to analyse the data collected through interviews in phenomenological research? What does this involve?

Answer 6

Bracketing

This involves setting aside any preconceived notions or biases that the researcher may have and analysing the data objectively. The researcher looks for patterns and themes in the data, and then identifies the essential features of the phenomenon being studied.

Question 7

The purpose of which theory is to develop theory about phenomena of interest?

It used inductive reasoning as opposed to the hypothetico-deductive model used in traditional scientific research.

Answer 7

Grounded theory - the theory needs to be grounded or rooted in observation, hence the term.

NOTE: Grounded theory is a complex process. The research begins with the raising of generative questions which help to guide the research but are not intended to be either static or confining. Core theoretical concepts are gradually identified. Tentative linkages are developed between the theoretical core concepts and the data. This early phase of the research tends to be very open and can take months. Later on the researcher is more engaged in verification and summary. The effort tends to evolve toward one core category that is central.

Question 8

What are the two most common methods used in healthcare research?

Answer 8

Interviews
Focus Groups

Question 9

Name 5 types of sampling

Answer 9

1) Convenience (opportunistic)
2) Purposive
3) Quota
4) Snowball (AKA chain referral)
5) Case Study

Question 10

What type of sampling is this?

A form of non-probability sampling in which the ease with which potential participants can be located or recruited is the primary consideration.

It is a technique that uses an open period of recruitment that continues until a set number of subjects, events, or institutions are enrolled. Here, selection is based on a first-come, first-served basis.

Answer 10

Convenience (or opportunistic) sampling

Question 11

What type of sampling is this?

Participants are selected on purpose because the researcher already know that they have characteristics that are of interest for the study. For example, a researcher wants to evaluate the mental health support within a university so they target students who are currently using mental health support and those waiting to receive support.

Answer 11

Purposive sampling

Question 12

What type of sampling is this?

Sometimes considered a type of purposive sampling. In this type of sampling, we decide while designing the study how many people with which characteristics to include as participants. It is more specific with respect to sizes and proportions of subsamples, with subgroups chosen to reflect corresponding proportions in the population

Answer 12

Quota

Question 13

What type of sampling is this?

Participants or informants with whom contact has already been made use their social networks to refer the researcher to other people who could potentially participate in or contribute to the study. This type of sampling is often used to find and recruit ‘hidden populations’, that is, groups not easily accessible to researchers through other sampling strategies.

Answer 13

Snowball sampling (aka chain referral sampling)

Question 14

What type of sampling is this?

This involves selecting a single individual, institution, or event

Answer 14

Case Study Sampling

Question 15

What name is given to the point when, as the study progresses, new categories, themes or explanations stop emerging from the data?

At this point the number of required subjects becomes obvious

Answer 15

Sample size (data saturation)

Question 16

What are 4 ways of ensuring credibility and trustworthiness/ validity?

Answer 16

1) Triangulation
2) Respondent validation (AKA member checking)
3) Bracketing
4) Reflexivity

Question 17

What method of ensuring credibility and trustworthiness / validity is this?

Comparing the results from either two or more different methods of data collection (for example, interviews and observation) or, more simply, two or more data sources (for example, interviews with members of different interest groups).

Answer 17

Triangulation

Question 18

What method of ensuring credibility and trustworthiness / validity is this?

A methodological device of phenomenological inquiry that requires deliberate putting aside ones own belief about the phenomenon under investigation or what one already knows about the subject prior to and throughout the phenomenological investigation.

Answer 18

Bracketing

Question 19

What method of ensuring credibility and trustworthiness / validity is this?

Sensitivity to the ways in which the researcher and the research process have shaped the collected data, including the role of prior assumptions and experience, which can influence even the most avowedly inductive inquiries.

Answer 19

Reflexivity

Question 20

What method of ensuring credibility and trustworthiness / validity is this?

This method includes techniques in which the investigator’s account is compared with those of the research subjects to establish the level of correspondence between the two sets.

Answer 20

Respondent validation (aka member checking)

Question 21

What analytical approach is described here?

Interviews, both individual and group, are transcribed to produce texts that can be used to generate coding categories and to test theories. This can involve enumerating procedures such as counting word frequencies, sometimes aided by computer software.

Answer 21

Content analysis

(Compared to content analysis)

Question 22

What analytical approach is described here?

An approach based on grounded theory. It allows researchers to identify the themes that are important (i.e. important in answering the research question) in a systematic way, providing an audit trail as they proceed. The method is used by the researcher to develop concepts from the data by coding and analysing at the same time.

Answer 22

Constant Comparison

(compared to content analysis)

Question 23

What are qualitative methods most useful for?

Answer 23

Qualitative methods are particularly useful for exploring unexpected or unusual findings that arise in research. When a quantitative study produces anomalous results that do not fit the expected patterns, qualitative methods like interviews or focus groups can help uncover underlying factors or contextual explanations that might not be captured through numerical data alone.

For example, if a drug trial shows a surprising lack of efficacy in one subgroup, qualitative research could provide insights into patients’ experiences, beliefs, or behaviours that might explain the discrepancy.

Question 24

What is qualitative research?

Answer 24

Qualitative research involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data (e.g., text, video, or audio) to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences. It can be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or generate new ideas for research.