WEEK 5 Flashcards
SUMMARY: Detail specific qualitative methods of data collection • Discuss the use and application of interviews and focus groups as a research approach • Discuss the use and application of observation and diary studies as a research approach • Critically evaluate the use of different methods in qualitative research
Sampling Techniques in Qual Research
- Convenience Sampling
-Purposive Sampling
-Snowball Sampling
Sampling Techniques Definitions
- Convenience: Involves the sample being drawn form a part of the population that is close to hand.
-Purposive: A sample is built up that enables the researcher to meet the needs of the project.
-Snowball: Existing participants recruit further participants from among their acquaintances.
‘Purposive Sampling’ in Qual Research.
- Often focuses on ‘data saturation’
- Recruits individuals with characteristics that meet the study requirements
-Identification of individuals/groups that are well informed with the phenomenon of interest
Study Designs/ Data Collection Methods
- Diaries
-Focus Groups
-Observations
-Interviews
Reasons why Interviews are used:
- To explore phenomenon not yet researched
-When a research question is largely exploratory
-When observation alone will not suffice
-When experiments are inappropriate
-When the issue is too complex to be grasped by a questionaire/ survey
What is the quote about interviews by Barbour?
‘Interviews are considered the ‘gold standard’ of qualitative research’
- Barbour, 2003
What are the three types of Qualitative Interviews?
- Structured
-Semi- Structured - Unstructured
What are Structured Interviews used for/ how are they structured?
- Often collected for qualitative data
-Standardised questions
-Examples Include: IPAQ (short form)
What are Semi-structured Interviews/ how are they structured?
-Most widely used form of data collection in qual research
-Can be ftf/ otp
- Researcher facilitates the interview and uses prompts as triggers
What are key things to achieve during an interview?
- Building trust with pp
-Using prompts, no leading qs
-Be mindful of the language you use
-Maintain control throughout
What are ‘Focus Groups’?
-Focus groups are groups of people being asked their opinions about a specific topic
-The interactions between pp’s is key for focus group research
When should we use focus groups?
-Intervention Design (patient and public involvement)
-Market Research (testing reactions of new products)
-Social Sciences (Qualitative Research Method)
What are the 4 types of observation?
- The complete participant (Group membership, covert)
-The pp as the observer (Group membership, overt)
-The observer as pp (shadowing, overt)
-The complete observer (fly on the wall, covert or overt)
Pro’s and Cons of Diaries
- Allows progress tracking, data is recorded
-Time consuming, often longitudinal - Researcher has less control over the results, good and bad.
Pro’s and Cons of Focus Groups
- Non-verbal responses can be observed
-Questions can be asked by the researcher if needed
-Extroverted members may dominate the conversation
-A flexible approach
-Captures shared perspectives rather than individual
Pro’s and Cons of Observations
- Easy to collect data
-Time consuming, cannot study attitudes - Observer bias?
Pro’s and Cons of Interviews
- Interviewer can capture emotions
-Ask follow-up questions, rich detail - Time consuming, not cost effective and interviewer must be trained
Pros and Cons of convenience sampling
- easy, efficient, economical
- may not have pp’s with the best knowledge, may be a biased sample
Pros and Cons of Purposive sampling
- Cost efficient, getting exactly what is needed
-specific individuals needed, may be a challenge
-time consuming
Pros and Cons of Snowball Sampling
- practical and cost efficient
-less time to gain trust
-quality of referrals may be problematic
pros and cons of structured interviews
- standardised questions
- Interviewer could impact answers
- Interview outcome depends on good questions
pro’s and cons of semi-structured interviews
- flexibility/ adaptability
- data comparability issue
- required training and time
pros and cons of unstructured interviews
- respondent led
- flexible
- poor reliability/ time consuming
