Week 8 - Major Methods Of/validity In Qualitative Research (Core Notes) Flashcards
Major methods for qualitative research
Case study research, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography
Case study research;
Key Question: What are the characteristics of this single case or these comparison cases
Information sought: researcher provides detailed account of one or more cases.
Typical data collection methods: In depth interview, documents, questionnaires, test results, and archival records
Phenomenology - qualitative research
Key question: meaning, structure and essence of lived experience (life world) of phenomenon or for many individuals
Information sought: Attempts to describe how one/more participants experience a phenomenon.
Typical data collection methods: In depth interviews via identifying ‘significant statements’ i.e what the researcher believes vividly communicates participants experience.
NOTE: ‘Essence’ refers to phenomenological structure of the report i.e written in narrative form and checking closely with participant to ensure accurate representation of what they are saying ‘ - phenomenological report writing.
Grounded theory - qualitative
Key question: what theory/explanation emerges from analysis of data collected about this phenomenon?
Information sought: use of methodology for developing theory grounded in research area
Typical data collection methods: Interviews and observations.
Ethnography - Qualitative research
Key Question: What are the cultural characteristics of this group of people or of this culture?
Information sought: focus’ on the discovery, description of culture of a group of people (shared beliefs, shared values, norms (unwritten rules), Holism, Emic perspective, Etic perspective)
Typical data collection methods: Participant observations (researcher becomes an active participant in the group being investigated - generally through face to face interactions).
What are all the different types of validity in qualitative research?
Descriptive, interpretive, theoretical, internal, external
Descriptive validity
+ validity strategy
Factual accuracy of researcher’s account
- Investigator triangulation i.e multiple investigators to collect and interpret the data.
Interpretive validity
+ validity strategy
Accuracy of the portrayal of participant’s viewpoints (subjective) and meanings.
- Participant feedback: Member checking to see if participants agree with the researcher’s statements, interpretations, and conclusions),
- Low inference descriptors (descriptions that are very close to the participants use of words/direct quotes).
Theoretical validity
+ achieving this
Degree to which theory or explanation fits the data
- Extended fieldwork: spending sufficient time in field, for comprehensive understanding
- theory triangulation: the use of multiple theories/perspectives to aid interpretation of data
- pattern matching: construction and testing of a complex hypothesis
- peer review: discussing interpretations with one’s peers and colleagues.
Internal validity
+ achieving this
Degree to which researcher is justified, following causal claims of observed phenomena.
Idiographic causation: common sensical notion of causation
Nomological causation: complete opposite i.e primary interest in quantitative psychology.
- research-as-detective: metaphor applied to research looking for the local because of a single event
- methods triangulation: use of multiple research methods or method of data collection
- data triangulation: use of multiple sources of data.
External validity
+ validity strategy
The ability to generalise the findings to other people, settings and times.
Naturalistic generalisation: generalisation based on similarity made by the reader of a research report.
Theoretical generalisation: generalisation of theories beyond research study (theory must have been tested with new participants).
*least used in qualitative research - because most researchers are not particularly interested in generalising their findings.
