Alternative Qualitative data collection Flashcards
What are focus groups? (Powell et al, 1996)
group of individuals selected and assembled by researchers to discuss, from personal experience, a topic that is subject of research
What are some aspects of focus groups?
it’s facilitated by the researcher
involves group interaction
debates issues
When would you use focus groups?
when you have open Qs
when you want a breadth of understanding on a topic (especially in a complex research area)
to gain ppts perspectives
Benefits of focus groups
+ open and free discussions
+ ppts can ‘bounce off’ each other
+ gain large amounts of info in short amount of time
+ discussion on taboo topics
Challenges of focus groups
- power dynamics
- less confidentiality / anonymity
- difficult managing conflicts of opinion
- practically difficult to arrange (expensive and large no. of ppts)
What do you need to include in a focus group?
ground rules
good recording equipment
at leats one co-moderator
semi-structured engagement
What is photo voice?
a qualitative method used in community-based participatory research
ppts use photos to document experiences which also identify issues of importance to them
What methods does photo voice use other than photographs?
interviews
group discussions
Who came up with photo voice?
Wang and Burris (1997)
Freire’s (1974) 3 step approach to critical consciousness
1- critical reflection
2- critical motivation
3- critical action (advocates for social change)
What are the phases of photo voice study?
- recruit ppts, plan study
- take photos
- facilitate group discussion after compiling photos together
- use 3 stage process to select photos that reflect research issue
- narrate stories using photos
- disseminate findings (spread info)
Why does disseminating the findings do?
can lead to advocating for change
raises awareness of issues identified
Example of photo voice study (Mitchell et al, 2008)
gave a face to HIV and AIDS
photos used by teachers an community health care workers in rural South Africa
Benefits of Photovoice
+ allows ppts to reflect on communities strengths and concerns
+ promotes deeper level of understanding
+ combines diff methods for greater comprehension
Challenges of photo voice
- ethical aspects (permission to take photos of people + photo ownership)
- time period for photos
What is Ethnography?
Ppt observation with researcher participating / observing daily lives and events for extended period of time
What does ethnography place emphasis on?
Context
What does Savage (2000) describe ethnography as?
focusing on what people do and what they say they do
What does Patton (2002) describe ethnography as?
a method based on assumption that accessing beliefs / behaviours in context which they occur in will aid understanding and provide holistic approach
When to use ethnography?
when describing how cultural groups work
when developing understanding of complex relationships from multiple perspectives
What 3 things does ethnography rely on?
gatekeepers
snowballing
networking
What is multi-sited ethnography?
studying a particular Human activity that takes place in several locations
what types of data collection does ethnography take?
observations
photos
documents
informal / formal interviews
Benefits of ethnography
+ looks at wider processes rather than one persons perceptive
+ researcher can establish rapport and trust
