Lecture 11 - Mixed Methods & Qualitative Approaches Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is Ontology
- The study of being
- Refers to your view of reality and to what extent reality truly exists and can be captured through research
- Ontology is concerned with what is true or real
What is Epistemology
- Theory of knowledge
- Refers to the principles of what can be known & how you can know it
-that is, how you can find out about it
What is Phenomenology
The study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view
What is Constructivism
- Reality needs to be interpreted & understood from the point of view of individuals themselves
-don’t ask research questions that are right or wrong
-instead, ask Qs that allow insights on HOW & WHY reality is interpreted
What is Positivism
- Guided by the principles of objectivity and deductive logic
- The ontological view of positivism is that there’s a single truth or reality ‘out there’
-a researcher’s task is to seek to identify ‘the truth’
Strengths of Qualitative Research
Flexibility: identify issues otherwise overlooked by existing theories
In Depth Detail: Can answer the research question more accurately, addresses quantitative limitations
Limitations of Qualitative Research
Subjectivity: Researcher’s interpretations impact data collection & analysis
Generalisability: Smaller samples that can be homogeneous
More time consuming
What are the different epistemological positions/assumptions of a study
Positivist - knowledge is gained through objective scientific method
Interpretivist - knowledge is gained through understanding context that people make sense of something
What are the different ontological positions/assumptions of a study
Realism: Truth/meaning exists outside of human consciousness in objective reality
Constructionism: Truth/meaning occurs through interactions with world &
others and are constructs
What are the different phenomenological assumptions of a study
Concerned with understanding
people’s subjective experiences
identify patterns of meaning
What are the different social constructivist assumptions of a study
What is the ontological perspective of phenomenology
Reality exists as it is perceived and
interpreted by the individual
What is the epistemological perspective of phenomenology
Knowledge comes from exploring the lived experiences of individuals, and understanding is constructed through reflection on these experiences
What is the ontological perspective of constructionism
Reality is socially constructed through interactions and mulstiple meanings exist within a social context
What is the epistemological perspective of constructionism
Knowledge is derived from examining how people collectively create and negotiate meaning
What we “know” depends on the social context in which it is embedded
