qualitative methods

Question 1

describe qualitative?

Answer 1

• experiences, perceptions, motivations and intentions
• described in words
• situations

Question 2

what are qualitative methods end goal?

Answer 2

for participants to provide reliable observations

Question 3

what are examples or methods?

Answer 3

1. semi-structured interviews
2. focus group
3. participant observation
4. text/document analysis
5. narrative reviews

Question 4

what are the advantages of qualitative methods?

Answer 4

1. provides human level of understanding
2. explore different areas
3. hear/understand P’s voices
4. produces narrative/stories

Question 5

limitations of methods?

Answer 5

1. small samples
2. time intensive
3. less rigour (bias)
4. researcher training

Question 6

define nominal data

Answer 6

• categorical
• cannot be ordered or counted
  e.g. gender

Question 7

define ordinal data

Answer 7

• can be ordered
• cannot be added or subtracted
  e.g spice level

Question 8

what is the order (systems to methods in qualitative research?)

Answer 8

move from:
1. epistemology
2. theoretical perspective
3. methodology
4. method

Question 9

define theoretical perspective

Answer 9

how the researcher, views the world and assumptions that you make about the nature of the world and reality

Question 10

define epistemology

Answer 10

assumptions made about best way of investigating world and about reality

Question 11

how do qualitative researchers see the world?

Answer 11

• scientific laws created by people to fit view of reality
• facts depend on viewpoint of observer
• single truth
• facts exist and can be revealed through experiments

Question 12

risks for researchers?

Answer 12

• might not be representative
• not generalisable
• come up with strategies for studies but need to bring in how socio-cultural-economic backgrounds

Question 13

define methodology

Answer 13

strategy, plan of action, way to group together research techniques to make coherent picture

Question 14

define methods

Answer 14

• what you actually do
• techniques and procedures used to gather and analyse data related to specific research question/hypothesis

Question 15

relative ontologists believe best way to observe world…

Answer 15

is through observations of reality

Question 16

social constructionist

Answer 16

• researchers believing reality does not exist by itself but constructed and given meaning by people
• focus on feelings, beliefs and thoughts
• relativist ontology

Question 17

positivists

Answer 17

• best way to investigate world is through objective methods like observations
• realistic ontology

Question 18

researchers influenced by ontology epistemology…

Answer 18

• realists have positivist approach and gather quantitative sources of data
• relativists have social constructionist approach and gather qualitative sources

Question 19

step by step quantitative approach

Answer 19

• collect and analyse numerical data
• tells difference but not why
• variables controlled as much as possible (randomised control trials) to eliminate interference and measure effect of change
• randomisation reduces subjective bias
• words, pictures vids, audio
• broader question rather than specific hypothetical and develop theory

Question 20

what are mixed method approaches?

Answer 20

when you mix qualitative methods with quantitative methods

Question 21

what matters in qualitative research?

Answer 21

• flexible approach and able to change
• is the data coded correctly
• captured situation in realistic manner
• described context in sufficient detail
• see world through P’s eyes

Question 22

how to qualitative researchers go about conducting a study

Answer 22

• start with a theory
• try a research design to test whether theory holds together
• collect data and and try ad understand phenomenon and build a theory together

Question 23

inductive reasoning

Answer 23

• start with data and gather more slowly to build a theory that wasn’t there before

Question 24

deductive reasoning

Answer 24

• prove whether theory holds together

Question 25

what is validity?

Answer 25

- accuracy of measure - do they represent what they are supposed to measure

Question 26

what is reliability?

Answer 26

- how reliable - if I do a test about height and do it again the next day - data should be same/similar = reliable - consistency

Question 27

trustworthiness

Answer 27

1. dependability - consistent and could be repeated 2. confirmability - degree of neutrality. remove bias and researcher is neutral 3. credibility - confidence in findings truth 4. transferability - findings have applicability in other contexts

Question 28

3 key approaches of quantitative research

Answer 28

1. phonomonology - experience of a phenomeno. interviews 2. ethnography - describing characteristics of group of people. interviews 3.grounded theory

Question 29

what is ground theory in more detail?

Answer 29

- enables you to study a particular phenomenon or process and discover new theories based on collection and analysis of real world data - unravel meanings on peoples interactions, social, interactions and experiences

Question 30

what is ethnography in more detail?

Answer 30

- used in social and behavioural sciences - up close observation of participations

Question 31

what are the types of interview?

Answer 31

- individual-group - structured-semi-structured-unstructured - open questions=closed questions - styles- biographical, clinical, ethnographical - method- face-to-face, telephone, computer-assisted

Question 32

strengths of interviewing

Answer 32

- personalisation/interaction - opportunities to ask Qs - possible to probe - good rate of return - flexible

Question 33

limitation of interviewing

Answer 33

- labour intensive (cost) - not extensive - subjectivities in interpretation and analysis - memory decay

Question 35

how to design an interview

Answer 35

1. why you asking question 2. why are you asking these people 3. what do you want to ask 4. how do you plan to ask them (open, closed, scales)

Question 36

what to avoid in interviews

Answer 36

- double Qs - long complex Qs - jargon/technical terms - leading questions - ambiguous questions - invasion of privacy

Question 37

what makes a good interviewer?

Answer 37

- listening skills - sensitive to non-verbal communication - eliminates cues leading to particular responses - don't look bored

Question 38

what are the stages of qualitative analysis?

Answer 38

- data reduction - coding, discarding irrelevant data - data display draw conclusions from mass of data - conclusion drawing - verifications validity examined thro9ugh references to existing filed notes and critical discussions with tutors

Question 39

ways of analysing qualitative data?

Answer 39

- ethnographic analysis - structured analysis - axial coding and constant comparison - inductive and deductive analytical procedures - post-structuralism approach - feminist approach

Question 40

how to code qualitative data?

Answer 40

- each code is a category - first stage providing some form of logical structure to data codes are labels assigning units of meaning to descriptive info compiled during study