Week Twelve - Qualitative Methods Flashcards
CRITICISMS OF QUANTITATIVE METHOD
- It can be quite artificial
- It can over-simplify why may be complex phenomena
- It can be of limited use for some topics - for logistical or ethical reasons it may not always be possible to study a topic in an experimental way
What is the emphasis in qualitative research?
The emphasis is on drawing theory from data, rather than testing theory with data.
What does qualitative research aim to understand?
It aims to understand the individual’s experience of the world and how they construct that view.
What are the 4 quality factors in qualitative research? What do they each mean?
Dependability
The knowledge from the research is obtained in a rigorous and systematic way.
Auditable
The research process has been recorded in detail
Transferable
The extent to which the research findings can be transferred to other findings and groups
Idiographic
Findings have an intrinsic worth even if they are not transferable
What are some ways of collecting data?
Interviews Focus groups Participant observation Newspapers, films, websites Diaries, blogs and written accounts Social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter
What are two types of interviews?
structured and semi-structured interviews
Define characteristics of a structured interview
In a structured interview the researcher has a pre-set list of questions
This approach is often used in conjunction with set response options
Pros and Cons of structured interviews
Pros
Questions are prepared in advance and are therefore (hopefully) well formulated.
It is easier to compare responses among participants, particularly if set response options are used.
Cons
Questions are inflexible with no opportunity to follow-up on unexpected but interesting comments
Questions may not be applicable to every participant
define characteristics of semi-structured interviews.
Also known as qualitative interviews or in-depth interviews
In a semi-structured interview the researcher has an ‘interview schedule’, where they work with a list of questions but will also deviate from these questions if it is appropriate
One of the additional intentions of this is create a more conversational feel to the interview
Pros and Cons of semi-structured interviews
Pros
The participant is free to raise important issues that the researcher may not have anticipated, which in turn can provide richer information.
Cons
It becomes even more difficult to generalise the outcome of the research to different populations
It can be difficult to keep the interview on track
The researcher has to come up with questions on the spot.
What are the 3 forms of interview probes?
Detail oriented
Elaboration
Clarification
What is a Detail oriented probe?
Asking the participant for more detail, such when an event took place or where it happened
What is an Elaboration probe?
Using either a question or a gesture (e.g. head nodding) to encourage a participant to reveal more information about a topic, or to ask for an example.
What is a Clarification probe?
These are used when the interviewer has misunderstood something, and should always be phrased in terms of it being a mistake on the part of the researcher rather than the participant.
The 6 key steps in an interview structure?
Establish a rapport
Describe the purpose and nature of the interview
Conduct the interview
End the interview
Transcription
Analyse the data
What are some good interviewer attributes?
Familiarity with the topic
Clear and friendly manner of speaking with no use of jargon
Flexibility and willingness to change the direction of the interview if necessary (in a semi-structured interview)
Critical enough to challenge participants on what is being said and identifying inconsistencies in replies
What are focus groups?
When a researcher speaks to several participants at once
Who should do transcribing?
The interviewer
The lead researcher
The assistant
Advantages of the Jefferson system
Does not use special symbols so standard computer is adequate.
Allows the researcher to record not just what was said but how it was said
Jefferson Symbols
(0.2) = The length of a pause between words
(.) = A micropause – short but noticeable
::: = An extended sound, such as ‘Emmm’
[ ] = Two people speaking at the same time
= Two people overlapping slightly
> < = Speaking at a faster rate
_ = Emphasising a particular syllable
* = Higher pitch
ºwordº = Word is quietly spoken
(??) = Inaudible speech, sometimes shown as xxxx
What is the Thematic Analysis?
Thematic analysis is a method of analyzing qualitative data. It is usually applied to a set of texts, such as interview transcripts. The researcher closely examines the data to identify common themes – topics, ideas and patterns of meaning that come up repeatedly.
When is using thematic analysis useful?
There is no strong theoretical perspective to drive the analysis
The data consists of written transcripts or documents such as newspapers or blogs
The data is rich in the sense of containing a lot of detail and covering a lot of ground.
All various types of thematic analysis operate on the basis of what?
Identifying themes.
What is a theme?
A theme refers to a word or phrase which represents a pattern of issues raised across and within transcripts or focus groups or interviews, or written materials such as diaries.
