Wk 5 Lecture Qualitative Research Findings

Question 1

What are 4 key ethical considerations?

Answer 1

1. Voluntary participation
2. Risk of harm to participants
3. Anonymity and confidentiality
4. Deception (where relevant)

Question 2

What are 4 features in the risk assessment approach in ethical considerations?

Answer 2

1. Who are the people potentially directly impacted by the research study (e.g., participants, technicians, researchers)?
2. Who are the people potentially indirectly impacted by the research study (e.g., significant others, employers, colleagues)?
3. Who are the organisations/communities potentially impacted by the research study (e.g., families, participant’s school or workplace, researcher’s university)?
4. Are any of the people who you have listed vulnerable populations?
   
   • Benefits must outweigh the risks

Question 3

What are 5 features in the health ethics approach in ethical considerations?

Answer 3

• Now, consider your project from a health ethics perspective.
• You are training to be a clinician, and the participants in your study are likely to be patients.

How do you as a clinician (not just as a researcher) and your study impact on your participants in each of the areas of health ethics?

1. Beneficence: Am I acting in the best interest of my participants? Am I trying to create good outcomes for them?
2. Non-maleficence: Am I trying to avoid doing harm to my participants?
3. Veracity: Am I being open and honest with my participants? Am I making sure that they have all relevant information?
4. Autonomy: Am I allowing my participants to make their own choices? Are they free from coercion?
5. Justice: Am I treating people fairly? Am I treating one person better than another?

Question 4

What are 5 types of likelihood?

Answer 4

1. Almost certain: The event is expected to occur in most circumstances, or multiple times during the course of the study
2. Likely: The event will probably occur during the course of the study
3. Possible: The event might occur (> 5%) during the study but is not more likely than not.
4. Unlikely: The event could occur during the study, but this would be surprising
5. Rare: Event may only occur in only exceptional circumstances (<1%)

Question 5

What is beneficence?

Answer 5

Am I acting in the best interest of my participants? Am I trying to create good outcomes for them?

Question 6

What is non-maleficence?

Answer 6

Am I trying to avoid doing harm to my participants?

Question 7

What is veracity?

Answer 7

Am I being open and honest with my participants? Am I making sure that they have all relevant information?

Question 8

What is autonomy?

Answer 8

Am I allowing my participants to make their own choices? Are they free from coercion?

Question 9

What is justice?

Answer 9

Am I treating people fairly? Am I treating one person better than another?

Question 10

What is a novel and interesting finding? What are 3 things to consider?

Answer 10

1. Consider your research question (be it qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods)
2. Consider the literature (and the gap in the literature)
3. Consider your findings

Question 11

What are 6 stages of the research story?

Answer 11

1. This what we knew and this what we didn’t know but wanted to find out because it is important (Introduction and research question).
2. We wanted to treat our participants the right way so we got approval (Ethics)
3. This is who we invited to join our study and this is how we involved them to explore our question (Methods including Participants).
4. This is what we found out and why we think it is important and answers our question (Findings).
5. Here’s what we think we did really well. These are some of the problems we had and how we tried to correct them (Strengths and Limitations).
6. When we compared or findings with the literature this is the new or slightly different information that we found out. This is what it means for professional practice. (Conclusions and Implications).

Question 12

What are 3 characteristics of “start early with the end in sight” as a good mixed methodology writing practices?

Answer 12

1. Give yourself time to write a number of drafts
2. Be a disciplined and successful author – successful authors often write at the same time & in same place each day even if they don’t feel like it
3. Find an abstract/article you have enjoyed reading and model your format after it

Question 13

What are 5 characteristics of “immerse yourself in the finding” as a good mixed methodology writing practices?

Answer 13

1. Review the research question
2. Listen to the audiotapes/read transcriptions
3. Read and re-read data (e.g., graphs, tables, transcriptions, memos, field notes)
4. If stuck, write a summary of each important finding and compare with the research question
5. Look for patterns

Question 14

What are 5 good mixed methodology writing practices?

Answer 14

1. Start early with the end in sight
2. Immerse yourself in the findings
3. Reflect on the meaning of the data in relation to the research question
4. Decide what is important that answers your research question
5. Try to encapsulate your findings in a diagram or graphic

Question 15

What is a characteristic of “reflect on the meaning of the data in relation to the research question” as a good mixed methodology writing practices?

Answer 15

• What are the key insights?

Question 16

What are 2 characteristics of “decide what is important that answers your research question” as a good mixed methodology writing practices?

Answer 16

1. What is novel ?
2. Use your imagination. Be open to new insights

Question 17

What are 8 characteristics in writing up qualitative research findings?

Answer 17

1. Qualitative inquiry results in a large volume of data.
2. Reporting qualitative findings is the final step in data reduction.
3. Length is a real constraint in writing up qualitative research findings.
4. The aim of this step is to complete a report so that others can know what you’ve learned
5. Find and write the story of your analysis.
   
   • And…“the agony of omitting” –> deciding what material to leave out of your story …
6. A major decision that has to be made is how much description to include …
7. Rich, detailed description, and direct quotations constitute the foundation of qualitative inquiry.
8. Include sufficient description and data quotes so reader understands situation observed and thoughts of participants.

Question 18

What are 4 good qualititative writing practices?

Answer 18

1. A narrative interpolated with quotes
   
   • Your introduction holds the findings together (describe what you are about to say)
   • The linking material between themes ensures continuity and highlights the important experiences of participants (example)
2. Describe the context (e.g., first day of pre-school, in a rural rehabilitation clinic)
3. Balance text about your findings with quotes
   
   • Write in a ‘neutral’ way to guide your reader through the findings. Summarise but avoid interpretation until the Discussion/Conclusions.
     
     • Don’t say “really good” or “ really bad” = had a negative or poor…etc
4. Use a range of quotes:
   
   • Avoid “cherry picking” juicy quotes
   • Use quotes that represent the overall findings
   • Condense others but show that you have conserved their views
   • Importantly, include divergent/contradictory views. They provide nuance, subtlety and complexity.

Question 19

What are 4 characteristics of using quotes in qualitative research?

Answer 19

1. Protect participant identity:
   
   • Assign each participant a unique pseudonym or number
   • Use when a participant is quoted.
2. Use frequent quotes from data
   
   • Identify quotations, field notes, and other data (photographs) to enable the reader to judge the range of evidence used and participants quoted.
3. Quotations from participants should make context it is in.
   
   • For example, provide Interview Guide, or use expressions such as ‘In her response to a question about health benefits of mobile phone use, Naomi (student, age 25) said ‘ …’.’
4. Observe conventions
   
   • re: using quotes (APA 6th ed.)

Question 20

What are the conventions for using quotes?

Answer 20

• Quotes of fewer than 40 words are incorporated into the text.
• For example, MS_04 said that “information about MS and how to cope with it may have enabled my family to ‘handle it’ rather than ‘walk away’ from me.”
• Quotes of more that 40 words are placed in an indented paragraph with participant’s pseudonym at end
• For example, some of participants discussed learning about the value of interprofessional teams in their overseas placement:
  
  • I hadn’t had much experience working with occupational therapists and speech therapists before; so working out their role … their knowledge and backgrounds that they can bring to the team. Then … how each of our roles can work together (Ilse, Medical Student 2).

Question 21

What are 3 tiresome interview findings as a challenge in writing qualitative research findings (telling a story succinctly)?

Answer 21

1. Long, obtuse, too many verbatim quotes presented without context or analysis
   
   • Do not quote dump –> give context
2. Poor categorisation into themes
3. Reporting like a laboratory experiment with neat, logical rigor (ie not rich or complex descriptions

Question 22

What are 3 practical tips for writing your qualitative results section?

Answer 22

1. State the main findings or themes, and discuss these briefly in turn.
2. Include a summary table of the themes, sub-themes, (+/- exemplar participant quotes). Refer to this table in your results section.
3. Then in the Discussion section, you will bring together the results of both the qualitative and quantitative phases,
   
   • discussing how they related to one another (agree/disagree/support/add)
   • and then link to existing literature (agree/disagree/support/add)

Question 23

What is a methodological strength?

Answer 23

State the rigorous strategies used (e.g., random recruitment, triangulation of data sources, reflexivity, member checking)

Question 24

What are 2 methodological limitations?

Answer 24

1. Typically sample size is a limitation, but necessarily so! It may be in-depth and over a period of time or a sample that is difficult to access.
2. Other limitations may be sampling methods (e

Question 25

What are 9 supportable conclusions and implications?

Answer 25

1. Arrange findings in order of importance. 2. Make a distinction between the data and their interpretation. 3. Interpret and draw conclusions about all categories of findings (e.g., statistical results and themes). Compare with the literature to help draw conclusions. 4. Provide sufficient original evidence to satisfy the reader of the relationship between the findings and your interpretation and conclusions. 5. Relate findings to the context when interpreting. 6. Give adequate consideration to cases or evidence which might refute the conclusions. 7. Suggest reasons. 8. Provide actionable implications for your target audience. 9. Discuss transferability vs generalisability. 10. Better quality reporting gives rich, novel and substantiated findings

Question 26

What is qualitative VS quantitative VS transferbaility VS generalisability? EXAM QUESTION

Answer 26

Qualitative - transferability Quantitative - generalisability (statistical)

Question 27

What is Transferability?

Answer 27

important concept for qualitative research

Question 28

What are 2 characteristics of transferability?

Answer 28

1. Give readers enough of the context and participant details to enable them to decide if findings are relevant to their own setting. 2. Conceptual rather than statistical generalisability. NB: If participants were randomly selected in sufficient quantities then there is case for generalisability.

Question 29

What are 2 characteristics of conclusions and implications?

Answer 29

1. Compare your findings with literature and state what your study has confirmed or added. 2. What is worth researching further? 3. What are implications for allied health and interventions they provide? 4. What are the implications for allied health education or training?

Question 30

What are 5 problems and prospects writing up mixed methods?

Answer 30

1. Take time to understand how/if the variables and themes/codes are related- If they don’t relate--\> state that they don’t 2. Ensure that the quantitative findings do not overpower the qualitative ones 3. Acknowledge the depth and rigor of your qualitative findings 4. Pragmatists will say “whatever works” while purists will see boundaries which can not be crossed in combining results * Some say that you can and some say you can't bring quantitative and qualitative data together * In this case = you can 5. Select a journal wisely – one that understands the strengths and complexities of a mixed methods study

Question 31

Any research project in the health sciences runs the risk of injuring people in some way. * a. True * b. False **EXAM QUESTION**

Answer 31

a. True * Even subtle forms of injury (may not be physical)

Question 32

List the five (5) step process involved in conducting research **EXAM QUESTION**

Answer 32

1. Identify research question 2. Design the study 3. Collecting the data 4. Interpreting the data 5. Reporting the data

Question 33

You are interested in answering the question “What are older adult’s views of written health information about driving cessation in older age?” This type of research question is best suited to a: * a. Qualitative study * b. Quantitative study * c. Mixed methods study * d. Quasi-experimental study **EXAM QUESTION**

Answer 33

a. Qualitative study * Perspectives and views rather than numbers

Question 34

List two (2) advantages and two (2) disadvantages of collecting and analysing virtual documentary sources in qualitative research. **EXAM QUESTION**

Answer 34

Advantages 1. Currently exists 2. Readily available 3. No need for ethics approval Disadvantages 1. Might not be entirely relevant 2. Unsure of who the participants are 3. Unreliable sources (could just disappear)

Question 35

What is the aim of participant observation in qualitative research? **EXAM QUESTION**

Answer 35

1. What's actually happening? 2. Gives context 3. Naturalistic setting 4. Explore the culture in which they function