1 / 18

An Overview of Qualitative Research

An Overview of Qualitative Research. Quantitative Research Control Manipulation Empirical data Deductive : from general to specific Test hypotheses Generalization Populations. Qualitative Research No control No manipulation In-depth descriptions Unstructured interviews

sben
Download Presentation

An Overview of Qualitative Research

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. An Overview of Qualitative Research

  2. Quantitative Research Control Manipulation Empirical data Deductive : from general to specific Test hypotheses Generalization Populations Qualitative Research No control No manipulation In-depth descriptions Unstructured interviews Participant observation Inductive: from specific to general Patterns or themes Not able to generalize Individual Comparison of Qualitative and Quantitative Research

  3. Types of Qualitative Research Qualitative Approaches Used by All • Phenomenology: examine human experiences through the descriptions of the meanings of these experiences provided by the people involved. • Grounded theory: data are collected and analyzed and then a theory is developed that is grounded in the data.

  4. Qualitative Approaches Used by All • Ethnography: involves the collection and analysis of data about cultural group. • Historical: concerned with the identification, location, evaluation, and synthesis of data from the past.

  5. Steps in Qualitative Research

  6. 1. Identify the Phenomenon to Study • General to more focused • Broad statements • Includes the group that will be studied • Purpose statement

  7. 2. Select the Research Design • Research design depends on the phenomenon that will be studied. • Phenomenology, Grounded theory…..etc

  8. 3. Review the Literature • Debate on when to do • May bias the study results • Preferred at the end of the study • Tells how results fit with the body of knowledge

  9. 4. Select the Sample • Smaller in size (10–12) • No set rules • Saturation is more important • Saturation: the researcher is hearing a repetition of themes or ideas as additional participants are interviewed.

  10. 5. Gain Entry to Research Site • Research in field • IRB approval is important • Key informants may be used

  11. 6. Protect the Rights of Participants • Anonymity is not a consideration • Confidentiality is very important • Demographic information • Ethical considerations

  12. 7. Collect the Data • Interview is the most common method in qual. Research. • Face to face or telephone call. • Generally semistructured rather than structured. • Participation observation: requires researcher become a part of the setting. • Open ended questionnairers, life histories, diaries, personal collections of letters and photographs, official documents. • Focus group: consists of a small group of individuals meeting together and being asked questions, by a moderator, about certain topics.

  13. 7. Collect the Data • Reliability in Qual. Res.: “repeatability of scientific observations, and sources that could influence the stability and consistency of those observations” • Validity: “reflects reality, and the meaning of the data is accurately interpreted”.

  14. 7. Collect the Data • Generalizability is not a consideration • Qualitative studies are generally not replicated because findings of one study could bias the results of another.

  15. 8. Analyze the Data • Begins with data collection • Is more complex to analyze • No Universal Rules • Uses words not numbers • Massive amount of information • May take months to interpret

  16. 8. Analyze the Data • Content Analysis • Categories of data • Variations based on research design • Coding of statements • Themes developed from coded data • The “storyteller” concept • Software Programs

  17. 9. Communicate the Study Results • All research needs to be reported • e.g. journals, conferences, posters,…

  18. Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Methods • Triangulation • Combining the two strengthens studies • Ruling out rival explanations for results • Valuing both methods by the researcher

More Related