What is non-experimental research?
- No manipulation by the researcher
- Not looking for cause/effect
- Describe or document a phenomenon through systematic data collection
Operationalize participant characteristics, measurements used etc. - May be prospective or retrospective
- May be longitudinal or cross-sectional
What is qualitative research?
- There is no consensus among qualitative researchers on its definition
- NOT quantitative research
- “seeks to describe the complex nature or humans and how individuals perceive their own experiences within a specific social context” (Portney & Watkins, 2009)
What are assumptions in qualitative research?
- Reality is constructed
- Investigator and participant are interdependent & changed by the experience
- Knowledge is time and context dependent
- Can’t distinguish cause from effect
- Inquiry is value bound
What are Qualitative research characterized by?
- Rich, subjective, textual data rather than numbers
- Study many variables simultaneously
- Extensive interaction with the people being studied
- Natural methods
- Methods are useful for understanding client’s perspective; necessary for client-centred care and evidence-based practice
What are 4 examples of theoretical perspectives or methodological designs in Qualitative research?
Case study
Ethnography
Phenomenology
Grounded Theory
What is case study?
Detailed description of a single case
‘case’ could be client, clinic, program, etc.
Generally go beyond description to interpretation
What is to study Ethnography?
- Studies the culture/social milieu of specific groups of people like the attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors of social units
Examples:
Margaret Mead’s anthropology work
Crago’s work on child language development in Inuktitut
What is to study Phenomenology?
- Used when little is known about the phenomenon of interest and gives ‘voice’ to people being studied
Example: family’s experience of life with a child with ASD.
What is it to study in Grounded Theory?
Seeks to develop a theory that will explain what is observed during the process of doing the study
What is an example of methods used in grounded theory?
Researcher moves during the study from less structured to more structured formats (e.g., interview to focus groups)
What are the 2 general types of analysis in grounded theory?
Thematic analysis
Content analysis
What is Thematic Analysis?
pulls out themes that are identified by coding transcript units
Themes can be compared within and across individuals
Quotes important
What is Content Analysis?
Categorizes and codes every line of the transcript
More rigorous and time-consuming
Which sampling methods are used in Qualitative research?
Non-probability: convenience, purposeful, snowball
