What is qualitative research?
A research strategy that emphasises WORDS rather than numbers in collecting and analysing data.
- studies people in their NATURAL SETTING
- aims to understand the world through the eyes of respondents
- goal = develop concepts which help to understand social phenomena in natural settings (not experimental settings) giving due emphasis to the meanings, experience’s and views of all the participants.
- it aims to answer ‘what,’ ‘why,’ or ‘how’ questions about specific issues
Differences between qualitative and quantitative research?
Quantitative:
- Numbers
- Point of view from researcher
- Distant research
- Theory testing
- Structured
- Macro
- Artificial setting
Qualitative:
- Words
- Point of view from respondent
- Close research
- Theory emerging
- Unstructured
- Micro
- Natural setting
Compare and contrast the paradigms of positivism and interpretivism:
Positivism:
• Collecting pure scientific knowledge that a population has
• World is UNAFFECTED and independent of the RESEARCHER
• When facts are distinct and objective research can be carried out E.G. do people know that TB is caused by TB bacilli
Methods of natural science (hypothesis testing) are APPROPRIATE for studying social phenomena as human behaviour is governed by law-like regularities
Interpretivism:
• An approach to research which opposes the positivism of natural science
• The RESEARCHER and social world IMPACTS on one another
• Objective research is not applicable
• When there are multiple perceptions that may be found from the research E.G. what does having TB mean to people rich, HIV prevalence, age etc.
Methods of natural sciences are not applicable the social world is mediated through ‘meaning’ and human agency
Example of using both qualitative and quant research together?
Iveson et al 2018 - Chemotherapy trial comparing 3 vs 6 months of therapy, used quantitative outcomes (disease free survival) and also qualitative (questionnaires about pain, diaries etc.)
What are the main ethical considerations in qualitative research?
RACCI
Recruitment - use an independent gatekeeper
Anonymity - to avoid putting respondents at risk
Confidentiality
Capacity of individuals
Incentives - should be none (no kudos/payments)
Methods of doing qualitative research (approaches?)
BEG-CP
- Biographical - investigate how our surrounding influence our lives e.g. political states, cultures. Often studies a single person’s life.
- Ethnography - observing individuals in their natural environment, often researchers will completely immerse themselves in the situation/environment they are investigating.
- Grounded theory - reverse of traditional hypothesis testing, data collected and conclusions drawn as info is gathered, no prior lit reviews/reading done so that no bias introduced along the way as you are not expecting anything
- Case study - intensive analysis of a single group of people, usually longitudinal
- Phenomenology - study of human EXPERIENCE and the way we create/inhabit the world
What are the two main methods of data collection in qualitative studies?
1) Naturally occurring data - participants observed and results recorded, minimal researcher involvement
2) Generated data - through discussions/interviews, more researcher involvement and the results are less natural
What are the 4 main methods of data collection in qualitative studies?
1) Snowballing - small ‘n’ initially recruited, they tell family/friends, not representative sample group
2) Convenience sample - e.g. using those who are accessible easily like in supermarket
3) Purposive sample - when you have a specific feature you want to analyse in your study e.g. recruiting only T2DM patients
4) Theoretical sample - creating a study group that can be compared to the results of a previous study = comparing homelessness in West of Glasgow, so that results can be compared to a previous study in the East.
Describe the 4 ways of carrying out quantitative research:
1) observation - good for sensitive issues, but people can change their behaviour. Researcher must have lots of time
2) interviews
a - structured - formal questions, no probing or opinions from interviewer, no prompts
b - semi-structured - list of Q’s with some prompting allowed, researcher remains open to new ideas emerging, can introduce interviewer bias
c - unstructured - flexible, lots of rapport, broad topics used as guide
d - focus group - facilitator stands back and allows discussion in groups of 4-12 (normally 4-8)
3) textual analysis/coding - breaking up and compartmentalising the info to reconstruct it in a comprehensible and useful way, as no classic stats can be done. Coding looks for patterns/themes in the answers and analyses them e.g. Reinerts method used in PAPER: Viet-Thi Trans et al 2015 (taxonomy of burden of disease)
4) recording - (audio/video) means participants can change their natural behaviour if they know they are being listened to
How does a focus group differ from an individual interview?
- focus groups have small n (4-8), in a sociable setting where attitudes/beliefs/feelings can be discussed.
- facilitator DOES NOT AS Q (unlike in individual interview), they only encourage group members to interact
- more natural than individual interview
- facilitator must ensure formal speaking protocol is employed to avoid dominant individuals taking over and creating bias in results
- advantageous as encourages shy individuals who would be reluctant to do 1-on-1 interview to take part
- disadvantages include dominating individuals, and the transcription of results and analysis is extremely challenging (4-8 conversations must be analysed instead of one)
