This document discusses key concepts in qualitative research including its definition, purpose, characteristics, approaches, technical issues, and ethics. The qualitative research process involves six general steps: identifying a topic, reviewing literature, selecting participants, collecting data, analyzing data, and reporting results. Some qualitative approaches described are case study, ethnography, grounded theory, and phenomenology. Ensuring validity, reliability, and addressing ethics are important considerations for qualitative research.
2. State the definition and purpose of qualitative
research.
īŽ 1.1 Define qualitative research.
īŽ 1.2 Describe the purpose of qualitative
research.
īŽ 1.3 Identify four unique characteristics
of qualitative research.
3. Describe the six steps in the qualitative
research process.
īŽ 2.1 Describe the six steps of the
qualitative research process.
īŽ 2.2 Compare the six steps used to
conduct qualitative research with the six
steps used to conduct quantitative
research.
4. Identify different qualitative research
approaches.
īŽ 3.1 Describe the primary difference
among qualitative research
approaches.
īŽ 3.2 Identify nine qualitative research
approaches and discuss the unique
characteristics of each.
5. Describe the characteristics of qualitative
research.
īŽ 4.1 Describe eight unique
characteristics of qualitative research.
6. State the definition of validity in
qualitative research.
īŽ 5.1 Define the term validity and identify
two of its components.
7. Describe strategies to address the trustworthiness
(validity) of qualitative research
īŽ 6.1 Describe four issues Guba suggests the
researcher address in order to establish
trustworthiness.
īŽ 6.2 Describe five issues Maxwell suggests the
researcher address to establish understanding.
īŽ 6.3 Describe thirteen strategies Wolcott believes will
enhance validity.
8. Describe strategies to address the
replicability (reliability) of qualitative
research.
īŽ 7.1 Define the term reliability.
īŽ 7.2 Discuss how reliability should be
viewed in qualitative research.
9. Describe the relationship between validity
and reliability in qualitative research.
8.1 Discuss why generalizability is NOT
an issue in qualitative research.
10. Describe the role of ethics in qualitative
research.
īŽ 9.1 Describe the role of ethics in qualitative research.
īŽ 9.2 Discuss why it is important to think about possible
ethical dilemmas in a qualitative research study
before they become a problem.
īŽ 9.3 Identify two reasons why confidentiality is
important in qualitative research and the way in which
it is usually assured.
īŽ 9.4 Identify six ethical guidelines that should be
followed when conducting qualitative research.
11. Topics Discussed in this Session
īŽ Definition and purpose of qualitative
research
īŽ General steps involved in qualitative
research
īŽ Qualitative research approaches
īŽ Characteristics of qualitative research
īŽ Validity, reliability, and generalizability
īŽ Ethics
12. The Nature of Qualitative Research
īŽ Qualitative research is the collection,
analysis, and interpretation of
comprehensive narrative data in order
to gain insights into a particular
phenomenon of interest
īŽ Useful for describing and answering
questions about participants and contexts
Objective 1.1
13. The Nature of Qualitative Research
īŽ Purpose of qualitative research
īŽ Promote a deep, holistic understanding of
a particular phenomenon
īŽ Importance of exploring qualitative
topics
īŽ Provide insight into the complexity of
common occurrences
īŽ Provide specific concrete details to guide
understanding in a particular setting
Objectives 1.2 and 1.3
14. The Nature of Qualitative Research
īŽ The importance of exploring qualitative
topics (continued)
īŽ Provide insight into the âlocalâ meanings
that activities and practices have for
participants
īŽ Develop a comparative understanding of
phenomena as experienced by different
participants in different settings
Objective 1.3
15. The Nature of Qualitative Research
īŽ Six General Steps
īŽ Identify the research topic
īŽ Review the literature
īŽ Select the participants
īŽ Collect data
īŽ Analyze the data
īŽ Report the results
īŽ These are the same steps as those used in
quantitative research
Objectives 2.1 and 2.2
16. Range of Qualitative Approaches
īŽ Nine approaches
īŽ Case study
īŽ
An effort to seek an understanding of a single person or
entity
īŽ Ethnography
īŽ
An effort to describe and analyze all or part of the culture
of a community by identifying and describing participantsâ
practices and beliefs
īŽ Ethology
īŽ
An effort to compare several cultures with one another
Objective 3.2
17. Range of Qualitative Approaches
īŽ Nine approaches (continued)
īŽ Ethnomethodology
īŽ
An effort to examine peopleâs understanding of their daily
activities
īŽ Grounded theory
īŽ
An effort to derive theory grounded in the perspectives of
the participants
īŽ Phenomenology
īŽ
An effort to understand the meaning of an individualâs
experiences
Objective 3.2
18. Range of Qualitative Approaches
īŽ Nine approaches (continued)
īŽ Symbolic interaction
īŽ
An effort to seek common understandings that emerge to
give meaning to participantsâ interactions
īŽ Action research
īŽ
An effort to seek a solution or improvement to a practical
problem in the setting in which it is occurring
īŽ Historical research
īŽ
An effort to seek to understand the past by studying
documents, relics, and interviews
Objective 3.2
19. Features of Qualitative Approaches
īŽ Differences between approaches
īŽ Different social contexts are being studied
in each approach
īŽ The participants are selected for different
reasons in each approach
Objective 3.1
20. Features of Qualitative Approaches
īŽ Eight unique characteristics
īŽ Researchers immerse themselves in the situation
īŽ The data reflects the participantsâ perspectives
īŽ Sources of data are real-world situations or natural
contexts
īŽ Data is narrative in nature
īŽ Researchers focus on personal interactions with
participants
Objective 4.1
21. Features of Qualitative Approaches
īŽ Eight unique characteristics (continued)
īŽ Researchers avoid early decisions or
assumptions about the study
īŽ Data are analyzed inductively
īŽ Methods provide clear, detailed information
reflecting participantsâ voices
Objective 4.1
22. Technical Issues
īŽ Validity
īŽ The degree to which the qualitative data
collected accurately gauges what is being
measured
īŽ Two components
īŽ
Trustworthiness
īŽ
Understanding
Objective 5.1
23. Technical Issues
īŽ Validity
īŽ Trustworthiness
īŽ
Credibility â taking into account all the complexities in the
study and addressing problems that are not easily
explained
īŽ
Transferability â including descriptive, context-relevant
statements so the reader can identify with the setting
īŽ
Dependability â collecting stable data
īŽ
Confirmability â assuring the neutrality and objectivity of
the data
Objective 6.1
24. Technical Issues
īŽ Validity
īŽ Understanding
īŽ
Descriptive validity â the factual accuracy of the account
īŽ
Interpretive validity â the meaning attributed to the
behaviors or words of the participants
īŽ
Theoretical validity â the explanation of the phenomenon
being studied in relation to a theory
īŽ
Evaluative validity â sufficient objectivity in reporting data
to avoid bias, preconceived judgments, or evaluations
Objective 6.2
25. Technical Issues
īŽ 13 strategies to ensure validity
īŽ Participate at the study site for a prolonged period
of time
īŽ Use persistent observation
īŽ Use peer debriefing
īŽ Collect mechanically recorded data
īŽ Use member checks
īŽ Establish structural corroboration/coherence
īŽ Establish referential adequacy
Objective 6.3
26. Technical Issues
īŽ 13 strategies to ensure validity (cont.)
īŽ Collect detailed descriptive data
īŽ Develop detailed descriptions of the
context
īŽ Overlap methods (i.e., multi-methods)
īŽ Establish an audit trail
īŽ Practice triangulation
īŽ Practice reflexivity
Objective 6.3
27. Technical Issues
īŽ Reliability
īŽ The consistency with which data measures
what is being attempted to be measured
over time
īŽ Qualitative perspective
īŽ
The reliability of the techniques that are being
used to collect data
īŽ Reliability is a necessary but not sufficient
characteristic â validity is the priority
Objectives 7.1 and 7.2
28. Technical Issues
īŽ Generalizability
īŽ The applicability of findings to settings and
contexts different from the one in which they were
obtained
īŽ Internal-external validity issues revisited
īŽ
A depth of understanding can only be achieved from a
few participants in a very limited number of contexts
īŽ
Generalizability is therefore very limited
īŽ
Qualitative researchers are primarily concerned with
validity and reliability and to a much lesser extent
generalizability
Objective 8.1
29. Technical Issues
īŽ General strategies for ensuring the technical
merit of a qualitative study
īŽ Talk little, listen a lot
īŽ Record observation accurately
īŽ Begin writing early
īŽ Let readers see for themselves
īŽ Report fully
īŽ Be candid
īŽ Seek feedback
īŽ Write accurately
30. Ethical Issues
īŽ Ethics can be considered in terms of how the
researcher treats the participants in the
research setting.
īŽ The nature of qualitative research provides
the potential for conflict and harm.
īŽ Qualitative research is intimate â there is little
distance between the researcher and the
participants
īŽ Qualitative research is open-ended â the nature of
the process requires the use of an emergent
design as the situation unfolds
Objectives 9.1 and 9.2
31. Ethical Issues
īŽ Six guidelines to help avoid ethical problems
īŽ Researchers should have an ethical perspective
that is close to their personal ethical position
īŽ Informed consent should take the form of a
dialogue that mutually shapes the research and
the results
īŽ
Confidentiality is more complicated even with the use of
pseudonyms
īŽ
Consider the use of a video tape to illustrate a point
being made
Objective 9.4
32. Ethical Issues
īŽ Six guidelines to help avoid ethical problems
(cont.)
īŽ You should be able to identify broader social
principles that are an integral part of who you are
as a researcher and a contributing member of the
community in which you live.
īŽ Avoidance of harm morally binds qualitative
researchers to conduct their research in a manner
that minimizes potential harm to those involved in
the study.
Objective 9.4
33. Ethical Issues
īŽ Six guidelines to help avoid ethical problems
(cont.)
īŽ Even though an action can bring about good
results, it is not ethical unless it also conforms to
ethical standards such as honesty and justice.
īŽ The qualitative researcher must remain attentive
to the relationships between the researcher and
the participants â a relationship that is determined
by âroles, status, language, and cultural norms.â
Objective 9.4