Quantitative vs Qualitative Data in Health Sciences

12 Questions

What type of data can be used to study attitudes?

Both quantitative and qualitative

What is the primary focus of qualitative research in the health sciences?

Words

What is an example of a form of qualitative data that can be created by others?

Newspapers

What is a characteristic of a structured interview?

Scheduled and formal

What type of interview would allow for more flexibility in responses?

Unstructured interview

What is an example of a combination of qualitative data forms?

All of the above

What is a characteristic of a semi-structured interview?

The interview guide is used with set questions and prompts, but can be modified during the interview.

What is the main goal of probability sampling in quantitative studies?

To ensure the sample is highly representative of the population of interest.

What type of interview involves a group of people who share similar characteristics?

Focus group interview

What is the primary advantage of using a convenience sample?

It is quicker, cheaper, and easier to conduct.

What type of non-probability sampling involves selecting a single person, program, institution, or event to study in depth?

Case study

What is the primary goal of non-probability sampling in qualitative studies?

To gain in-depth knowledge on a specific topic from a smaller number of subjects.

Study Notes

Quantitative vs Qualitative Data

Both quantitative and qualitative data can be used to study certain phenomena, such as attitudes
Quantitative data measures attitudes through numerical values, while qualitative data examines attitudes through words, images, and other forms of data

Forms of Qualitative Data

Words: recorded interviews, written documents, field notes, documents created by others, diaries, books, and newspapers
Images: photographs, videos, and other visual data
Sounds: audio recordings, music, and other auditory data
Physical objects/artifacts: objects, artifacts, and other tangible data
Combination of all the above: mixed-methods approach that incorporates multiple forms of data

Interviews: Structure and Control over Responses

Structured interview: scheduled, formal, uses exact same interview guide with questions in same order every time, questions can be open or closed-ended
Semi-structured interview: scheduled, formal, uses interview guide with set questions and prompts, can change order of questions, add or delete questions during interview, questions are open-ended
Unstructured interview: scheduled, formal, general topics to cover are set in advance, but not necessarily the exact questions or the order, usually no interview guide used
Informal interview: not scheduled, questions not set in advance, often occurs in participant observations

Types of Interviews

One-on-one interview: individual interview, in-depth interview, or independent interview
Group interviews: multiple people answering questions, often unstructured, heterogeneous group, and occurs in participant observations
Focus group interviews: typically uses a group of 5-12 people similar on one or more characteristics, focusing on one overall topic

Sampling

Probability sampling: used in quantitative studies, goal is to create a sample representative of the population, every member of the population must have a known and nonzero probability of being selected
Nonprobability sampling: used in qualitative studies, goal is not to create a representative sample, but to gain depth of knowledge on a topic, knowledge about hard-to-access groups, or knowledge from experts or key informants

Types of Nonprobability Sampling

Case study: selects only one person, program, institution, event, or activity and studies it in depth
Convenience sample: selects whomever is able and willing to be studied, quicker, cheaper, and easier
Purposive sample: participants intentionally selected to represent predefined characteristics, researcher decides what purpose the participants will serve and then goes out and finds some