Research Question Types Quiz

Qualitative Research

• Qualitative research explores research questions rather than testing hypotheses.
• It aims to understand how people perceive the world and their experiences.
• Qualitative research often focuses on in-depth understanding, constructing meanings, and describing experiences.
• Often used with interviews and focus groups.

Qualitative Design

• Qualitative design involves collecting and analyzing qualitative data using qualitative techniques.
• The design itself involves the combination of methods used to collect such data and the analytical techniques used.

Types of Qualitative Questions

• Well-suited for research questions about lived experience.
• Explore recent and emotional experiences.
• Explore experiences or perceptions of people in a specific context.

Qualitative Analysis Techniques (1 of 5)

• Content analysis: Used to identify themes or categories and generate frequency data within qualitative research. Qualitative data is coded into categories that are then counted.

Qualitative Analysis Techniques (2 of 5)

• Thematic analysis: Used to identify patterns or themes in qualitative data. Involves interpretation of themes by the researcher.

Qualitative Analysis Techniques (3 of 5)

• Grounded theory: Developed by observing and understanding a phenomenon in its local context; Data collection is repeated until no further themes emerge.

Qualitative Analysis Techniques (4 of 5)

• Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA): Used to explore the experiences of a particular homogenous group of people; Researchers consider how the group understands and makes sense of life experiences.

Qualitative Analysis Techniques (5 of 5)

• Discourse analysis: Focused on the ways language and speech are used to create meaning. Codes feature of speech such as pauses and interruptions.

Data Collection Methods

• Qualitative designs use a variety of data collection methods, such as questionnaires and focus groups, observations and real-world interactions, diaries, participant logs, online data, and secondary data sources.

Sampling Techniques

• Qualitative designs use purposive sampling, selecting participants based on specific criteria related to the research question.
• Theoretical sampling is another technique useful in grounded theory to recruit cases for testing emergent theory.
• Key informants are people whose position, experience, or expertise provide a considerable understanding of the research topic.

Ethical Considerations (Informed Consent)

• Provide sufficient information to enable participants to make an informed decision about participation.
• Include details about the goals of the study, what participants will do, social identities, recordings, online data, and secondary data sources.

Ethical Considerations (Confidentiality)

• Participants may be identifiable even when ID numbers are used.
• Quotations and descriptions of place settings need to be anonymized.
• Statements about how data will be stored.

Ethical Considerations (Data Security)

• Participants are easily identifiable if data is not stored securely.
• Include information about ethical issues, and how to reduce potential lasting impacts relevant to the study.
• Researchers need access to professional support.

Ethical Considerations (Debriefing)

• Qualitative research, especially, benefits from a comprehensive debriefing session.
• Debriefing must include details of the study's aims, data collection methods, and analysis approach.
• Participants should have access to information and support systems needed to process the study's impacts.