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Questions and Answers
What type of research is primarily concerned with asking how and why questions?
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of qualitative research?
What shapes the research process according to funding-related factors?
Which statement best reflects the assumption that truth is relative in qualitative research?
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Which key term reflects the ability of research findings to be applied to other contexts or settings?
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What is the primary purpose of qualitative research?
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Which of the following is considered a drawback of qualitative research?
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What term describes the researcher's awareness of their influence on the research process?
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In qualitative research, which type of data is primarily relied upon?
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What aspect does qualitative research emphasize in its approach?
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Which of the following statements best describes the nature of quantitative research?
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What does positionality refer to in qualitative research?
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Why is replicability often challenging in qualitative research?
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Study Notes
What Is Research?
- Research involves gathering information and investigating to deepen knowledge and understanding.
- Research results shape how we perceive the world and influence decision-making, especially in politics.
- Funding and publishability heavily influence the direction and scope of research.
- Research often aims to be newsworthy and generate public interest.
What Is Qualitative Research?
- Qualitative research focuses on understanding experiences, perspectives, and stories of individuals.
- It explores how and why questions, acknowledging that truths can be nuanced and change based on context.
- Data is collected through observation, focus groups, and interviews, primarily relying on spoken and written narratives.
Key Assumptions of Qualitative Research
- Truth is relative and can change depending on the context.
- Multiple realities exist, as individuals interpret the world differently.
- Perspectives are dynamic and can be influenced by location, time, and lived experiences.
Important Considerations in Qualitative Research (Jackson et al.)
- Researchers must carefully consider access to participants, their responses, and the implications of those responses for understanding the research topic.
- Research questions should align with the conceptual understanding sought.
- Research design elements include methodology, data collection methods, evaluation criteria, and ensuring credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
- Qualitative research explores depth and nuanced understanding, while quantitative research focuses on breadth and numerical data for predictions and trends.
- Objectivity and subjectivity are discussed differently. In qualitative research, recognizing the subjectivity of both the researcher and participants is crucial.
- Replication and generalization have different meanings in qualitative and quantitative research.
Research Type Comparison Chart
| Research type | purpose | type of inquiry | sample type | process | dissemination of data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| quantitative | generate large scale numerical data to predict and generative trends | objective | large | learn theory, develop hypothesis, test | reliant on numbers as data |
| qualitative | explore individuals | subjective | small | Open ended question: “what”, “how”, ”why”, “when” | Reliant on words, descriptions as data |
Advantages of Qualitative Research
- Facilitates theory development through rich descriptions and detailed insights.
- Offers a shared experience with readers by providing authentic perspectives.
- Allows understanding the world through the eyes of participants, personalizing knowledge.
- Explores the multifaceted meaning of experiences.
- Provides holistic understanding by studying people in their natural settings.
- Offers insights into communities and individuals often overlooked.
Drawbacks of Qualitative Research
- Potential for bias and lack of objectivity.
- Limited generalizability due to small sample sizes.
- Lack of standardized procedures can make research less systematic.
- Access to participants and data can be challenging.
- Time-consuming process with a large amount of data to analyze.
The Researcher's Role
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Positionality: Recognizing the researcher's personal experiences and how they shape the research process.
- Requires understanding the researcher's background, context, and biases.
-
Reflexivity: Acknowledging the researcher's influence on the research and being aware of how their perspectives impact the data.
- The research process itself becomes a subject of critical analysis.
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Description
This quiz explores the concepts of research and qualitative methods, focusing on how they shape knowledge and decision-making. It delves into the nuances of qualitative research, including data collection through narratives and interviews. Learn about the key assumptions that govern the understanding of truth and perspective in research.
