Chapter 10 - Qualitative methods in health and human performance. This chapter includes contents: Qualitative methods, data collection methods, accurate interpretations? multiple methods, interviews, observations, constant comparison,...
Chapter 10 Qualitative Methods in Health and Human Performance Qualitative Methods Qualitative research is an umbrella concept covering several forms of inquiry that focus on understanding and explain meaning of a social phenomena Data Collection Methods Quantitative – – – – – Objective Numeric Statistical analysis Large Ns Structured data collection – Table/graphs to display results Qualitative – – – – – Subjective Nonnumerical Nonstatistical analysis Small Ns Open ended data collection – Narrative for results Qualitative Methods Eight characteristics of qualitative research – Takes place in the natural setting: travel to sites – Researcher is the primary method of data collection » Observation » Interview » Documents » Audiovisual Qualitative Methods Characteristic continued: – Emergent rather than tightly prefigured – Based upon interpretation » Hermeneutics: deciphering meaning – Views social phenomena holistically – Qualitative researchers reflect and are explicitly regarding personal assumptions and values Qualitative Methods Characteristics continued – Uses both deductive and inductive logic » Inductive: going from specific to large » Deductive: Going from broad to specific – Can use multiple methods Qualitative Methods Grounded Theory Study – Discover or invent theory grounded in real world experiences » Middlerange theories: situation related Life histories – Story of a single individual or groups of single individuals » Recall significant events of ones life » Significant understanding of the historical context Qualitative Methods Case Study – Exploration of a bounded system (e.g., school) – Indepth data collection involving multiple sources of information Phenomenology study – Describes the meaning of a lived experience for several individuals about a phenomenon – Explores the structures of human consciousness Qualitative methods Ethnography study – Interpretation of a culture of social group – Natural setting Basic/Generic – Studies that illustrate characteristics of qualitative research Accurate Interpretations? Verification: Interpretations are tested for plausibility, conformability and trustworthiness (7 strategies) – Prolonged engagement: Learning culture and building trust by being in a culture for a long time – Triangulation: use different methods for corroborating evidence Accurate Interpretations? Verification continued – – – Peer review: group of peers review work Clarification of research biases and values Member checks: research participants check credibility of interpretations and data – Rich description statements: Provide evidence by detail in write up – are findings transferable? – External audit: External person(s) examine process and interpretations Multiple Methods “Rather than taking sides on this recurring issue, we suggest that multimethods approaches can provide a more accurate and detailed research project than the traditional unidimensional (qualitative or quantitative) approaches provide” Mitra & Lankford, 1999, p. 46 Interviews Closed quantitative: Questions and response categories are determined in advance; responses are fixed Standardized openended: The wording and sequence of questions are determined in advance; same basic questions in the same order Interview guide: Topics and issues to be covered are specified in advance, however, the interviewer decides the sequence and wording of questions during the interview Informal conversational: Questions emerge from the immediate context and are asked in the natural course Observations Complete Participation: Researcher conceals role Observer as Participant: Role of researcher is known Participant as Observer: Observational role is secondary to participant role Complete Observer: Researcher observes without participating Constant Comparison A technique for analyzing qualitative data – Read through data (transcriptions of interviews) and find similar (constant) themes among people Gain perspectives relevant to the context in which the data was observed and recorded Steps in a Constant Comparison Read through interviews separately (among many) and make code/theme notes After reading through the differing transcriptions, integrate and compare codes/themes Delimit and refine the themes to find major or primary themes (can have secondary themes) Provide examples from the data that highlight the themes ... questions are determined? ?in? ?advance; same basic questions in? ?the same order Interview guide: Topics? ?and? ?issues to be covered are specified? ?in? ?advance, however, the interviewer decides the sequence? ?and? ?wording of questions during the interview... regarding personal assumptions? ?and? ?values Qualitative Methods Characteristics continued – Uses both deductive? ?and? ?inductive logic » Inductive: going from specific to large » Deductive: Going from broad to specific... plausibility, conformability? ?and? ? trustworthiness (7 strategies) – Prolonged engagement: Learning culture? ?and? ? building trust by being? ?in? ?a culture for a long time – Triangulation: use different methods for corroborating evidence