Qualitative Research

What is the primary goal of qualitative research?
a. To test hypotheses
b. To measure variables
c. To understand lived experiences and meaning
d. To establish causation

To understand lived experiences and meaning

Which phrase best describes qualitative research design?
a. Fixed before data collection
b. Emergent and flexible
c. Based on statistical analysis
d. Always experimental

Emergent and flexible

Which method is most appropriate for studying the meaning of a patient's lived experience with chronic pain?
a. Grounded theory
b. Case study
c. Phenomenology
d. Ethnography

Phenomenology

A research design that stays close to surface meanings and uses participants’ words as much as possible is:
a. Grounded theory
b. Qualitative description
c. Case study
d. Ethnography

Qualitative description

Which of the following qualitative designs is developed specifically for nursing to interpret complex health experiences?
a. Interpretive description
b. Phenomenology
c. Grounded theory
d. Case study

Interpretive description

What is the central focus of grounded theory?
a. To interpret language in social settings
b. To explore lived experience
c. To develop theory grounded in data
d. To describe cultural behavior

To develop theory gounded in data

Which qualitative method focuses on understanding culture and customs of a group?
a. Case study
b. Phenomenology
c. Ethnography
d. Grounded theory

Ethnography

In which method are community members co-researchers involved in all stages?
a. Interpretive description
b. Participatory action research
c. Grounded theory
d. Ethnography

Participatory action research

A case study is best used when:
a. Investigating lived experience
b. Exploring group culture
c. Developing middle-range theory
d. Examining a phenomenon over time in depth

Examining a phenomenon over time in depth

Which approach seeks the "emic" perspective?
a. Case study
b. Ethnography
c. Grounded theory
d. Interpretive description

Ethnography

What is the sampling strategy that involves recruiting participants with specific experience?
a. Convenience sampling
b. Purposive sampling
c. Snowball sampling
d. Quota sampling

Purposive sampling

Which sampling method involves participants referring others to the study?
a. Theoretical sampling
b. Quota sampling
c. Snowball sampling
d. Consecutive sampling

Snowball sampling

Which of the following is a key characteristic of theoretical sampling?
a. Occurs only before data collection
b. Focuses on random selection
c. Emerges during data analysis in grounded theory
d. Seeks demographic balance

Emerges during data analysis in grounded theory

Which sampling method is most vulnerable to bias?
a. Purposive
b. Convenience
c. Quota
d. Theoretical

Convenience

What determines the sample size in qualitative research?
a. Power analysis
b. Research budget
c. Data saturation
d. Statistical significance

Data saturation

What is the goal of quota sampling?
a. Maximize randomness
b. Equal probability for all participants
c. Ensure specific subgroups are represented
d. Recruit as many participants as possible

Ensure specific subgroups are represented

The term “key informants” refers to:
a. Researchers analyzing the data
b. Participants who analyze data
c. Participants who educate researchers about the phenomenon
d. Reviewers of research reports

Participants who educate researchers about the phenomenon

In theoretical sampling, participants are selected based on:
a. Statistical representation
b. Previous research only
c. The emerging theory
d. Demographic similarity

The emerging theory

What is the goal of data saturation?
a. Equal representation
b. No new information is emerging
c. Statistically significant results
d. All subgroups are included

No new information is emerging

Which sampling approach selects participants who are readily available?
a. Snowball
b. Quota
c. Convenience
d. Purposive

Convenience

What is the most common data collection method in qualitative research?
a. Questionnaires
b. Observational checklists
c. In-depth interviews
d. Surveys

In-depth interviews

Which interview type starts with broad questions and no fixed guide?
a. Structured
b. Semi-structured
c. Unstructured
d. Focus group

Unstructured

What is a feature of semi-structured interviews?
a. Rigid questionnaire format
b. Random assignment
c. Topic guide for consistent discussion
d. No preparation required

Topic guide for consistent discussion

Which of the following is an advantage of focus groups?
a. High anonymity
b. Quick, rich data collection
c. Strong control over responses
d. Reduced group influence

Quick, rich data collection

A photo elicitation interview uses:
a. Charts and graphs
b. Participant photos to prompt discussion
c. Video recordings only
d. Clinical measurements

Participants photos to prompt discussion

What is a limitation of focus group interviews?
a. Too little dialogue
b. Participants don’t interact
c. Some may feel uncomfortable sharing
d. Cannot ask follow-up questions

Some may feel uncomfortable sharing

Participant observation is most commonly used in:
a. Phenomenology
b. Grounded theory
c. Ethnography
d. Case studies

Ethnography

What is concealment in observational methods?
a. Hiding the purpose of the study
b. Participants not knowing they’re observed
c. Using visual aids to mask identity
d. Researcher withholding data

Participants not knowing they’re observed

Which of the following tools helps enhance observational data?
a. Structured surveys
b. Audio recordings only
c. Field notes and memos
d. Quantitative charts

Field notes and memos

What is true about qualitative self-report techniques?
a. They are rigid and structured
b. They focus on large numerical samples
c. They allow for personal meaning and interpretation
d. They follow strict interview schedules only

They allow for personal meaning and interpretation

What is the primary aim of qualitative data analysis?
a. Conduct statistical tests
b. Test hypotheses
c. Make meaning from text or images
d. Measure variance

Make meaning from text or images

What is the process of assigning labels to segments of data?
a. Sorting
b. Coding
c. Memoing
d. Inferring

Coding

What is a theme in qualitative research?
a. A type of hypothesis
b. A summary of results
c. A recurring idea derived from coded data
d. A measure of variance

A recurring idea derived from coded data

What is the purpose of memos in data analysis?
a. Track participant responses
b. Code numerical data
c. Record thoughts and rationale during coding
d. Store consent forms

Record thoughts and rationale during coding

“A priori codes” are:
a. Developed during analysis
b. Derived from literature or theory before analysis
c. Randomly assigned codes
d. Codes from participants

Derived from literature or theory before analysis

What does the term “audit trail” refer to?
a. Checklist for researchers
b. Log of analysis decisions and processes
c. Codebook index
d. Participant withdrawal forms

Log of analysis decisions and processes

Which is NOT one of Lincoln & Guba’s criteria for trustworthiness?
a. Credibility
b. Reliability
c. Transferability
d. Confirmability

Reliability

Dependability in qualitative research refers to:
a. Statistical accuracy
b. Ability to replicate codes
c. Stability and consistency of findings over time
d. Simplicity of results

Stability and consistency of findings over time

Transferability refers to:
a. Generalizing findings
b. Applying findings to other contexts
c. Changing study questions
d. Exporting data to another system

Applying findings to other contexts

Confirmability means:
a. Researcher bias is acknowledged and minimized
b. All participants agree with the results
c. Only one person codes the data
d. Codes are pre-set before analysis

Researcher bias is acknowledge and minimized

What qualitative method would be most appropriate for studying the process of parents’ managing their infant’s cystic fibrosis ?

A) Phenomenology
B) Grounded Theory
C) Case Study
D) Community-based Participatory Action Research

Grounded theory

Armer explored nightmares in hospitalized children and recruited people from different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.

A Convenience or snowball

B Purposive
C Theoretical

Purposive

Dinsmore’s grounded theory study involved sampling patients whose experiences helped to better understand the emerging category of lost control.

A Convenience or snowball

B Purposive
C Theoretical

Theoretical

Oppenheim, in his study of regret among patients who had had genetic testing, asked early participants to refer friends with similar experiences.

A Convenience or snowball

B Purposive
C Theoretical

Snowball

Skaine’s study of eating patterns and self- esteem in adolescents involved interviews with both anorexic and obese teenagers aged 14 to 17 years.

A Convenience or snowball

B Purposive
C Theoretical

Purposive

In her study of injection drug users’ use of health care facilities, Meagher recruited participants by posting a notice on a homeless shelter bulletin board.

A Convenience or snowball

B Purposive
C Theoretical

Convenience

A focus group typically involves at least 10 to 15 people.

a. True b. False

False

Quinn studied the experience of learning about a parent’s cancer diagnosis, from the perspective of adolescents aged 15 to 18 years.

A Ethnography
B Phenomenology

C Grounded Theory

Phenomenology

Paul et al. studied end-of-life caregiving for elders living in an Indigenous Community in Nova Scotia

A Ethnography
B Phenomenology

C Grounded Theory

Ethnology

Futterer studied the meaning of the respite experience of family caregivers of patients with dementia.

A Ethnography
B Phenomenology

C Grounded Theory

Phenomenology

Viator explored how pregnant women managed the process of deciding on and arranging a home birth.

A Ethnography
B Phenomenology

C Grounded Theory

Grounded theory

Neumann’s study focused on reciprocal care-seeking and caregiving behavior among patients within the culture of a mental health facility.

A Ethnography
B Phenomenology

C Grounded Theory

Ethnography