HS2800 Term 2 Week 1

Why include qualitative research in HS2800?

Because qualitative methods help answer questions about meaning, experience, values, and social context that are important in health and can't always be captured by numbers.

Scientific research (general definition)

An investigation that seeks answers to a question, uses predefined procedures systematically, collects evidence, produces findings not determined in advance, and produces findings applicable beyond the immediate study.

How qualitative research fits scientific research

Qualitative research shares the core features of scientific research (systematic procedures, evidence, new findings, broader relevance).

What qualitative research adds (beyond general science)

It aims to understand a problem from the perspectives of the population involved and is especially effective for values, opinions, behaviours, and social contexts.

Qualitative research (definition - Denzin & Lincoln)

Qualitative researchers study things in natural settings and interpret phenomena in terms of meanings people bring to them.

Qualitative research (what it is)

A methodology: an overall research strategy and rationale focused on understanding phenomena.

Qualitative methods (examples)

Interviews, focus groups, observation (and other tools/procedures to collect and analyze qualitative data).

Qualitative methodology (what it helps answer)

Approaches for answering what happens, why it happens, and with what effects at different levels.

Qualitative approaches vs measuring

Qualitative approaches aim to understand phenomena more than measure them.

Qualitative data (what it looks like)

Usually words (and images), rather than numbers.

Examples of qualitative data sources

Field notes, audio, transcripts, video, art (visual/audio/theatre, etc.).

Qualitative methods/designs (common ones)

Methods especially associated with qualitative work include interviews and participant observation.

Qualitative research questions (core goal)

They seek to understand phenomena rather than quantify them.

Roots of qualitative health research

Comes from social sciences and humanities (e.g., sociology, anthropology, social psychology, history, geography).

Where qualitative methods are used in health

Used as evidence tools across global health, primary care, health promotion, health services, nursing, and policy/practice settings.

What qualitative research helps explain (levels)

Generates knowledge from individual perceptions/experiences to how larger systems (including global systems) work.

Quantitative vs qualitative: main differences

Differ in analytical objectives, the types of questions asked, data collection instruments, forms of data produced, and flexibility in study design.

Quantitative research (basic definition)

Structured, hypothesis-driven approaches that collect data for statistical analysis (numbers-focused; tests existing hypotheses).

Qualitative research (basic definition)

In-depth interviews/focus groups/observation (often semi- or unstructured) to explore attitudes/perceptions and identify themes/patterns (often asks "why/how"; can build new theories).

Role of qualitative research in health studies

Helps improve health promotion programs, clinical processes (care planning), social change for better health, and understanding perceptions of health/illness.

Qualitative research and health behaviours

Helps explain why people adopt health behaviours and how they make health-related decisions.

Why qualitative research is needed sometimes

Some important phenomena can't be directly measured.

Phenomenon (in qualitative research)

The central concept a qualitative study wants to explore.

How qualitative research contributes to evidence (practice/policy)

Provides detailed evidence on practices/beliefs/behaviour; can sensitize professionals to patients' views; informs population needs, policy development, and implementation with health staff.

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) critique (why qualitative matters)

EBM can appear neutral but may conceal social/political values (e.g., gender bias, prioritizing medical goals, focusing on behavioural over social approaches); "best" evidence depends on the research question.

Einstein quote (interpretation for research)

Some meaningful things can't be counted, and some countable things aren't meaningful—so we need methods beyond counting.

Qualitative aims & questions (role)

Focus on understanding experiences, meanings, and contexts in health.

Examples of qualitative topics

Patient narratives, cultural practices, health behaviours, coping strategies.

Qualitative aims/questions (common wording)

Usually open-ended and exploratory; often use words like describe, explore, understand, examine, discover.

Quantitative questions (common wording)

Often use words like effect, association, causation, relationship, examine.

Where research questions come from

Puzzles in social/professional practice, gaps in knowledge/literature, and commissioned research.

Before starting a research question, ask: researchable?

Is this a problem that research can address?

Before starting a research question, ask: method fit?

Is a qualitative approach appropriate?

Before starting a research question, ask: concepts?

What are the key concepts of interest?

Refining key concepts

Develop indicators for key concepts to clarify what you're studying.

Defining a research question

Process of refining concepts and indicators into a clear, answerable question.

Qualitative questions (micro to macro)

Qualitative researchers answer questions ranging from micro-level experiences to macro-level systems and structures.

Research FOR health (applied research)

Takes the existing health agenda (policy/practice priorities) as a starting point and provides evidence on defined health problems.

Research OF health (pure/critical research)

Takes the health agenda as an object of study; explores concepts/categories in that agenda; expands knowledge of society (e.g., what counts as health/illness, how managed, in whose interests).

FOR vs OF health (overlap)

Qualitative research can be both critical and also contribute to evidence for practice and policy.

Orientation: Naturalism (what it means)

Preference for studying phenomena in natural environments ("real life") rather than ideal/lab settings.

Naturalism: why "natural" matters

People may behave differently when being studied (Hawthorne effect), so qualitative work often aims to minimize that impact.

Naturalism: typical focus

Detailed, empathetic accounts of social worlds plus theoretical analysis.

Naturalism: methods most linked

Ethnographic methods—observing and interviewing; researchers spend enough time in the setting to reduce their influence.

Orientation: Reflexivity (what it is)

Critical analysis of the research process, including how biases, values, power, and positionality shape data and analysis.

Reflexivity (what researchers do)

Reflect on the research itself and on the researcher's role in generating/analyzing data.

Examples of what shapes data (reflexivity)

Researcher gender, social status relative to participants, and institutional base influence what data are produced.

Qualitative vs quantitative on bias

Quantitative often tries to minimize bias; qualitative aims to account for it through reflexivity.

Orientation: Focus on meaning & understanding

Qualitative research aims to understand participants' perspectives and the meanings behind practices and behaviours.

Meaning-focused research (why it matters)

Without empathic understanding of why people behave as they do, it's hard to identify possibilities for change.

Orientation: Flexible research strategies

Qualitative studies often adapt strategy as early data are produced and analyzed.

Flexibility depends on

Study demands and the researcher's perspective.

Flexibility ≠ lack of rigor

Flexibility does not automatically mean a method is less scientifically rigorous.

Flexibility in qualitative interviews

More spontaneity/adaptation; open-ended questions; participants respond in their own words; interviewer can tailor follow-up questions to what participants say; relationship often less formal than in quantitative research.

Orientation: Critical perspective (what it is)

Questioning common-sense accounts and assumptions (from academics or participants).

Common myths about qualitative research

That it's "not rigorous," "just stories," or only good for small samples—these are oversimplifications.

Key takeaway about qualitative research

Best characterized by its aims (meaning/understanding) rather than design, method, or sample size.

Common orientations in qualitative methodology

Naturalism, reflexivity, meaning/understanding focus, flexible strategies, and critical approaches.