qualitative data

what is qualitative data

data which is verbal or written that has not been converted to a numerical score and not numerical ( quantitative)

what are the advantages and disadvanatage of closed questions

advantage: produce quantifiable measures (easier to analyze)

disadvantage: force respondents to choose from an asnwer that doesn;t represent how they feel

what are some tools to get qualitative data

surveys: administer questionnaires or interview to a large sample of individuals.

what is it called when the whole population is captured

census

what does a survey do

seeks to describe what people think or do and to what extent

or it can be analytical where it aims is to test a hypothesis

what are the 2 types of samples in surveys

panel and focus group

what is a panel and disadvantage

a specifically selected group of people who can be asked to provide info whenever it is required

disadvantage: bc it represents very specific individuals, it can differ from the population of interest

the more the panel are experts, the more

it differs from the population

what is a focus group

group of individuals with a common interest that are brought together for a collective interview

• the questionaire becomes more refined through discussion

• efficient, as they can generate a large amount of data in one session, saves the need for multiple one-on-one interviews

• has cross-stimulation of ideas among participants

• need to be managed carefully so everyone contributes.

what is structured interviews and advanatages

questions and procedures are identical for every respondent

advantages :

• quick to administer

• results are more generalizable

• results are less influenced by characteristics of the interviewer

• data is easier to handle

disadvantage of structured interviews

places constraints on both the interviewer and respondent

interviewers are not free to stray from script to explore interesting issues

and the respondent may not be able to fully explain their point of view

what is unstructured interviews

have greater flexibility on both the interviewer and the respondent

• more a conversational style with opened ended questions

• the atmosphere is more informal and natural

• richer data is generated

• the process is influenced by the interviewer’s characteristics

• results are not highly generalizable

effects of interpersonal variables in interviews

• the respondent will be influenced by the researcher, this is more sever in interviews

• the characteristics of the interviewer’s style may effect the quality of info obtained

• factors such as gender and ethnicity of both the interviewer and respondent can have an impact on the interview process

what were other factors that may affect the outcome of the interview

formal role: is the interviewer seen as an authority figure: participants may want to share more or less information depending on the context of study

personal qualities of both parties: some ppl are harder to interview than other, some interviewers struggle more with interviewing

social desirability: ppl may answer in the way they think they should answer

evaluative cues given by the interviewer: non-verbal cues may provide unwanted feedback to the interviewee

with qualitative research, the interviewer is not… recipient of info but rather an active participant in the research process

passive

unlike a regular conversation, a qualitative interview requires

the interviewer to actively analyze and adjust the dialogue in relation to the research objective

what is a common occurence with qualitative interviewing

emergence of a point not mentioned in previous interviews

if this is a structured interview, and you incorporate this point, you need to start over

if it is unstructured you can incorporate into subsequent interviews and revisit previous interviews

what are the following guidelines for qualitative interviewing

• let participants know what expect

• ensure anonymity and confidentiality

• establish rapport

• use participant’s language

• maintain nuetrality

• listen attentively

• show interest

• respond to non-verbal communication

• employ natural questioning

types of interview

no-directive

informal

semi-structured

structured but open ended

fully structured

clinical

non-directive

interviewer does not direct the discussion, and just listens to the respondent and is non-judgemental

• used in collecting data that form part of case study

• and the insights gained may form the basis of model or theory

• often used by the psychotherapist and counsellors to help client gain self-awareness and deal with personal problems

informal

the atmosphere is relaxed and the interviewees can express themselves in their own terms

the interviewers job is to keep the interviewee on topic and use prompts to solicit more detailed information

interviews are more effective when the interviewer listens patiently, makes intelligent comments, responds appropriately and is non-judgemental

if the interviewer tries to remain objective by being cool and impersonal, it can make the interviewee anxious and uncomfortable

semi-structured

is informal but guided.

the interviewer has an outline of topics to be covered but no pre-set questions

what is the aim of semi-structured interviews

to ensure all the information is obtained

advantage of semi-structured interview and disadvantage

-natural conversation flow

freedom to explore new avenues of thought

flexibility in following up with certain elements of discourse

disadvantage

weak reliability across respondents. This is not considered a drawback from the non-positivist perspective

open ended structured interview

the interviewer gives pre-set open questions in a predetermined order to every interviewee. This helps to minimize the effect of interpresonal variables that influence a 2 way conversation

the interview is structured but the respondent is still free to answer in any way they choose

fully structured interview

follows a pre set and ordered list of questions. But answer options are fixed

• allows analysis easier but limiting bc the respondent don;t have the opportunity to explain their answers

clinical

has clear goals ( testing hypothesis)

but uses a non-standardized procedure in order to do so

ask respondents similar questions in multiple ways

telephone interviews pros and cons

pros:

reaching busy people

provide great anonymity

cost effective

respondents are less likely to be influenced by interviewer

cons:

interviewer is not able to read the respondents non verbal cues

conducting surveys electronically via email or internet pros and cons

pros:

time saving

cost efficient

cons:

yield biased sample as user may differ from the general population

some ppl dont have internet at home and those who are likely to do these are politically left leaning and more likely to try new things. so might not be generalized to whole pop.

mail surveys

respondents may be less concerned about social desirability and provide more honest answers

but researchers cannot clarify questions for respondents or ask further elaboration like face to face interviews

and return rate is low

where does quantitative research come from

positivism ( what is relevant to science is what can be measured or quantified)

qualitative research is more

phenomenological and it emphasizes the meanings that people ascribe to their life

what are qualitative approaches and quantitative approaches thought as

qualitative is more exploratory

quantitative is more for theory testing

qualitative research design

• exploratory

• contextual understanding

• subjectivity and reflexivity

• small and purposeful sampling

• in depth data collection

• iterative data analysis

obtaining qualitative data

anecdotal: informal reports during an experiment, observation, or retrospective insight

complementary observations: events that might be important in understaning a result but was outside a research design

self report: surveys and interviews

what is self report methods

any method that asks participants to report on themselves

the data is gathered through direct questioning which can be done face to face, telephone, mail or internet