Qualitative Research Overview

These flashcards cover key concepts and methodologies of qualitative research, aimed at helping students review for their exams.

What are the main aims of qualitative research?

Exploring, understanding, interpreting, and mapping participants' experiences.

What type of research questions do qualitative studies typically address?

‘How’ and ‘why’ questions.

What is the nature of data collection in qualitative research?

Open and in-depth, flexible, and responsive to participant context.

How is the data yielded from qualitative research characterized?

Rich, detailed, extensive content, but involves fewer participants.

What does qualitative data analysis aim to do?

It seeks to explain as well as describe, not just measure frequency.

What is the researcher’s role in qualitative research?

The researcher's experience is integral, requiring transparency and reflexivity about preconceptions.

What are common qualitative data collection methods?

Observation, interviews, and focus groups.

What is the primary focus of observation as a qualitative data collection method?

Data collected as events occur at the study site.

What defines a participant observation?

The researcher immerses themselves in the social setting.

What is the Hawthorne effect in qualitative research?

Validity is affected by the observer's presence.

What is the purpose of a topic guide in interviews?

It serves as an agenda for conducting the interview, covering essential topics.

What are the strengths of focus groups in qualitative research?

They stimulate wide-ranging discussion and generate a comprehensive list of issues.

What is a key challenge when conducting focus groups?

Managing dominant speakers who can narrow and direct content.

What is saturation in qualitative sampling?

The point at which no new information or themes are observed in additional interviews or focus groups.

What is purposive sampling?

A non-random sampling method where participants are deliberately selected to fulfill certain conditions.

What is an important ethical consideration in focus groups?

Participants may feel upset or want to leave, and confidentiality cannot always be guaranteed.

How many participants are usually involved in focus groups?

Typically 6 to 12 participants.