Methods Unit 8 Quiz

grounded theory

a qualitative research method where you do not start with a hypothesis. Instead, you gather stories or interviews, look for patterns in what people say, and let those patterns shape your understanding. You build your ideas “from the ground up” based on the data, not from assumptions. Researchers collect data, code it, identify themes, compare new data with earlier themes, and gradually build a theory that explains what they are seeing.

Attempts to derive theories from an analysis of the patterns, themes, and common categories discovered among observational data.

Longest most involved research method

Constant Comparative

content analysis

Descriptive (describes what is there). Focuses on manifest content. Describes the frequencies and compares. Lots of counting, which can initially confuse you with quantitative if you’re just looking for numbers v. words to differentiate quant/qual methods. Develops those frequent codes into larger categories.

Quantifying: counts/frequencies

Describes the characteristics of the content

simple reporting of common issues

creates codes and categories based on semantic/manifest content

can use latent content, but not always.

Surface level qualitative research.

thematic analysis

Develop themes and look t the “big picture” of the results. Combines categories into themes. Requires a lot more analysis and combine latent and manifest content.

Qualifying.

Rich, detailed, complex account of the data.

Looks for the common threads

The importance of a theme is not necessarily dependent on how often something comes up, but rather on whether it captures something important in relation to the overall research question.

Latent and semantic/manifest content are inseparable and always done together.

photovoice

People in the community take pictures of a particular issue/topic

group discussion over: meaning, why, and solutions.

SHOWD (focus group)

• what do you SEE here

• what is really HAPPENING

• how does this relate to OUR lives

• WHY does this exist

• what can we DO about it

Caption writing

Analyzing data

• participants name themes and organize the themes

Host a photo exhibit with Stakeholders

Follow up activities

MAKE AN ASK
WANT A SOCIAL CHANGE AS A RESULT

Reliability and validity in qualitative

Qualitative researchers study and describe things from multiple perspectives and meanings.

Less emphasis on whether one particular measure is really measuring what it’s intended to measure.

By describing things in great depth and detail and from multiple perspectives and meanings, there is less concern about whether one particular measure is really measuring what it is intended to measure

To check for reliability:

• Triangulation: using different perspectives to check

• Assess whether two independent raters arrive at the same interpretation

• Inter rater reliability: multiple people agreeing on how relation an intervention is (i.e 80% agreement rate)

• Asking the research participants to confirm the accuracy of observations

To check for validity:

• “Internally consistent” arguments: how is this consistent w/ research? are people saying the same thing?

• Complete interpretation: does this coincide w/ the theory

• Convictions: interpretation given the evidenve within the text, use a lot of examples.

• Meaningful: is it meaningful?

Three key threats to trustworthiness:

• reactivity

• researcher bias

• respondent bias

Strategies to minimize threats:

• prolonged engagement: lived experience, professional experience

• triangulation

• peer debriefing and support: take results and talk to other researchers for their opinions

• negative case analysis: looking for contradicting research

• member checking: taking it back

• auditing: having external professionals look at the research in audit it

Types of coding

Hypothesis-driven coding: involves generating codes based on theory a priori. driven by a theory we already have (like modeling behaviors, and social learning theory)

Open coding: categorizing information through close examination and questioning the data. Looks at data and let it talk. Getting codes from data.

Types of memoing

Code notes: notes made while doing the coding

Theoretical notes:

Operational notes:

Types of Interviewing

Completely unstructured: sit down and talk w/o leading/informal conversational

Semi-structured: provides outline for researcher but not set in stone

High-structured: written qualitative interview/standardized interviews

Community-Based Participatory Action Research

Implicit belief that research functions not only as means of knowledge production but also as a tool for education and development of consciousness as well as mobilization for action.

Typically used with disadvantaged groups

Participants define their problems, define the remedies desired, and take the lead in designing the research that will help them reach their arms.