Residency 1 GCU Flashcards | Quizlet

Epistemological Stance

A researcher's beliefs about how knowledge is created, which guide whether they choose qualitative or quantitative research methods.

Constructivist View

An epistemological stance holding that knowledge is subjective and shaped by individual experiences, leading researchers to choose qualitative research to explore meanings and perspectives.

Positivist View

An epistemological stance holding that knowledge is objective and can be measured, leading researchers to choose quantitative research to test hypotheses and analyze numerical data.

Theoretical Framework Purpose

Gives a study its foundation and direction, acting like a lens that shapes how the researcher views the problem, designs the study, connects to existing literature, and interprets results.

Evidence-Based Interpretation Strategy

A strategy to ensure credible interpretations by basing conclusions directly on evidence, such as participant quotes in qualitative studies or statistics in quantitative studies.

Ontology

A concept concerning what is real and what can be known, which shapes research questions by influencing whether a researcher seeks measurable facts or context-shaped experiences.

Realist View (Ontology)

An ontological view holding that reality is objective and exists independently, leading to research questions that search for measurable facts or cause-and-effect (e.g., "What is the effect of X on Y?").

Relativist View (Ontology)

An ontological view holding that reality is shaped by people and context, leading to research questions focused on understanding experiences and meanings.

Quantitative Paradigm

A research paradigm that tests hypotheses, measures variables, and looks for generalizable patterns by collecting numerical data using surveys, experiments, or tests (asking "how much" or "how many").

Qualitative Paradigm

A research paradigm that explores and understands experiences, behaviors, or meaning in context by collecting words and observations through interviews, focus groups, or documents (asking "how" or "why").

Initial (Open) Coding

The qualitative data coding step where a researcher reads through data and assigns short labels to sections of text to break large amounts of data into smaller, organized pieces.

Categorization (Axial) Coding

The qualitative data coding step where a researcher groups related codes into categories based on patterns or similarities to reveal connections and prepare for theme development.

Risk of Non-Representative Sampling

Can lead to biased results that do not accurately reflect the population or phenomenon being studied, weakening validity and limiting the ability to generalize in quantitative research.

Ethical Considerations in Participant Recruitment

Key requirements including obtaining informed consent, protecting confidentiality, ensuring voluntary participation, avoiding unapproved deception, and selecting participants fairly.

Descriptive Statistics

Statistics that summarize and organize data from a sample to describe its basic characteristics without making predictions or generalizations beyond the collected data (e.g., mean GPA = $3.75$).

Inferential Statistics

Statistics that use sample data to make predictions, inferences, or generalizations about a larger population using probability and hypothesis testing (e.g., a t-test showing $p < .05$).

Data Saturation

The point in qualitative research reached when no new themes, codes, or information emerge from additional data collection, signaling that the phenomenon is represented with sufficient depth.

Role of Triangulation

Enhances the credibility and trustworthiness of qualitative findings by using multiple sources, methods, or perspectives to corroborate evidence and reduce single-source bias.

Methodological Triangulation Example

A study on teacher burnout where a researcher collects data using three distinct methods: individual interviews, focus groups, and document analysis of teacher journals.

Critique of Purpose Statement: "To prove that leadership training reduces turnover"

It uses the biased word "prove" (implying a predetermined conclusion) and lacks methodological context specifying the research design (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods).

Transferability vs. Generalizability

Qualitative research seeks transferability (the extent to which findings apply to similar contexts) rather than statistical generalizability, which requires large and diverse sample sizes.

Correlational Design Research Question Example

"What is the relationship between employee engagement scores and annual performance ratings among sales representatives?" — examining two variables without manipulation or causal claims.

Operational Definitions

Precise specifications of how abstract concepts or variables will be measured or observed in quantitative research, transforming theoretical constructs into measurable indicators.

Job Satisfaction Operational Definition Example

Defining job satisfaction as the composite score on the Job Descriptive Index (JDI), a $72$-item survey measuring satisfaction across work, pay, promotion, supervision, and coworkers.

Pseudonyms and Data De-identification

A qualitative confidentiality strategy where researchers assign fictitious names and remove or alter identifying details (names, job titles, locations) from transcripts and reports.