The Pennsylvania state university college of nursing Nursing 200w Qualitative Research The Pennsylvania state university college of nursing Nursing 200w

How does Qualitative Research differ from Quantitative? A systematic, subjective approach used to describe life experiences and give them meaning Useful in understanding human experiences such as pain, caring, powerlessness, and comfort Focuses on understanding the whole Consistent with holistic philosophy of nursing

What are the Frameworks for Qualitative studies? The goal of qualitative research is not hypothesis testing. Frameworks are used in a different sense in qualitative research. Each type of qualitative research is guided by a particular philosophical stance.

How does the Data in Qualitative research look different? Data is subjective, systematic Describes life experiences and gives them meaning Data in qualitative research are typically words versus numbers in quantitative research Focus on the whole, holistic Data incorporate perceptions and beliefs of researcher and participants

Qualitative Research Purpose Describe Understand Explain Identify Develop Generate

Qualitative Research Methods Multiple realities Natural setting for data collection Researchers and participants interact Results are rich descriptions

Approaches to Qualitative Research Phenomenological Grounded Theory Ethnography Exploratory-descriptive-qualitative Historical

Approaches to Qualitative Research Based on the philosophical orientation and intended outcome The type of qualitative approach taken is often dependent on the research question(s) asked and the purpose of the research study

Phenomenology Provides a rich description of the ‘lived experience’

Grounded Theory Symbolic Interaction Theory Meaning is attached to things or actions which form our reality Often result in theory development

Ethnography Based in anthropology Focus on understanding the culture

Exploratory-Descriptive No specific approach described except for naturalistic inquiry, descriptive, or qualitative Addresses the research purpose and question from a qualitative method

Historical Examination and description of events or other factors that influence what you are interested in

Qualitative Research Process Select topic and problem Justify the significance of the study Design study Identify and gain access to subjects Select study subjects and data Interpret results

Which methods are unique to Qualitative Research? Selection of subjects Researcher-participant relationship Data collection methods Data management Data analysis Interpretation

How are subjects selected? Subjects are referred to as participants. May volunteer to be involved in study May be selected by researcher because of their particular knowledge, experience, or views related to study

What is purposive sampling? May select individuals typical in relation to the phenomenon under study May seek out individuals different in some way from other participants to get diverse perspectives Snowballing technique is commonly used.

How do sample sizes differ from quantitative studies? Decisions regarding sample size differ Based on needs related to study purpose Number of subjects is usually smaller Case studies with only one subject may be used Six to 10 subjects not unusual

What are the characteristics of researcher-participant relationships? Participants are treated as colleagues rather than subjects. The researcher must have the support and confidence of participants to complete the study. Maintaining relationships is of utmost importance.

What does Observation Include? A process of understanding ‘What is going on here?’ Look and listen carefully. Note routine activities. Focus on details. Note processes as well as discrete events. Note unexpected events.

What is Included in Interviewing? Open-ended format Researcher defines focus. No fixed sequence of questions Questions tend to change as researcher gains insights from previous interviews and/or observations. Respondents are encouraged to raise issues not addressed by researcher.

How is text collected? May be written by participants on a particular topic at request of researcher Narratives may be solicited by mail rather than in person. Text developed for other purposes, such as patient records or procedure manuals, can be accessed for qualitative analysis. Published text (books, newspapers, etc.)

How are Qualitative research results interpreted? The researcher offers his or her interpretation of what is going on. The focus is on understanding and explaining beyond that which can be stated with certainty. May focus on usefulness of findings for clinical practice Researcher develops hunches about relationships that can be used to formulate tentative propositions.

Rigor Openness Adherence to a philosophical perspective Data saturation Multiple sources of data

Rigor Rigor is impacted by all of the following negative factors: Inconsistency in adhering to method or philosophy Poorly developed methods Lack of data collection time Poor data collection methods Failure to consider multiple sources of data

Questions? Comments? The end!