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

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. Qualitative Research Purpose
Describe
Understand
Explain
Identify
Develop
Generate

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

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

8. 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

9. Phenomenology
Provides a rich description of the ‘lived experience’

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

11. Ethnography
Based in anthropology
Focus on understanding the culture

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

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

14. 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

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

16. 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

17. 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.

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.)

23. 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.

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

25. 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

26. Questions? Comments?
The end!