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!