Basics of Qualitative Research · Define qualitative research 2. ... Explanatory studies search for...
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Basics of Qualitative Research Hamid Reza Khankeh Professor in Emergency and Disaster Health USWR, Tehran, Iran Post-Doctoral research fellowship Department of Clinical Science and Education, KI, Sweden, Stockholm Scientific Board Member of IPT E.V Leipzig, Germany 2016
Transcript of Basics of Qualitative Research · Define qualitative research 2. ... Explanatory studies search for...
Basics of Qualitative Research
Hamid Reza Khankeh
Professor in Emergency and Disaster Health
USWR, Tehran, Iran
Post-Doctoral research fellowship
Department of Clinical Science and Education, KI, Sweden, Stockholm
Scientific Board Member of IPT E.V Leipzig, Germany
2016
Intended learning Outcomes
On completion of this part of course, participants will be prepared to:
1. Define qualitative research
2. Compare qualitative and quantitative research
3. Describe different Features of Qualitative Research
4. Explain application of qualitative research findings
5. Discuss how to develop qualitative research question and proposal
What do you think about this situation?
Real scenario: One caller to the EMD centre recounted the situation in the following
way:
It was around 11 o’clock in the morning on Sat, a bad car accident injured a 17
year old boy who was crossing street towards nearby shopping center with his 52
year old father. The boy was unconscious, his face was bloody, his father was
frightened and called 112, he asked the dispatcher to send an ambulance as soon
as possible, because he felt his son is going to die, he pushed his son to
accompany him because his son didn’t want to and now he felt so guilty.
Dispatcher pushed the button to send an ambulance immediately. Minutes felt
like hours; The boy was lying there on the street. Ambulance arrived in less than
8 minutes so the ambulance driver and his colleagues were satisfied. Time passed
very fast for them and very slow for the father. Father shut at them and asked
them, why are you so late? But they believe that they were even early.
Who is right and who is wrong, you decide as a judge?
What is Scientific Research?
"...original investigation undertaken in
order to gain knowledge and
understanding“
to understand various aspects of the
world.
Background of the study
The amount of existing knowledge about the subject can be used as the
criterion for classifying research.
1. Exploratory studies are conducted when little is known about the
phenomenon of interest. Hypotheses are generally not
appropriate for these types of studies.
2. Descriptive studies: phenomena are described or the
relationship between variable is examined.
3. Explanatory studies search for causal explanations and are much
more rigorous than exploratory or descriptive studies to find causal
relationship.
Scientific Research
The purposes of scientific research can be categorized as:
Description (fact finding)
Exploration mainly qualitative (looking for patterns)
Analysis like cohort and case-control (explaining why or how)
Prediction mainly interventional (forecasting the likelihood of
particular events)
Problem Solving (improvement of current practice)
“Not everything that can be counted counts,
and not everything that counts can be
counted “
(Albert Einstein)
Primary substances or properties(quantitative)
Has its root in quanta, refers to something that has mass, weight, volume that
can be described in terms of numbers, and can be localized in space and time
and described by numbers such as houses, trees, cars, tables, chairs
These properties are said to exist objectively in real world,
independent of whether they are perceived or experienced by human
being or not.
Such as human body, stones, etc
These properties should be studied
quantitatively
Secondary substances or properties(qualitative)
Qualitative has its root in qualia which means the content of
human experience of the following :
Such as freedom, happiness, hope, attitude, colour, sound, coldness,
dryness, duty, values, hope,etc.
These properties are said to exist subjectively only as content of human
experiences and exhibit when they are percieved and experienced by
human being.
They are extrinsic and not intrinsic to the objects, things or phenomena
These properties should be studied
qualitatively
Key terms
Ontology – basic assumptions about the nature of reality(Obj vs Subj).
Epistemology – basic assumptions about what we can know about reality, the theory about knowledge.
The way we know what we know
how knowledge is generated
Paradigm - perspective concerning appropriate research practice, based on ontological and epistemological assumptions
Methodology - Specifies how the researcher may go about practically studying whatever he /she believes can be known.
Paradigm and method:
the relationship between philosophy and research
practice
What is the nature of reality?
What kind of knowledge can we have about reality?
How can we investigate reality?
What is the picture that we paint of reality?
Basic research paradigms
Three basic paradigms
Positivism Interpretivism Critical science
Research paradigm
Positivism refers to the assumption that all phenomena, whether physical, natural, social, or psychological, exhibit persistent pattern or regularities that can be studied. There is just one reality.
Critical science, explores the social world, critiques it, and seeks to empower the individual to overcome problems in the social world.It is critical of positivist and complementary to interpretive research.It criticised the dominance of positivist social science.
Interpretivism, or the qualitative approach, is a way to gain insights through discovering meanings by improving our comprehension of the whole.
Knowledge generation
Knowledge Epistemology
Methodology
Data and analysis
Method
Modify
Justify, Guides
and Evaluates
Produce
Are the
basis of
Justifies and evaluate
Qualitative and Quantitative Paradigms
The qualitative paradigm concentrates on investigating
subjective data (subjective properties).
The perceptions of the people involved, to illuminate these
perceptions and, thus, gain greater insight and knowledge.
The quantitative paradigm concentrates on what can be
measured.
It involves collecting and analyzing objective properties (often
numerical) data that can be organized into statistics.
Research Approach
Qualitative: …is concerned with subjective meaning of an experience to an individual. Known as flexible research designs also.
Quantitative:…is concerned with:
objectivity,
tight controls over the research situation,
and the ability to generalize findings.
Quantitative research is all about quantifying relationships between variables. Known as fixed design.
Individual test
Have you recently experienced any pain?
If 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain that you can imagine,
which number can show your last pain?
Please tell me what the experience of pain has been like for you
and how it has affected your life?
Write one paragraph related to your pain experience
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Choice of Methodology & Methods
Depends on
Research Questions
Research Goals
Researcher Beliefs and Values
Researcher Skills
Time and Funds
Qualitative Quantitative
(Usually) Non-probability based sample Typically a probability-based sample
Non-generalizable Generalizable
Answers Why? How? Answers How many? When? Where?
Multiple reality One reality
Data are “rich” and time-consuming to
analyze (context depended)
Data are more efficient, but may miss
contextual detail (context free)
Design may emerge as study unfolds(
Method and data collection strategies may
changed as needed)
Design decided in advance
Researcher is the instrument Various tools, instruments employed
Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Qualitative Research Quantitative Research
Type of
reasoning
(usually) inductive (specific to
general)
(usually) deductive (general to
specific)
Link with
concepts identifies concepts
identified concepts and
investigates relationships
Action sometimes only describes a
situation
tests relationships between
concepts
Outcome illuminates the situation accepts or rejects proposed
theory
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Quantitative Qualitative
Purpose
Seeks explanations and predictions
to develop generalizations.
Seeks a better understanding of
complex situations.
Research
process
Known variables, established
guidelines, predetermined methods,
objective
Unknown variables, flexible
guidelines, emergent methods,
subjective
Data
gathering
Numeric data, representative large
sample, standardized instruments
Textual/image data, small sample,
loosely structured observations and
interviews
Data analysis
Statistical analysis, objectivity,
deductive reasoning
Search for themes and categories,
subjective, inductive reasoning
Findings
Numbers, statistics, aggregated data,
scientific style
Words, narratives, quotes, literary
style
Qualitative research
Qualitative methods are used:
when little is known about a topic,
when the research context is poorly understood,
when the boundaries of the domain are ill-defined,
when the Phenomenon is not quantifiable,
when the nature of the problem is murky,
or when the investigator suspects that the status quo is poorly
conceived and the topic needs to be reexamined(Morse,1991a).
Qualitative paradigm
for Scientific Research
Lack of knowledge
Controversial ideas
Fresh perspective
Qualitative researchers want the
opportunity to connect with their research
participants and to see the world from their
viewpoints
Human phenomena could not and should
not be reduced to mathematical
formulas(Krasner,2000)
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Qualitative Research : Basic Assumptions
1. World is very complex
2. There are no simple and linear explanations for things
3. Events are the result of multiple factors coming together and interacting in complex and often unanticipated way
4. Reality is complex, socially constructed and ultimately subjective
5. ‘Research is an interpretative process
6. ‘Knowledge is best achieved by conducting research in the natural setting
Qualitative research:
Qualitative research is unstructured.
‘Qualitative designs are “emergent” rather than fixed.
‘The results of qualitative research are unpredictable.
Six assumptions of qualitative designs
1. Qualitative researchers are concerned primarily with process, rather than
outcomes or products.
2. Qualitative researchers are interested in meaning.
3. The qualitative researcher is the primary instrument for data collection and
analysis. Data are mediated through this human instrument, rather than
through inventories, questionnaires, or machines.
4. Qualitative research involves fieldwork. The researcher physically goes to the
people setting, site, or institution to observe or record behavior in its natural
setting.
5. Qualitative research is descriptive in that the researcher is interested in
process, meaning and understanding gained through words or pictures.
6. The process of qualitative research is inductive in that the researcher builds
abstractions, concepts, hypotheses, and theories from details.
