Chapter 5
Introduction to
Qualitative Research
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What Is Qualitative Research?
Seeks to answer difficult “why” questions
Explanatory and descriptive
Discovery oriented; explanatory, descriptive, and inductive in nature; uses words rather than numbers to explain a phenomenon
Often used when just beginning to understand a phenomenon or if a new perspective is needed
Paradigm
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What Is Qualitative Research?
Phenomena studied in naturalistic settings
Attempts to interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them
Used when attempting to understand the nature of a phenomenon
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Naturalistic Settings
The setting that people live in daily
Important because qualitative researchers consider the context to be very important in understanding a phenomenon
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Beliefs of Qualitative Researchers
There are multiple realities:
There are similarities and differences in every person’s experience.
Reality is socially constructed and context dependent:
Meaning of an observation is defined by its circumstance or context.
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Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002, 1998, 1994, 1990, 1986 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.
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Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002, 1998, 1994, 1990, 1986 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.
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Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002, 1998, 1994, 1990, 1986 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.
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Components of a Qualitative Research Report
Review of the literature
Similar to quantitative reports but usually there is less published literature available
May need to review studies with related or similar subjects, populations, or concepts
May wait to do the literature review until after study, but still need a basic review for justification
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Components of a Qualitative Research Report
Study design
Should be congruent with the philosophy of the qualitative researcher
May use a particular qualitative method or may follow the general tenets of qualitative research
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Components of a Qualitative Research Report
Sample
Usually a purposive sample (not random) because the researcher is looking for the particular person who can elucidate the phenomena being studied
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Components of a Qualitative Research Report
Description of the sample
Inclusion and exclusion criteria: description of characteristics a person must have to be selected or excluded from the study
Sample size: determined when data saturation occurs, that is, when information being shared with the researcher becomes repetitive
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Components of a Qualitative Research Report
Recruitment and data collection
Data: usually words, either an interview or a description
Duration: from when the participant contacts the researcher until the end of the study
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Components of a Qualitative Research Report
Description of the setting
Two possible descriptions: the place where recruitment occurred and the place where data collection occurred
Naturalistic setting
The setting is a rich source of data in qualitative research.
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Components of a Qualitative Research Report
Data collection
Contains details about how long the researcher spent collecting data
Description of how the researcher decided that data saturation had been reached
The kinds of questions that were asked
Grand tour questions
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Components of a Qualitative Research Report
Data analysis
How raw data were handled; usually transcripts of taped interviews
Goal: to find commonalities and differences, then group these into broader categories that capture the phenomena
Themes
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Components of a Qualitative Research Report
Discussion of results and implications for evidence-based practice
Usually describes a process, a set of conditions, or a description of an experience
Themes identified; process used to distinguish themes described
Quotes used to support themes
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Components of a Qualitative Research Report
Conclusions
Summarization of results
Similarities and differences with existing literature
New findings or conceptual conclusions
Suggest how to use the findings in practice or future research
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Kearney’s Categories of Qualitative Findings
Descriptive categories
Phenomenon vividly portrayed from a new perspective; provides a map into a human experience that previously was not well understood
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Kearney’s Categories of Qualitative Findings
Shared pathway or meaning
Synthesis of a shared experience or process; integration of concepts that provides a complex picture of a phenomenon
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Kearney’s Categories of Qualitative Findings
Depiction of experiential variation
Describes the main essence of an experience but also shows how the experience varies, depending on the individual or context
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Kearney’s Categories of Qualitative Findings
Dense explanatory description
Rich, situated understanding of a multifaceted and varied human phenomenon in a unique situation
Portrays the full range and depth of complex influences
Provides a densely woven structure to findings
Highest level of complexity and discovery
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How Can Nurses Use
Qualitative Evidence?
To understand experiences of patients
To assess the patient’s status or progress
To understand the range of responses from patients
To provide anticipatory guidance
To provide information helpful for coaching patients
To improve communication between nurses and patients
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Qualitative Research
Does NOT test interventions
Seeks to understand the patient’s experience
May provide information necessary to pursue quantitative studies
May be used for theory development or extension
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Which is the best naturalistic setting for studying parents’ food choices for their toddlers?
Grocery store
Home
Fast-food counter
Sit-down restaurant
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Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002, 1998, 1994, 1990, 1986 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.
ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: Home would be the best choice, but patterns and habits may indicate the need to review choices in fast-food restaurants and convenience stores. A grocery store may be a good choice to indicate why certain foods were purchased to serve in the home.
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A nurse researcher completes a study and finds there is a need for continued research. What is the most appropriate response?
Realize the study has no value.
Continue the research to conclusion.
Stop the study until you have more time.
Document this in the report conclusion.
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ANSWER: D
RATIONALE: Document this in the report conclusion. At the end of the report is the conclusion. Here the researcher should summarize the results for the reader and should compare the findings to the existing literature. The author can also move into new extant findings or new conceptual conclusions here because the findings may have led into areas that were not anticipated at the beginning of the study. This is one of the great contributions of qualitative research: opening up new venues of discovery that were not previously anticipated. The researcher also makes suggestions regarding how to use the findings in practice and further directions for future research.
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Which statement made by a nurse indicates that more education on the clinical application of qualitative research is needed?
Results of qualitative research can be used to:
coach patients
test hypotheses
assess patient progress
provide anticipatory guidance
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Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002, 1998, 1994, 1990, 1986 by Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.
ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: Qualitative research is not designed to test hypotheses or make predictions about causal effects. Answers A, C, and D are components of modes of clinical application of qualitative research. Option B relates to quantitative research.
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The first step in the qualitative research process is to do what?
Determine the study design
Plan recruitment process
Review the literature
Identify inclusion and exclusion criteria of the sample
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ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: The steps of the research process are review of literature, study design, sample, setting-recruitment, and data collection.
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