Topic 2: Research Ethics and Evaluating Qualitative Research
Topic 2: Research Ethics and Evaluating Qualitative Research
Research data is obtained and stored in different forms depending on the researcher’s objectives and the studied phenomena. Qualitative data denotes the information characterizing the attributes of the study subjects without measuring them. It only provides its properties descriptively (Busetto et al., 2020). This data can be overwhelming for the researcher, particularly when in large volumes. Various strategies can help researchers to manage and organize such data.
One of the is to use a clear file naming to allow data tracking. Researchers should consider storing data with similar characteristics in the same folder. The data can be further categorized according to themes of the study, subjects interviewed, and population demographics such as ages. Such organization enables the researchers to easily retrieve and categorize responses from people according to age and characterize them appropriately. Organizing data in folders also minimizes the chances of data mix-up.
Besides file naming and placing data in specific folders, researchers should consider consistent and analysis methods. For instance, researchers can stick to focus group discussions for data collection where a small number of the study population discusses a particular issue in-depth through group interaction (Doria et al., 2018). Doing so makes it easy for the researcher to explore how people think and behave and provide consistent results. Data analysis should also be done using one method, such as expert discussions. Opting for one strategy allows the researcher to be consistent and organize data easily. The chances of confusion are also minimal, which can help to manage data regardless of its volume and characteristics.
References
Busetto, L., Wick, W., & Gumbinger, C. (2020). How to use and assess qualitative research methods. Neurological Research and Practice, 2(1), 1-10.
Doria, N., Condran, B., Boulos, L., Maillet, D. G. C., Dowling, L., & Levy, A. (2018). Sharpening the focus: differentiating between focus groups for patient engagement vs. qualitative research. Research Involvement and Engagement, 4(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-018-0102-6
Topic 2 Discussion 2: Types of Qualitative Research
Researchers use different approaches to collect data and make inferences about subjects’ behaviors and other phenomena. Qualitative research primarily involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data to seek an in-depth understanding of phenomena within their natural setting. It usually seeks to answer the question of “why” and not “what” behind something (Busetto et al., 2020). Phenomenological research and grounded theory are common qualitative research approaches differing profoundly but also sharing some features.
Phenomenological research investigates the daily experiences of a study’s subjects while suspending the researcher’s views about the phenomenon being studied. The primary purpose of phenomenological research is to produce detailed descriptions of the phenomena being studied by seeking reality from individuals’ everyday experiences (Neubauer et al., 2019). The researcher usually interacts with the study’s subjects, observes their experiences, and collects data through interviews and other qualitative research methods. A suitable example of phenomenological research is exploring family members’ experiences with a patient under palliative care. Experiences include anxiety, stress, and emotional well-being.
Grounded theory is primarily concerned with generating a theory/hypothesis. In grounded theory research, researchers collect and analyze data. Since the theory is grounded in actual data, researchers analyze and develop theories after collecting the data (Chun Tie et al., 2019). A suitable example of grounded theory research is a study on the reasons behind nurses’ dissatisfaction. Nurses can explain what they feel is missing in the workplace. The researchers then gather this data, evaluate the results to determine the leading causes, and present solutions. The gathered data helps the researcher to establish a theory. Like phenomenological research, grounded theory research seeks to collect and analyze data to study phenomena in more detail.
References
Busetto, L., Wick, W., & Gumbinger, C. (2020). How to use and assess qualitative research methods. Neurological Research and Practice, 2(1), 1-10.
Chun Tie, Y., Birks, M., & Francis, K. (2019). Grounded theory research: A design framework for novice researchers. SAGE Open Medicine, 7, 2050312118822927.
Neubauer, B. E., Witkop, C. T., & Varpio, L. (2019). How phenomenology can help us learn from the experiences of others. Perspectives on Medical Education, 8(2), 90-97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-019-0509-2
Qualitative research can be very broad and include data in cultural behaviors, a person’s lived experiences, and those who are involved in performing specific actions (Green and Johnson, 2018). All of this data can become overwhelming, as a new researcher it can even get chaotic and feel out of control (Erlingsson and Brysiewicz, 2017). A good starting point as recommended by Erlingsson and Brysiewicz (2017) is to start with transcribing the interviews into text, this will help to condense meaning units, help with coding, and categorizing the data. Condensing, coding and categorizing will happen many times in the data analysis process. There are also software options that can help assist with collecting, however, Erlingsson and Brysiewicz (2017) state “A major drawback is that qualitative analysis software can be prohibitively expensive”, and they suggest to use data templates to with A, B, and C, columns that codes can be separated into categories for theme/experiance, code/event, and categories/emotions, memories (Erlingsson and Brysiewicz, 2017). Lastly it is important to keep your main research topic in the forefront of you mind and not be swayed by the data collected or allow yourself to become biased from the data. Getting overwhelmed is easy to do but staying focused and tracking your data with a template is the best and most economic way to assess and manage the data collected.Erlingsson, C., & Brysiewicz, P. (2017). A hands-on guide to doing content analysis. African Journal of Emergency Medicine, 7(3), 93–99. doi: 10.1016/j.afjem.2017.08.001Grand Canyon University (Ed). (2018). Nursing research: Understanding methods for best practice. Retrieved from
Three types of qualitative research are phenomenological, grounded theory, and ethnographic research. “Phenomenology research is used to study people through their lived experiences” (Helbig, 2018). Phenomenological research is aimed at examining how people perceive, and comprehend a particular situation that they have personally experienced. The data is collected primarily through in-depth conversations and interviews; however, some studies may collect data from diaries, drawings, or observation. The sample size is usually small, often 10 or less participants which may lead to questionable results. An example topic of phenomenology research is “What is it like to experience a natural disaster mass evacuation, such as during hurricane Katrina?”
Grand Canyon University (Ed). (2018). Nursing research: Understanding methods for best practice. Retrieved from
Lester, S. (1999). An introduction to phenomenological research. Retrieved from
Sbaraini, A., Carter, S. M., Evans, R. W., & Blinkhorn, A. (2011). How to do a grounded theory study: a worked example of a study of dental practices. BMC medical research methodology, 11, 128. doi:10.1186/1471-2288-11-128
