Created by Joni Walton, RN PhD ACNS BC

There is no conflict of interest in the creation of this education program.

Research Committee Research Committee Module #5Module #5

1 CNE Available1 CNE Available

Learner Objectives

1. Describe 2 basic guiding philosophic principles of qualitative research.

2. Identify 2 different types of established qualitative research methodologies.

3. Discuss 2 concerns with generic qualitative research.

4. List components of qualitative rigor.

It therefore is time for nurses to assert their autonomy and use qualitative criteria to evaluate qualitative paradigm, without this position, we will continue to have noncredible, inaccurate, and questionable findings for qualitative research studies. It is time to change practices!

M. Leininger (1994)

A Need ForQualitative Research

Characteristics ofQualitative Research

Individuals create meaning Multiple ways of understanding Multiple truths

(Caelli, Ray & Mill, 2003)

1. Belief in multiple realities1. Belief in multiple realities

Characteristics ofQualitative Research

2. Commitment to gain understanding 2. Commitment to gain understanding from the participants viewpoint.from the participants viewpoint.

(Caelli, Ray & Mill, 2003)

Find meaning of the experience Identify basic social problems Within context of the experience Find similarities and differences

Characteristics ofQualitative Research

3. Acknowledged participation of 3. Acknowledged participation of the researcher in the researchthe researcher in the research

(Caelli, Ray & Mill, 2003)

Researcher is co-participant in the discovery and understanding

All research is conducted with a subjective bias

Objectivity - documents rigor from participant’s viewpoint

Characteristics ofQualitative Research

Do not disturb the natural contextof the phenomena

Little intrusion as possible

(Caelli, Ray & Mill, 2003)

4. Minimize disturbance of the4. Minimize disturbance of thenatural context of the phenomenanatural context of the phenomena

Types of EstablishedQualitative Methodologies

• Ethnography—Anthropology

• Grounded Theory—Sociology

• Phenomenology—Philosophy

• Focus groups—Business

• Naturalistic Inquiry—Education

• Narrative Inquiry—Education & others

Ethnography Analysis

Types of analysis

Thematic analysis Grounded theory analysis

Values, beliefs, practices of cultural groupsValues, beliefs, practices of cultural groups

Grounded Theory Analysis

Analysis: Classic GT (Glaser & Strauss) Non classic (Strauss and Corbin)

Grounded Theory (GT) developed by two Grounded Theory (GT) developed by two sociologists to discover problems or sociologists to discover problems or meaningmeaning

Bias Theoretical Positioning

Examples Did the researcher have a parent with renal

failure? What are the researcher’s beliefs related to

the phenomenon being studied?

All qualitative studies value the identification All qualitative studies value the identification of the researcher’s bias and the analytic lens of the researcher’s bias and the analytic lens of analysisof analysis

Focus Groups A specific technique used by trained

group moderators to identify likes, dislikes, or problems

Used in business to test new products Used by hospitals to find how to bring

in customers, way finding, satisfaction Analysis: Content analysis

Credibility of Generic Qualitative Research

1. Theoretical positioning of the researcher

2. Congruence between methodology and method

3. Strategies to establish rigor4. Analytic lens of data analysis

(Caelli, Ray, & Mill, 2003)

Rigor

Member checks (participant validates findings) Fit Trustworthiness Credibility Follow assumptions of method Follow analysis recommended for method

Each of the established qualitativeEach of the established qualitative

methods have guidelines for rigormethods have guidelines for rigor

Non Established Qualitative Methodologies-Generic

There is a major explosion of research studies that do not follow a specific guiding methodology or analysis. They are descriptive in nature, and not necessarily rigorous.

Research Abstract Title Purpose or research question Sample and setting Method Analysis Results Implications

Title of the Study

The title may sound non scholarly The title may be in the participant’s

own words Do not overlook a study because of

a weird title

Purpose or Research Question

The purpose must be clearly identified Qualitative research is great to:

– Study a new phenomenon– Study a phenomenon or problem that has

not been studied– To discover meaning– To understanding the experience

Purposeful Sample Sample size in qualitative research is

small It is not appropriate for large samples

(over 40) Not appropriate for a random sample Select each participant on purpose

– Participants or key informants have the problem that is being studied

Study Participants

In qualitative research the study volunteers are not called “SUBJECTS”

Key informants or participants

Saturation - Sample Size Saturation is a term that is used when

the data is complete or redundant and there are no new findings

Saturation occurs when each additional interview or observation brings the same information

Saturation is the exhaustive exploration and completion of data

Setting A description of where the study took place Important in ethnographic studies

• Culture, environment In-depth interviews often take place in a

mutually agreed upon private place• Home or office

Data Collection

What data was collected? Demographic data (age, economic, other) In-depth interviews (audio or videotaped) Participant observations Field work Historical documents Artifacts, journals, photos, other

Data Analysis

Each of the established qualitative methods has its own specific type of data analysis, except for generic qualitative methods.

For example:

- Phenomenology - Giorgi’s analysis

- Colaizzi’s analysis - Van Kaam’s analysis

- Parse’s analysis

Results of Analysis

The hallmark of qualitative research are the results:

Themes Categories, subcategories Concepts Theory, theoretical models Hypothesis for future research

ING-Gerund Most themes and categories are from

the words of participants Usually end in ING implying a process

- Enduring - Developing

- Coping - Discovering

- Seeking - Managing

- Finding - Facing mortality

Evaluating an Article Usinga Check List for Guidance

A check list can be a guide Often used in research courses

Nursing Implications

A good research article will have a summery of implications for future research and implications for nursing.

References Caelli, K., Ray, L., & Mill, J. (2003). ‘Clear as mud’:

Toward greater clarity in generic qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2(2). Article 1. Retrieved from http://www.ualberta.ca/~iiqm/backissues/pdf/caellietal.pdf.

Leininger, M. (1994). Evaluation criteria and critique of qualitative research. In Critical Issues in Qualitative Research Methods. Morse, J. M. (ed). Newberry Park, CA: Sage.

Law, M. et al (1998). Guidelines for critical review form – qualitative studies. Retrieved from http://www.usc.edu/hsc/ebnet/res/Guidelines.pdf.

References Lincoln, Y. S. & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic

inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Aamodt, A. (1983). Problems in doing nursing

research: Developing criteria for evaluating qualitative critique. Western Journal of Nursing Research (5)4, 399.

Morse, J. M. (1991). Strategies for sampling. In J. Morse (Ed.), Qualitative nursing research: A contemporary dialogue (Rev. Ed.). (pp. 117-131). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

References Morse, J. M. (1999). Myth #93: Reliability and validity are

not relevant to qualitative inquiry. Qualitative Health Research, 9, 717.

Morse, J. M., Barrett, M., Mayan, M., Olson, K., & Spiers, J. (2002). Verification strategies for establishing reliability and validity in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 1 (2), Article 2. Retrieved from http://www.ualberta.ca/~ijqm/.

Sandelowski, M. (1993). Rigor or rigor mortis: The problem of rigor in qualitative research revisited. Advances in Nursing Science, 16 (2), 1-8.